What 77 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Subaru Forester Wilderness

I WAS DRIVING IN HEAVY SNOW AND USING THE HEATER FOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, WHICH IS BUILT INTO THE WINDSHIELD. THE ICE AND SLUSH CONTINUED TO BUILD ON THE WIPERS AND I CONTINUED TO USE THE HEATER. AT ONE POINT, THE SNOW HAD BUILT UP ON THE LOWER WINDSHIELD AND THE HEATER WAS ON. SUDDENLY, THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED ALL OF THE WAY ACROSS, ABOVE THE HEATER AND BELOW THE SNOW. THE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE MUST HAVE CAUSED THIS CRACK, AS I WAS TRAVELING ONLY ABOUT 10 MPH (AS WAS EVERYONE ELSE) AND NO TRUCKS OR ANY TYPE OF VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME THAT MIGHT HAVE KICKED UP A STONE. I TOOK THE CAR TO SUBARU AND THEY SAID IT WAS DUE A PREVIOUS STONE CHIP. I DISAGREED VEHEMENTLY BUT THEY WOULDN'T REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD. I HAVE HAD TO PAY $325 TO GET IT FIXED. I FEEL THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS SHOULD BE LOOKED AT. PERHAPS THE WIPER HEATER SHOULDN'T BE ACTIVATED WHEN SNOW IS ON WINDSHIELD. I DO KNOW THAT TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE IS USED IN GLASS MANUFACTURING TO FACILITATE BREAKING AT A CERTAIN POINT

NHTSA ODI 10826048

WHEN TURNING INTO OUR DRIVEWAY, THE REAR VIEW MIRROR FELL OFF. STARTED SWINGING WILDLY UNTIL WE STOPPED IT. *JS

NHTSA ODI 10681923

THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR ON MY SUBARU FORESTER FELL OFF WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I WAS NOT EVEN TOUCHING IT AT THE TIME. THE IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED WITH THIS VEHICLE, THE FIRST TIME WITHIN 1 YEAR OF PURCHASE. THE MECHANISM FOR ATTACHING THE MIRROR TO THE WINDSHIELD IS DEFECTIVE IN THAT IT CAN'T BE COMPLETELY TIGHTENED AS DESIGNED. WITHIN DAYS OF THE LAST REPLACEMENT, IT LOOSENED AGAIN AND EVENTUALLY FALL OFF (AFTER 12 OR SO MONTHS) CREATING A SUDDEN AND DISTRACTING SITUATION THAT CAN EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THE MIRROR HAS WIRES ATTACHED TO IT SO AFTER IT FALLS OFF, IT HANGS FROM THE WINDSHIELD AND WILDLY SWINGS TOWARDS THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER UNTIL IT IS REATTACHED. NEEDLESS TO SAY EVEN AFTER THE INITIAL INCIDENT, THIS CREATES A DISTRACTING AND DANGEROUS SITUATION. SINCE SUBARU DOESN'T SEEM TO BE VOLUNTARILY FIXING THIS ISSUE, NHTSA SHOULD EVALUATE THIS AS A POTENTIAL RECALL ISSUE TO FORCE THEM TO MAKE CREDIBLE FIX. I LOOKED ONLINE AND FOUND NUMEROUS OTHER SUBARU OWNERS WITH SIMILAR ISSUES. THIS APPEARS TO BE A FAR MORE COMMON PROBLEM THAN OTHER ISSUES I'VE SEEN RECALLED. I WILL BE GETTING IT REATTACHED ASAP; HOWEVER I DON'T EXPECT IT TO BE A PERMANENT SOLUTION. IN THE MEANTIME, I'M FORCED TO DRIVE WITH ONE HAND ON MY REARVIEW MIRROR IN ORDER TO AVOID IT SWINGING INTO THE WINDSHIELD OR MY HEAD. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10679634

THE MIRROR ON MY CAR FELL OFF WHEN I WENT TO ADJUST IT. I CALLED THE DEALER AND ASKED HOW TO REATTACH IT, THE SERVICE CENTER WAS EVASIVE, I WAS ASKED TO BRING THE CAR IN. ONCE I ARRIVED I WAS TOLD THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND THAT A RETRO FITTED BRACKET WOULD BE INSTALLED. I ASKED IF THERE WAS A RECALL AND WAS TOLD NO. THIS IS A SERIOUS KNOWN PROBLEM AND I BELIEVE IT SHOULD HAVE A RECALL. THE MIRROR IS ATTACHED BY A BRACKET THAT CONTAINS AN ELECTRICAL CORD FOR A LIGHT. THERE IS NO WAY TO DETACH THE MIRROR FROM THE ELECTRICAL CORD. ONCE THE BRACKET COMES OFF THE MIRROR SWINGS WILDLY WHILE DRIVING. THE 15 MILE DRIVE TO THE DEALER WAS HARROWING. THE MIRROR SWUNG WILDLY, AT ONE POINT HITTING THE DASHBOARD. I HAD TO LEAN WAY TO THE RIGHT IN MY SEAT TO AVOID BEING HIT IN THE HEAD. I GRABBED THE MIRROR AS I WAS EXITING THE FREEWAY SO AS NOT TO BE HIT AND WAS IN A NEAR MISS ACCIDENT THAT SCARED ME. THE VERY NEXT WEEK THE IDENTICAL THING HAPPENED TO MY NEIGHBOR. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM WITH THE DEALER. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10531708

HI, DURING MY DRIVING TO OFFICE THIS MORNING, THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR FELL OFF. I DROVE THE CAR IMMEDIATELY TO AUSTIN SUBARU (200 W HUNTLAND DRIVE, AUSTIN TX 78752) AND AFTER THE INITIAL CHECKING, I WAS TOLD THAT LATER THAT THE PART FOR FIXING THE PROBLEM IS NOW ON BACK-LOG AND I HAVE TO WAIT FOR AROUND ONE WEEK BEFORE THE FIXING. I AM DEEPLY WORRIED THE SAFETY OF DRIVING THE CAR WITHOUT THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10523723