Windshield Crack
2019 Subaru Forester complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2019 record →
The contact owned a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while her mother was driving at 25 mph, the engine revved and the vehicle independently accelerated to 50 mph. The contact attempted to stop the vehicle by depressing the brake pedal but the vehicle continued to the accelerator. As a result, the driver went off the road, through a field, crashed into a few tree stumps, and a playground fence. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a sore neck and a couple of bruises but did not require medical attention. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to a collision center. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 13,099.
Dome light left on overnight. Battery was completely drained, not even the doors would unlock. Called a jumpstart service, they could not jumpstart it without getting thicker jumper cables. Store-bought cheap jumper cables would not work. Second jumpstart service worked, I left it running for 1hr before cutting engine and parking for the night. The next morning, battery was dead again. Called tow, took it to dealership, they replaced the battery. One month later, dome light was left on again, battery was completely dead again. Once again, store-bought jumper cables would not work. Jumpstart service came with thicker cables and got it started again. Dome light has not been left on since then.
While my Subaru forester 2019 was in a parked location, the window spontaneously shattered on upper corner of the passenger side. At the time, the car had less than 15,000 miles on it.
Our car was parked in our driveway, off-street. Went to drive on Sunday July 11th, around noon, and noticed a large crack in the windshield where there WAS NONE the day before (last driving occurrence). There were NO signs of impact, no vandalism (security cameras didn't pick up anyone). No hail in the weather report for the night. The crack seems consistent with other reports of cracks originating at the base of the windshield. It is about 2ft. in length, starts roughly at the base of the passenger side and goes up about 4 inches and towards the driver's side the rest of the way.
While driving on an expressway I heard what sounded like a tiny piece of gravel hitting my windshield. I did not see anything hit. Next thing I saw was a crack spreading across the driver side just above my line of vision. Within two or three minutes it was a foot and a half long. I’m not sure anything hit my windshield or not. There were no other cars in my immediate vicinity and no construction debris. The road was clear. Very puzzling
The windshield has repeatedly chipped from minimal road debris prompting numerous repairs.
The windshield spontaneously cracked originating from the passenger side to the middle while driving out of a parking lot. Nothing struck the windshield and there was no previous damage.
Rear window spontaneously shattered while driving. Nothing struck the window and there was no previous damage.
While driving down the road, with no other cars around, out of nowhere the windshield developed a huge crack starting at the base of the windshield in the middle and traveled upward and across the middle in front of the driver’s line of site obstructing the view. It was very startling. After researching the issue, I discovered it is a known issue and there is a class action lawsuit for this issue. Subaru refuses to acknowledge the issue. 06/21/2019
For the second time in 3 years have large crack in windshield. No known reason for Crack and it is quickly moving across entire windshield.
With about 14,800 miles on my 2019 Subaru Forrester the windshield cracked. I took the Vehicle to Brilliance Subaru, 1500 North Randall Road, Elgin, IL 60123, 224-281-4300 and was told that the crack wasn't covered under my warranty. I know this damage was not caused by any flying debris as the crack started on the bottom of the windshield and there is no chip in the windshield. I have read that many other owners have faced the same situation, as Subaru installed faulty windshields. This should be covered under warranty and the installation and recalibration should be Subaru's expense not the owner of the vehicle.
Windshield cracked for no reason lower passenger side
When I went to get in Forrester in the morning, the windshield has crack. Running from base of drivers side across to passenger side. It was not there night before Because it goes through drives side, it impairs drivers view of road
Windshield with at least 2-ft long cracked line on my 2019 Subaru Forester. Line appeared instantly after something (perhaps a small rock/pebble) hit the windshield. The cracked line is within the sight of vision of the driver. Getting multiple glares from the cracked line when sun light hits it on certain angles. Thus, making driving uneasy during sunny days. Incident happened on 6/18/21 while driving on I-5 southbound in Oregon. I contacted a Safelite Auto Glass shop and was told that the whole windshield needs to be replaced. I made appointment with Safelite to have the windshield replaced when I return back home in Washington state in early July 2021.
I’ve owned the vehicle for 21 months and have fewer than 24,000 miles on the car. During this time, I’ve sustained 2 windshield chips (both were promptly repaired), and now 1 windshield crack. This seems unusual and excessive.
We bought our Subaru Forester after researching the cars with the best safety features. The car feels unsafe because of 2 problems: Engine hesitation and sudden acceleration. We have barely avoided an incident on two occasions in a parking lot. We were braking for a car heading toward us when our car lurched ahead coming close to hitting an approaching car. Another time we were braking for a stop sign and the car accelerated into moving traffic. We have not reported it to our dealer hoping it was a fluke. We are going to bring it to the dealer because it's obvious that there is something dangerously wrong with our car. I can't report dates - it happens each time we drive with no warning - no lights. Suddenly the engine hesitates acting like it has run out of gas or it lurches ahead, accelerating on its own.
Driving vehicle down the road with no vehicles in front and the windshield cracked for no apparent reason. Cracked in the lower left corner and then grew to about 18” spreading to the right and through the drivers sight line.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary, a large crack appeared in the middle of the front windshield. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed with the windshield needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.
Battery hesitated when starting engine within 7-9 months of ownership. Spoke to mechanics and service staff several times then and later and was told I need to drive it every 2-3 days to keep battery charged. By 18 months of ownership it was completely dying by fourth day of not driving so I took it into service. After 9 days in service and then service not waiting my advised 4 days to cold start it, they said it’s fine and drive more or get a battery tender. (And that the battery compartment will not accommodate a larger, more powerful replacement battery!). So I purchased a battery tender and keep it attached at all times, just in case. And, I had to purchase a portable charger to keep in my car because an outlet isn’t always available and I could get stranded somewhere. I bought this car upon retirement as my forever car but I do not feel safe or comfortable owning it. I shouldn’t be forced to drive my car every 2-3 days. And should I really be going through all this when purchasing a new car?
I was sitting at a traffic light and heard a crack. No cars in front or at the time passing me by. I then saw a crack on my passenger side windshield. Upon my research I note there have been several complaints with this manufacturer and model of car. The car will be inspected on Monday.
My car has 24,000 miles on it. A month after I got it, a large crack developed in the windshield and I had to replace it. (Very expensive!) The new windshield has chipped twice and I’ve had to have those repaired. Today I discovered another large crack which will require a new windshield. See picture.) I am aware that there is a class action lawsuit in New Jersey regarding defective windshields for this model (and others). So far, I am averaging one chip and one new windshield every 12,000 miles. That is outrageous! I’m sure Subaru will say that the chips and cracks were caused by road debris, but I am 64 years old and have driven since I was 16. In all that time, I have had to have only one chip repaired until I got my new Subaru. The windshield is clearly too delicate and fragile for the task.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, she noticed there was a crack on the windshield. There was no impact to the windshield that could have caused the crack. The contact stated that it was the second time the windshield had cracked after replacing it last year. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to take the vehicle in to be inspected. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 14,720. VIN was unavailable. The consumer stated Williams Autoworld did pay for the 2nd windshield replacement.
Windshield spontaneously cracked, beginning above and to the right of the rear view mirror and tracking down and to the left. It was about 15-16 inches long when it was first noticed.
Windshield cracked for no obvious reason.
A little bit under 15K miles, a now (roughly) 40 inch crack has formed across the windshield that continues to spread. The crack has spontaneously developed and was only discovered when cleaning out the car, which is always parked in a garage. There were no previous signs of a crack or damage to the windshield prior to it forming, nor was it prompted by anything (rocks, debris, etc). As the crack continues to spread, it limits my ability to see while driving. The windshield does require replacement which is not covered under warranty. Through research I've discovered that this is an identified issue, with a few owners going to court and winning their cases.
I just received Subaru Safety Recall WRD-21 issued May 2021. It says there is a DEFECT that can cause a crash. It says “overtime, due to initial variation in rear stabilizer bracket dimensions, the rear stabilizer bracket bolts may loosen and possibly detach”. I purchased my Subaru Forester Touring model 2-2-2019. On 7-20-2020 with only 19;413 miles I experienced a very loud rattle in the rear. My local dealer in Albuquerque, NM found that both rear stabilizer bolts were very loose and about to fall out. They retorqued them to specification and checked for a recall. Of course they found none and said someone at the factory probably didn’t torque to the correct value. Now I receive this WRD-21 notice. I called Subaru customer service to find out why this defect is fixed by a simple retorquing of the bolts. Based on their own statement the loosening is caused by a manufacturing error in the stabilizer bracket dimensions. Simple retorquing in my opinion will not fix the defect but only fix the symptoms and probably the bots will become loose again over time due to the imperfections in the stabilizer bracket dimensions as they admitted. Subaru told me all recalls are approved by the NHTSA before it is sent out. So some engineer at NHTSA must have analyzed the problem and their proposed solution and approved it. I disagree with the approval and believe the bolts will loosen again under normal use. Many Subaru owners buy the Forrester model for off road use on rough roads. I fear i
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary in his driveway, he noticed a large diagonal crack on the windshield. The contact stated that the crack happened without impact. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 18,900.
A very tiny pebble bounced off of our windshield very lightly as we were going 45 MPH. The force of the impact should not have caused any damage to the windshield however it resulted in a 12 inch crack across the windshield.
2019 Subaru Forester was stopped with left directional signal on to make a left turn. Waiting for oncoming traffic to pass. Vehicle was hit multiple times from the front, back AND side. Airbags did NOT deploy. Driver of the vehicle which hit us said he was “distracted” when he hit us and that it was his fault.
Windshield spontaneously developed a large crack. The crack decreased driver's visibility. Dealership representative said damage was unlikely covered by warrantee. The windshield required replacement and recalibration of the EyeSight system, no other inspections were performed. There was no warning of impending failure or antecedent trauma.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Forester. The contact stated the windshield crack without impact. The contact called and notified the local dealer of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
My forester was parked in an open area with no other cars or people close - The car had just been turned off, and I had gotten out to open the rear gate when to my surprise, without explanation or frankly noise or other evidence of it what caused it to happen, I came back to find my windshield has spontaneously cracked.
Windshield cracked after no impact
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WINDSHIELD WAS FRACTURED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRACTURE STARTED OFF ON THE PASSENGER’S SIDE AND EXPANDED TO THE CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD WHERE THE REAR VIEW MIRROR WAS LOCATED. THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
THE BATTERY OF THE CAR DRAINED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE IT WAS OFF AND PARKED. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN AND THE DEALERSHIP STATED THE BATTERY WAS FINE. ONE MONTH LATER THE BATTERY DRAINED AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE BATTERY OF THE CAR AFTER THAT. THE CAR HAS TO BE PLUGGED INTO A CHARGER WHEN IT IS NOT IN USE.
TWICE LAST WINTER I NEEDED TO JUMP START THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE BATTERY HAD BEEN DRAINED. THIS OCCURRED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS UNUSED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. WE LATER REALIZED THAT THE CONTROLLER AREA NETWORK (CAN) WAS OPERATING EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. WE LEARNED THIS WHEN WE HEARD A WHIRRING NOISE COMING FROM THE CAR AT TIMES WHEN IT WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE AND NOT BEING USED. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THIS WAS NORMAL, AND THE CAR WAS DOING WHAT IT SHOULD. DRAINING THE BATTERY IS NOT NORMAL.
TWICE WE WERE STRANDED AFTER TRYING TO USE THE CAR IN THE MORNING AND IT WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. THERE WAS NO WARNING THE NIGHT BEFORE. WE'VE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY - AT 20,000 MILES! GETTING ROAD SERVICE WAS VERY DIFFICULT, SINCE THE CAR IS HARD TO REACH IN A GARAGE ON A HILL. ANOTHER TIME MY WIFE DROVE 15 MILES WITH A CONSTANT BEEPING DUE TO THE REAR GATE LATCH NOT CLOSING PROPERLY. WE HAVE RESET THE THING DOZENS OF TIMES.
WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITHOUT REASON. THIS IS APPARENTLY COMMON AND THEY HAVE NOT DONE A RECALL. THIS WILL COST ME OVER $1,000.
THE CAR BATTERY GOES STONE COLD DEAD IF THE CAR SITS FOR MORE THAN A WEEK WITHOUT DRIVING. LAST GUY WHO JUMPED THE CAR HAD A HARD TIME GETTING IT TO CHARGE. THE CAR WAS SITTING FOR 2 MONTHS WHILE I WAS AWAY.
MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITH OUT ANY OBVIOUS IMPACT. MY VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, SHE BECAME AWARE THAT THE WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED STRAIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER NOR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 26,000.
I GOT INTO MY CAR (PARKED IN PARKING GARAGE) AND NOTICED THE WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED. I REMEMBER USING THE DEFROSTER THAT MORNING AND DON'T RECALL SEEING A CRACK. APPARENTLY THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH SUBARU OWNERS AS THERE IS A LAWSUIT OUT FOR DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELDS. THERE ARE NO POINTS OF IMPACT. THE CRACK STARTS CLOSE TO THE MIDDLE AND SPREADS UPWARD, NOT HORIZONTAL.
A CRACKED WINDSHIELD THAT IS EXPANDING WITH NO KNOWN CAUSE
DRIVING ON HIGHWAY ON A COOL, OCCASIONALLY DRIZZLY EVENING, NOTICED A SHORT VERTICAL CRACK AT BASE OF WINDSHIELD MIDWAY BETWEEN DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE. DEFROSTER WAS USED A FEW TIMES TO KEEP WINDSHIELD CLEAR. THERE HAD BEEN NO IMPACT. A FEW DAYS LATER IT HAD GROWN SEVERAL INCHES AND MADE A HARD LEFT TURN. A WEEK LATER WHILE PARKED IN THE SUN, THE CRACK SPREAD ALL ACROSS DRIVER SIDE AND ALSO ADDED A NEW VERTICAL CRACK A FEW INCHES TALL THAT THEN TURNED AND SPREAD TOWARD THE PASSENGER SIDE.
WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM NORMAL ROAD DEBRIS. THIS IS THE SECOND CRACK IN AS MANY MONTHS (NOT DUE TO NEGATIVE DRIVING HABITS). THE WINDSHIELD IS UNABLE TO PROTECT THE VEHICLE FROM ROAD DEBRIS AS IT CRACKS FROM MINIMAL DEBRIS IMPACT AND BECOMES UNSTABLE.
WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE PARKED
WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED TWICE. FIRST TIME WE HAD IT REPLACED ON 12/17/2019 PROBABLY DUE TO A ROCK. 6359 MILES ON VEHICLE. SECOND TIME IT CRACKED ON SEPT. 8, 2020. IT WAS IN A WARM GARAGE AND PULLED OUT ON A COOL MORNING. DRIVEN A MILE ON NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS. CRACK DUE TO COOLER TEMPERATURES OR UNKNOWN. 8,700 MILES AT TIME. THIS CAR IS NOT DRIVEN MUCH. CAN NOT AFFORD TO REPLACE SECOND TIME AT $1400.
SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, MY WINDSHIELD DEVELOPED A SMALL CRACK. STARTED IN THE LOWER LEFT DRIVERS SIDE AND QUICKLY SPREAD TO THE IMPAIR MY VISIBILITY. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER IN YAKIMA WA, AND THE INSPECTOR SAID IT WAS A ROCK. WHICH I KNOW IT WASN'T AS I WOULD'VE NOTICED SUCH AN EVENT, THERE WAS NOT AN IMPACT WHICH I'VE WITNESS PLENTY OF, AND AM VERY PROTECTIVE OF MY VEHICLES. THEY SAID THEY WOULDN'T COVER IT. I HAD TO TAKE IT TO SAFELIGHT REPAIRS IN YAKIMA WASHINGTON TO HAVE IT REPLACED WHICH TOOK TWO MONTHS TO GET THE NEW WINDSHIELD IN AS THEY WAS A SHORTAGE WHICH WAS EXPLAINED TO ME. THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED ON 03MAY2019. I HAVE THE RECEIPT FOR THIS REPLACEMENT AND STILL OWN THE VEHICLE.
DRIVING ON HIGHWAY TRUNK OPENED UP, LOCK IS TOTALLY NOT WORKING AND HAD TO DRIVE WITH A OPEN LATCH. THIS WAS REPLACED UNDER A RECALL AND STILL ITS BAD.
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
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