What 488 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Subaru Forester Wilderness

The air conditioning system of my 2017 Subaru Forrester suddenly went out without warning. I noticed a defect when the A/C started buzzing with a high pitched sound and blowing semi-warm air instead of cool. I took my auto to a car repair shop. He provided this diagnostic analysis: Normal coolant level in the system. Performed Leak Detection Test- no detectable leak found at this time. A/C system pressures are too high on both pressure ports. A/C compressor has an internal noise. System is clogged. Ventilation interior cabin filter inspected and given a check at 24, 027 miles. Inspected , removed and replaced engine and cabin air filters at 41,600 miles. Inspected and removed and replaced engine and cabin air filters at 56,375. There are no other A/C related inspection or maintenance requirements to be accomplished (reference Subaru Forrester Maintenance/ Automation Subaru Arapahoe.My vehicle currently has 64,695 miles. My mechanic is currently working up an estimate for the A/C condenser, clutch, pump replacement... essentially the entire system. I consider this a latent defect and wish to be compensated for the repairs. Due to the weather, I wish to have the repairs accomplished and then be reimbursed. I have read articles on line stating this defect has become commonplace for 2017 and 2018 Subaru Forresters. This should be a recall item.

NHTSA ODI 11731154

Unknown

NHTSA ODI 11702872

Windshield cracked sitting parked matching Subaru TSB 12-192-15R except model of vehicle and Subaru stating not covered under the class action warranty extension

NHTSA ODI 11663188

Windshield cracked starting in the black area under the driver's windshield wiper. Car was idling at a drive through, wipers were on. NOTE: car had fewer than 22,500k miles at the time, was likely around 22,485+. The crack continued to climb to the top edge of the window as my car sat on the driveway.

NHTSA ODI 11641146

Windshield broke while sitting parked. Was not impacted by flying objects. Had to replace out of pocket.

NHTSA ODI 11614798

A few days ago, a crack suddenly appeared in the windshield. It appeared when the car was parked in the garage. I reached out to SUbaru and they wanted me to take it to dealtership and get pictures taken. So, i complied and pictures were taken. The cause was given as a less than a mm speckk hitting about 1 inch or so above from dash. Area where glass is supposed to be strongest. I repeat, the cause was less than a mm sized dust particle. The vehicle was driven on paved roads, within city at a max speed of 60 miles per hour. MY concen is that when such a small speck can cause a crack, what is to say a 5 mm particle will not blow the windshield on my face. This is a serious quality concern and I am afraid to drive Subaru with Subaru parts in it. ALl while it is advertised as rugged off road vehicle. After reading through forums, it was found that a lot of folks have had this issue and SUbaru has had recalls on some vehicles for the same quality of windshield issue. The response from Subaru was that they make thin glass because of eyesight technology. Either ways, Subaru has compromised on quality to add a piece of technology. Compromise that could shatter the windshield while driving on highways causing accident or worse. I will be happy to provide pictures and communication with Subaru if needed.

NHTSA ODI 11573444

We are on our 4th windshield with this vehicle and just got a crack overnight on it, nothing that we could tell hit it. 1 other time this has happened where it randomly cracked. The first two were rock strikes but nothing out of the ordinary, I've had much harder hits to my 2011 WRX with no issue, not even a chip. A smaller than golf ball sized rock hit the passenger side of the windshield the 2nd break and glass CAME INTO THE VEHICLE ALL OVER THE DASH. Glass repair place said they see Subarus with the eyeSight the most of any vehicle type.

NHTSA ODI 11536172

Went out in the morning to get in my car and noticed the windshield was a crack that starts close to bottom of windshield on passengers side and goes up and across about half of the windshield. I have not noticed anything else wrong with the windshield. It literally cracked while sitting in the driveway. There were no rock pecks or anything that I had observed prior to this happening.

NHTSA ODI 11522769

2018 Forester: front windshield. Second crack in windshield in 14 months. First crack: A minor rock strike caused small crack in windshield, within several days, spider web of cracks evolved from initial small impact. Windshield was examined and replaced at Subaru dealership: cost: $1674.00. (02/25/22). (including eye sight system as needed) Second strike: 03/31/2023: Same scenario, small impact on highway, crack is now 17" across middle of windshield.

NHTSA ODI 11517089

Windshield crack developed in July of 2022 on the passenger side of the vehicle. The small crack grew large within a day, covering half the windshield. This crack developed out of nowhere - no items had hit the windshield. In January of 2023, less than a year later, a crack developed again in the exact same location. The crack again spread across half the windshield.

NHTSA ODI 11505559

Unanticipated Windshield Crack: While attempting to replace the right wiper blade, I lost handling it, with the old blade still in place. No obvious damage was noticed at the time. I took the car to the local Subaru dealership to successfully replace the wiper blades. Returning home I noticed the beginning of the crack. In disgust, I didn’t return to that shop, but waited until the next oil change to have the original dealership examine. No responsibility was assessed but an estimate of $1,333 was offered for replacement and recalibration of EyeSight. I don’t have windshield replacement coverage. I’m looking for other replacement options. The damaged windshield is available for professional inspection at this time.

NHTSA ODI 11489644

Our windshield cracked again to the edge. This is the third time it’s cracked and will be our fourth windshield on a 2018 model year car.

NHTSA ODI 11474523

The windshield cracks after being struck by minor objects. The windshield does not chip when struck with objects. One crack appeared without being struck by an object. It showed up from the bottom of the windshield is growing.

NHTSA ODI 11473968

The contact stated that his girlfriend owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that when the vehicle was purchased, the front windshield seal dislodged and was visible by the dashboard. The contact stated that the seal should not be visible. The dealer was contacted and stated that they could not repair the windshield. The contact stated that a rock recently struck the windshield and a spider crack appeared; starting where the seal was not properly seated. The contact stated that the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired as he was awaiting an appointment with the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 5,000.

NHTSA ODI 11473331

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked overnight, the following morning it was discovered that the windshield was cracked near the heating element. The contact indicated that no object had struck the windshield to cause the crack. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who repaired the damage; however, approximately five months later the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer and local dealer were both notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000.

NHTSA ODI 11471336

our windshield has had to been replaced 4 times! it randomly gets cracks while sitting in the driveway. why is this happening?

NHTSA ODI 11471453

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that a vertical crack had developed on the passenger’s side of the windshield without incident. The crack expanded vertically and horizontally across the middle of the windshield. The contact stated that the crack obstructed her vision while driving. The contact called the dealer and was given a quote to have the windshield replaced. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.

NHTSA ODI 11467005

My 2018 Subaru Forester Limited has a cracked windshield from a minor impact from a pebble. The crack has grown and I had to replace the windshield at my own expense. The crack was on the passenger side but interfered with visibility.

NHTSA ODI 11466567

I was driving the car and the windshield spontaneously cracked

NHTSA ODI 11463188

My wife's 2018 Subaru Forester was sitting in our driveway and the windshield cracked on its own. Little while later, the crack got bigger. The crack alone should be a safety issue but it also affects the safety features with the camera system and eyesight technology. I'm told this is a common issue Subaru is aware of but they tell me it is not covered.

NHTSA ODI 11462058

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while warming the vehicle for approximately five minutes, the windshield wiper was activated and the contact noticed that the front windshield had cracked without impact. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 36,569. VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11461520

I found the windshield cracked for no reason.

NHTSA ODI 11461058

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start-up. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that rodents had eaten through the engine wiring harness. The contact was informed that the wiring harness was made of a soy-based material that was attractive to rodents. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact indicated that 2 weeks prior the windshield wiper fluid spray mechanism was inoperable due to a similar failure with rodents eating the soy-based tubing. The manufacturer was not yet notified. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 27,000.

NHTSA ODI 11454436

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the windshield cracked without impact. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 39,591.

NHTSA ODI 11452225

On January 15, 2020, a very cold morning, I discovered a crack in my 2018 Subaru Forester windshield. Upon further research, I also discovered this issue with spontaneous windshield cracking was an ongoing problem, found in Subaru's in the 2016 thru 2020 issue years. I took my Forester to my local Subaru dealer to inquire about the process to have Subaru repair my windshield under warranty. I was told by the service manager that there were no technical bulletins regarding the repair of windshields under warranty. This is a safety issue because this crack has now increased in size to half way across the windshield.

NHTSA ODI 11451774