2020 Subaru Forester Visibility/wiper Problems
Owners have filed 252 complaints with NHTSA about visibility/wiper problems on the 2020 Subaru Forester, 42% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 5,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “windshield cracked” (28% of reports).
- 252visibility/wiper complaints
- 5,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,700typical repair cost reported by owners
- 62%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 71 of 252 complaints (28%)
- Apparent reason: mentioned in 19 of 252 complaints (8%)
- Large crack: mentioned in 15 of 252 complaints (6%)
- Small pebble: mentioned in 14 of 252 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 2020 Subaru Forester at $1,700, and half of them between $1,150 and $2,150.
Based on 18 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2019–2023), 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 140 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
None of the 252 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 2020 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.
As I was driving my 2020 Subaru Forester a cracked suddenly appeared across the driver side of the windshield, possibly from a small pebble. The sunlight reflection off the crack sent blinding sunlight into my eyes which nearly caused a collision with the car stopped in front of me. I now have…
The head unit suddenly stopped working. It unfortunately isnât covered Under warranty. The screen consistently turns on and off.
In a three year period I have had to replace my windshield for cracks causing visibility issues. Each of these cracks have appeared for no apparent reason.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2020 Subaru Foresters have visibility/wiper problems?
No. NHTSA has 252 owner complaints about visibility/wiper for the 2020 Subaru Forester (42% of the 603 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 2020 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 5,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix visibility/wiper problems on the 2020 Subaru Forester?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,700 (half paid between $1,150 and $2,150), from 18 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about visibility/wiper problems on the 2020 Subaru Forester?
The most frequent phrase is “windshield cracked”, in 71 of 252 complaints, followed by “apparent reason” (19).
Other 2020 Subaru Forester problems
- Electrical System problems (103)
- Engine problems (81)
See all 2020 Subaru Forester problems or visibility/wiper problems across all Forester years.