2017 Subaru Forester Visibility/wiper Problems
Owners have filed 104 complaints with NHTSA about visibility/wiper problems on the 2017 Subaru Forester, 18% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 31,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “windshield cracked” (28% of reports).
- 104visibility/wiper complaints
- 31,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $590typical repair cost reported by owners
- 76%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Windshield cracked: mentioned in 29 of 104 complaints (28%)
- Large crack: mentioned in 8 of 104 complaints (8%)
- Apparent reason: mentioned in 6 of 104 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical visibility/wiper repair on the 2017 Subaru Forester at $590, and half of them between $550 and $770.
Based on 6 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2018–2026), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do visibility/wiper problems happen?
Based on 77 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
None of the 104 complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Subaru Forester visibility/wiper complaints by model year
| Model year | Visibility/wiper complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Forester | 5 | 18% | — |
| 2025 Forester | 13 | 13% | 1,000 |
| 2024 Forester | 5 | 17% | — |
| 2023 Forester | 11 | 15% | — |
| 2022 Forester | 20 | 20% | — |
| 2021 Forester | 76 | 36% | 2,000 |
| 2020 Forester | 252 | 42% | 5,000 |
| 2019 Forester | 370 | 44% | 8,000 |
| 2018 Forester | 135 | 27% | 18,000 |
| 2017 Forester | 104 | 18% | 31,000 |
| 2016 Forester | 20 | 5% | 36,350 |
| 2015 Forester | 23 | 4% | 26,000 |
| 2014 Forester | 9 | 2% | 25,000 |
| 2013 Forester | 1 | 1% | 27,000 |
| 2012 Forester | 2 | 2% | 40,496 |
| 2011 Forester | 3 | 2% | 60,000 |
| 2010 Forester | 5 | 2% | 30,385 |
| 2009 Forester | 4 | 2% | 119,400 |
| 2008 Forester | 1 | 2% | 50,000 |
| 2003 Forester | 2 | 1% | 90,750 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists visibility/wiper for the 2017 Subaru Forester. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I was leaving home and driving in the neighborhood when I noticed that it was a crack on my windshield and there was no damaged or debris at the time. I didnât hear anything nor there any trees or cars that will kick up rocks or bad weather It was strange to have happened and I thought it had to…
the car driven to work from 6:05 to 6:25am and parked in a parking lot. when my wife went out to eat lunch around noon, she noticed a crack running from the mirror to the bottom center of the windshield. upon further inspection we noticed the damage could be felt from the inside of the car, and was…
The air system has gone out in the car completely, you can hear it run or try to and then kick off, i have checked and it has not been recalled. there were no accidents prior to the air system giving out. it started around the june 2024, but it didnât affect vision at that time. it started…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2017 Subaru Foresters have visibility/wiper problems?
No. NHTSA has 104 owner complaints about visibility/wiper for the 2017 Subaru Forester (18% of the 590 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2017 Subaru Forester visibility/wiper?
No recall currently lists visibility/wiper for this vehicle.
At what mileage do visibility/wiper problems start?
The median reported mileage is 31,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix visibility/wiper problems on the 2017 Subaru Forester?
Owners report a typical cost of $590 (half paid between $550 and $770), from 6 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about visibility/wiper problems on the 2017 Subaru Forester?
The most frequent phrase is “windshield cracked”, in 29 of 104 complaints, followed by “large crack” (8).
Other 2017 Subaru Forester problems
- Air Bags problems (165)
- Electrical System problems (106)
See all 2017 Subaru Forester problems or visibility/wiper problems across all Forester years.