What 577 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Subaru Forester

MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE PARKED AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. THIS ALSO ENTAILED CALIBRATING THE DEVICES ASSOCIATED WITH EYE SIGHT.

NHTSA ODI 11311489

WHILE DRIVING ON I-5 FROM PORTLAND TO VANCOUVER , BC, MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED. THERE WAS NO CAUSE FOR THIS. IT WAS 4:30AM AND RAINING. I WAS IN SEATTLE WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT. UPON EXAMINING THE CRACK, IT SHOWS NO STAR OR ANY INDICATION FOR DEBRIS DAMAGIN THE WINDSHEILD. AS THE DAY PROGRESSED, IT IS JUST A CRACK BECAME AN 'N' ON MY WINDSHIELD.

NHTSA ODI 11311000

WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED, ALL THE WAY FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM. NO PREVIOUS CRACKS OR CHIPS.

NHTSA ODI 11311019

MY WINDSHIELD DEVELOPED A CRACK FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND I HAD TO REPLACE IT.

NHTSA ODI 11310867

THE 2017 FORESTER WAS PARKED AND HAD BEEN PARKED FOR A WEEK. WHILE PARKED THE TEMPERATURE FELL TO 30 DEGREES F AND THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM THE BOTTOM UP. THIS IS IN MASON COUNTY WASHINGTON STATE NOTICED FEB 21 2020

NHTSA ODI 11310724

CRACKED WINDSHIELD ON MY 2017 SUBARU FORESTER. UNKNOWN SOURCE OF HOW IT HAPPENED. NOT FROM ANY TYPE OF DEBRIS.

NHTSA ODI 11307819

WHILE DRIVING ON I-75 SOUTH NEAR LAKE CITY, FL A SMALL PEBBLE STRUCK AND CRACKED THE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY WINDSHIELD. THE YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL OF MY VEHICLE HAVE A WELL KNOWN HISTORY OF WEAKNESS AS WELL AS FRAGILITY AND CLASS ACTION SUIT FOR THE SUBARU OUTBACK OF SAME VINTAGE HAS REACHED SETTLEMENT. UNFORTUNATELY, THE FORESTER HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAD THE CRACK REPAIRED THE SAME DAY TO PREVENT IT FROM GETTING BIGGER. I AM ATTACHING A RECEIPT FOR REPAIR AND A POST REPAIR PHOTO OF THE DEFECT.

NHTSA ODI 11306698

CRACK IN WINDSHIELD RESULTING IN LOSS OF CAMERAS (EYE SIGHT)

NHTSA ODI 11301948

SMALL CHIP DRIVING AUG 2017AFTER PARKING TURNED INTO LONG CRACKS JULY 2018 SMALL CHIP DRIVING TURNED INTO LONG CRACK AFTER PARKING

NHTSA ODI 11297010

WINDSHIELD PRESENTED WITH LARGE CRACK OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN ON 4/3/18. WAS REPLACED BY SAFE LITE REPAIR WITH OEM GLASS. CRACKED AGAIN SHORTLY THEREAFTER AND WAS REPLACED BY LOCAL AUTO BODY.

NHTSA ODI 11292192

WINDSHIELD IS EXTREMELY BRITTLE AND WILL CRACK ACROSS WITH IMPACTS THAT OTHER CARS CAN SUSTAIN. 3 WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENTS REQUIRED IN 18 MONTHS.

NHTSA ODI 11291513

12/11/19 2PM DRIVING AT 55MPH SOUTH ON ROUTE 321 BETWEEN KANE, PA AND WILCOX, PA. NO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, NO STONE CHIPS. NOTICED 6" L SHAPED CRACK IN WINDSHIELD. DEFROSTER WAS ON. NEXT MORNING THE CRACK WAS ABOUT 14" AND GROWING.

NHTSA ODI 11291381

WINDSHIELD HAD CRACKS DEVELOP TWICE OVER THE COURSE OF OWNERSHIP

NHTSA ODI 11290857

THE ORIGINAL WINDSHIELD OF MY FORESTER SUDDENLY CRACKED WHILE PARKED A FEW MONTHS AGO. MY INSURANCE FULLY COVERED THE REPAIR. THE REPLACEMENT AFTERMARKET WINDSHIELD FROM SAFELITE ONLY LASTED A FEW MORE MONTHS BEFORE IT TOO GOT CHIPPED FROM A SMALL PEBBLE HIT AND NEEDED REPAIR. THE THIRD WINDSHIELD WAS DEFECTIVE AND FINALLY, THE FOURTH TIME, I GOT AN OEM WINDSHIELD INSTALLED WHICH IS STILL INTACT. I INCURRED NO COSTS DUE TO INSURANCE BUT THIS IS VERY AGGRAVATING! IT'S HARD TO GET A RELIABLE REPLACEMENT GLASS ON THE AFTERMARKET, WHICH IS ALL INSURANCE PAYS FOR UNLESS YOU HAVE MULTIPLE PROBLEMS LIKE I DID, ONLY THEN WILL YOU GET OEM. AND I WONDER HOW LONG IT WILL LAST! THE GLASS SEEMS BRITTLE - THERE IS AN OBVIOUS DESIGN PROBLEM HERE.

NHTSA ODI 11286533

I PURCHASE MY 2017 FORESTER FROM THE ANNAPOLIS DEALER AS A USED LOANER CAR WITH LESS THAN 7000 MILES WITH THE ORIGINAL AND EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE. AFTER READING ABOUT WINDSHIELD PROBLEMS I STARTED CHECKING THE WINDSHIELD ON MY FORESTER. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF HAIRLINE CRACKS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE AND BEST SEEN IN LOW SUNLIGHT WITH THE LIGHT IS REFRACTED BY THE CRACKS. I HAVE NOT REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO THE DEALER BUT WILL AT THE NEXT SERVICE APPOINTMENT.

NHTSA ODI 11282641

WINDSHIELD EXHIBITED SPARKLING TYPE FAULT THAT COMPROMISED ABILITY TO SEE CLEARLY THRU THE WINDSHIELD. ESPECIALLY SEVERE IN NIGHT DRIVING OR DIRECT SUNLIGHT. SUBARU REPLACED WINDSHIELD AS A "COURTESY" TO ME. THE SAME CONDITION IS NOW PREVALENT IN THE REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELD. I KNOW THE DEALER WILL TELL ME IT IS ANOTHER FAULT, NOT THE MANUFACTURING OF THE WINDSHIELD.

NHTSA ODI 11282076

MY WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED TWICE IN THE PAST 3 YEARS THAT I'VE HAD IT. I'VE NEEDED TO USE SAFELITE TO SEAL THE CRACKS BUT I ALSO HAVE SEVERAL CHIPS AND SCRATCHES.

NHTSA ODI 11277041

I AM REPORTING TO SEPARATE INCIDENCES. BOTH INCIDENCES ARE BECAUSE OF A SMALL ROCK HITTING MY WINDSHIELD, CREATING A BULLET-SIZED CRACK IN MY WINDSHIELD. ONE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND ONE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON COUNTY ROADS. THE FIRST BULLET HOLE CRACK HAS SINCE SPREAD INTO A CRACK THAT COVERS THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF MY WINDSHIELD PERIOD THE MORE RECENT BULLET HOLE CRACK WILL MOST LIKELY DO THE SAME.

NHTSA ODI 11276880

WHILE PARKED, THE WINDSHIELD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF 2017 SUBARU FORESTER SUDDENLY CRACKED.

NHTSA ODI 11271453

WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 60 MILES I NOTICED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKING

NHTSA ODI 11271468

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 SUBARU FORESTER. WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER WAS ACTIVATED AND, MOMENTS LATER, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD SUDDENLY CRACKED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11271522

A SMALL ROCK FROM THE HIGHWAY HIT THE WINDSHIELD AND IT CRACKED IMMEDIATELY. THE CRACK REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD. WE HAVE HAD OTHER CARD BE HIT BY ROCKS, ONES THAT HAVE BEEN A LOT BIGGER AND HAVE HARDER IMPACTS THAT DID NOT CRACK OR CHIP THE WINDSHIELD. THE CAR WAS ABOUT 2 MONTHS OLD AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI 11271497

MY 2.5 YEAR OLD 2017 SUBARU FORESTER HAS ALREADY HAS THE WINDSHIELD CHIPPED 2X WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY BY SEATTLE. BOTH TIMES I HAVE HAD IT REPAIRED BY SAFELITE. EACH TIME IT WAS A TINY THING THAT HAD APPARENTLY HIT THE WINDSHIELD.

NHTSA ODI 11271579

WITHOUT APPARENT CAUSE THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED. THIS OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT STRUCK BY ANYTHING AND WAS NEVER IN A COLLISION, BUT THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED APPROXIMATELY 14 INCHES IN LENGTH BEGINNING AT THE BOTTOM EDGE ABOUT 1 FOOT FROM THE LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER AND ANGLING UP AND LEFTWARD. THE VEHICLE REQUIRED AN EXPENSIVE ($425) REPLACEMENT AS THE CRACK WAS TOO LONG FOR REPAIR. THIS VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH LANE DEPARTURE AND COLLISION AVOIDANCE, WHICH THE REPAIR SHOP CITED AS THE REASON FOR THE VERY HIGH PRICE. NOTABLE AT THE SHOP WAS THAT THE CAR BEFORE MINE AND AFTER MINE WERE THE SAME MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR.

NHTSA ODI 11271714

WINDSHIELD SHATTERED AFTER HITTING A DEER. REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITH NO APPARENT REASON WHILE CAR WAS PARKED.

NHTSA ODI 11271388