2020 Subaru Forester Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2020 Forester most often report windshield cracks and chips, frequently appearing with little or no impact, sometimes while the vehicle is parked, and often spreading quickly into long cracks. A second common theme is battery drain and electrical problems, especially with the power lift gate left open, along with infotainment and TPMS glitches. Engine, transmission and driver-assist complaints are fewer but include stalling, CVT concerns, and occasional unexpected braking or acceleration.

1. 1
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield cracks and chips easily

   • 354 complaints (59%)
   • median 5,962 mi at 1.0 yrs old (210 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,350 (median of 26 quotes)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners describe small chips or stones producing cracks that spread rapidly, and many report cracks appearing with no impact at all, sometimes overnight while the car sat parked in a garage or lot. Cracks are often described as starting at the lower edge or center of the glass and lengthening within hours or days. According to complaints, dealers typically attributed the damage to a prior impact or stone chip, and repairs were usually paid by owners or through insurance. Mostly reported under about 10,000 miles, often within the first months of ownership, in a range of weather conditions.

   What to check: Inspect the windshield closely for chips, star marks or repaired areas, and look along the lower edge and wiper area for hairline cracks. Ask whether the glass has been replaced and whether the EyeSight camera area was recalibrated afterward.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Out of nowhere, the windshield has a crack that started at the top and is spreading down. There is no chip that started this. We have 2 newer subarus and this has happened to both cars within a month. There is nothing that we know of that caused this. Online we are seeing that this is an issue with newer subarus and windshields cracking.”

   NHTSA complaint #11402739, filed 2021-03, 18,400 miles

   “Between the time at which I parked my vehicle (with a fully intact, un-chipped windshield) in the small, private parking lot at my rural place of work, approximately 9:00am est on december 31st, 2020, and the time at which I returned to my vehicle, approximately two hours later at 10:45am est on december 31st, 2020, a large crack had formed on the passenger's side of the windshield. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11386176, filed 2021-01, 5,924 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Battery drains, lift gate and infotainment electrical issues

   • 68 complaints (11%)
   • median 2,500 mi at 1.5 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • filed 2020–2026

   Owners report repeated dead batteries, sometimes after the power lift gate was left open for a short time, and in some cases the lift gate motor keeps cycling until the battery is flat. Complaints also describe infotainment head unit connection problems and TPMS warnings appearing early in ownership. Some owners note that the dealer replaced the battery or checked for a parasitic draw. Often reported at low mileage, including within the first few thousand miles, and in some cases after the vehicle sat unused.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the battery has been replaced and whether any parasitic-draw diagnosis was performed. Test the lift gate through several open/close cycles and check that the infotainment screen and TPMS respond normally.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Vehicle has some electrical issue with the TPMS that less than a year in, one of them is seems to be going out. Thee head unit (infotainment sys) also had connection issue that was aware and known by subura dealer rep when called and as to bring in for maintenance. Blinds pot monitor on the right has tendency to not flash or alert every so often.”

   NHTSA complaint #11386233, filed 2021-01, 70 miles

   “The lift gate motor on my 2020 Forester does not shut off when the lift gate is open, it continues to cycle until the battery is dead. Subaru dealer says they're unaware of the problem even though a simple computer search found dozens of complaints for the same issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #11324201, filed 2020-05, 2,500 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Stalling or loss of power while driving

   • 61 complaints (10%)
   • median 36,585 mi at 3.9 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2021–2026

   Owners describe the vehicle failing to accelerate and stalling at highway speed with no warning lights, with one independent shop tracing it to the coolant control valve. Another complaint describes the engine shutting down at a stop and the vehicle entering a sleep-like state, with the dealer reporting it operated as designed. A further report describes a fire in the engine compartment after front-end damage from hitting a deer. Reported from very low mileage up to roughly 50,000 miles, including at highway speeds.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask for the service history for any coolant control valve, thermostat or battery work, and have a pre-purchase inspection check for stored engine codes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle stalled and then went into sleep mode. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle also experienced failures with the electrical system. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11454653, filed 2022-03, 1,300 miles

   “The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while driving at 60 MPH, a deer jumped in the roadway causing damage to the front driver-side engine compartment. No air bags had deployed. The contact had managed to pull onto the side of the road. The contact stated she and the front passenger exited the vehicle safely when shortly afterward a fire started in the front driver-side engine compartment. No injury was sustained. A police report was filed but was unavailable. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11593129, filed 2024-06, 23,000 miles
4. 4
   Forward collision avoidance

   Unexpected braking or acceleration

   • 68 complaints (11%)
   • median 13,000 mi at 2.0 yrs old (27 state mileage)
   • 17 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners report the pre-collision system triggering a sudden stop with no vehicle ahead, and other complaints describe the vehicle accelerating on its own while parking or reversing, with the brake pedal failing to stop it. In these accounts the vehicle struck a fence, a building or a tree, and dealers reportedly found no recalls or faults. Reported at low to moderate mileage, often in parking or low-speed situations, but also at highway speed for the braking complaints.

   What to check: Ask whether any EyeSight or forward-collision software updates have been applied, and confirm the camera area of the windshield is clean and undamaged. During a test drive, check that the pedals and adaptive systems behave predictably at low speed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “12/16/2020 driving. 3:30 pm daytime. Clear weather. Divided highway. Approx 50 MPH. No vehicle in front of car for at least a quarter mile. Car initiated sudden stop mode nearly causing a severe rear end collision (avoided by approaching driver going into median)”

   NHTSA complaint #11383803, filed 2020-12, 4,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while attempting to park her vehicle, the vehicle independently accelerated without warning. The vehicle ran through both the parking lot fence and a fence located on private property. The contact made multiple attempts to stop the vehicle by depressing the brake pedal; however, the vehicle failed to stop. The vehicle continued accelerating down a driveway as she attempted to avoid hitting a house, a tree, and another parked vehicle. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11480044, filed 2022-08, 14,865 miles

Buying note. Check the windshield carefully for chips or prior replacement, and ask about battery history and any lift gate or infotainment repairs. A pre-purchase inspection that reads stored engine and transmission codes is worthwhile given the reports of stalling and CVT concerns.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.