2020 Subaru Impreza Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report cracks in the front windshield, frequently discovered while the car was parked or sitting overnight and with no visible impact mark, many of them at low mileage. A smaller but consistent group describes cracks starting from minor stone or gravel hits that spread much further than expected. Some owners report the same cracking returning after the glass has already been replaced once.

1. 1
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield cracks with no impact

   • 58 complaints (68%)
   • median 7,000 mi at 1.0 yrs old (32 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $800 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2020–2026

   Owners describe long cracks appearing in the front windshield, often starting at the lower edge below the wipers or near the top by the mirror, and often found after the car sat parked overnight or in a driveway. Many say there was no chip, star or mark from anything striking the glass, and some heard a pop or creak just before finding the crack; others watched it lengthen over the following day. According to the complaints, dealers often attributed the damage to a stone chip and declined warranty coverage, pointing owners to their insurance or a glass shop instead. Mostly reported under 15,000 miles, many within the first few thousand miles, and often in cold mornings or hot sunny conditions while the vehicle was stationary.

   What to check: Look closely along the lower edge below the wipers, the top edge by the mirror and the corners for hairline cracks or old repairs, and ask whether the windshield has ever been replaced. On a cold morning, note any crack before and after running the defroster.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “With 7,000 miles on it, only a few months after purchase, my windshield cracked for no apparent reason. I've heard this is very common and there is a class action lawsuit against Subaru for it. The pattern in which mine cracked is similar to what others have posted in Impreza owners forums which tells me it's likely a defect and not a typical crack.”

   NHTSA complaint #11340897, filed 2020-07, 7,000 miles

   “The first crack occurred spontaneously mid july 2020, started on the passenger side while driving on an exit ramp at 40 MPH. My passenger notice it. I replaced the windshield on 8/13/20. Today ( 10/5/20) the windshielded spontaneously cracked again... Heard a pop as I was driving to work on a highway at 55mph.”

   NHTSA complaint #11362739, filed 2020-10, 7,500 miles
2. 2
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield cracks from small road debris

   • 19 complaints (22%)
   • median 6,148 mi at 1.2 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners say small stones or gravel thrown up in traffic produce cracks far longer than they expected from such a light hit, sometimes a foot or more from a barely visible chip. Several describe the crack spreading further overnight as the car heated and cooled, and some mention repeat damage after a fresh windshield was fitted. Complaints also note the extra cost of camera recalibration at the dealer after the glass is replaced. Reported from a few hundred miles up to about 13,000 miles, usually at highway speed.

   What to check: Inspect the glass for star chips, sand pitting or filled repairs, and ask for the replacement invoice if the windshield was changed, since the forward-facing camera needs recalibration afterward.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My windshield cracked it about 2500 miles. I went to the dealer and they said it was a stone chip however I didn't see one. A couple of weeks ago and it cracked in the middle horizontally just below the rearview mirror. The two cracks were not connected initially. However I hit a bump in the road and they did connect. The crack goes almost all the way across from one side to the other of my windshield at this point.”

   NHTSA complaint #11324076, filed 2020-05, 2,500 miles

   “The vehicle is about a month old, I was driving on the freeway when a tiny piece of gravel hit my windshield resulting in a crack about 10 inches in length located in the middle of the passenger and driver seat section. I didn't have any heating on and it was a sunny day”

   NHTSA complaint #11292136, filed 2019-12, 650 miles
3. 3
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Cracks return after windshield replacement

   • 22 complaints (26%)
   • median 7,500 mi at 1.2 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $800 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2020–2026

   Some owners report that a replacement windshield cracked again within days or weeks, often in the same area at the lower center or on the passenger side, and again without an obvious impact. Complaints describe paying several hundred dollars per replacement, sometimes with the dealer covering only part of the cost or referring them back to insurance. Several also mention that the driver-assist camera had to be recalibrated each time the glass was swapped. Described mostly in the first few thousand miles, sometimes within days of a replacement, with a few reports at higher mileage.

   What to check: Ask how many times the windshield has been replaced and by whom, and check the new glass for cracks at the lower center and edges. Confirm that camera recalibration was done after the last replacement.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Bought the car 12/21 first windshield cracked 1/28 while sitting in my driveway over the weekend. Dealer claims there was a chip caused by a rock but I think the chip was caused by the cracking of the windshield dropped off at dealer 2/4 the first replacement is broken takes a week to get another picked up 2/11 $500 replacement windshield cracked 2/20 - while driving. I did not see or hear anything impact the windshield but I did here the glass crack. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11310494, filed 2020-02, 2,100 miles

   “After replacing a brand new oem windshield from the first time one month later I had two small rocks hit my windshield and cracked it I am forced to replace it for a second time. This is very unacceptable.”

   NHTSA complaint #11390034, filed 2021-01, 11,410 miles

Buying note. Windshield and glass work comes up far more than anything else for this model year, so treat the glass as a wear item to check carefully and budget for: review any replacement history, look for cracks along the edges and lower center, and confirm camera recalibration if the glass was changed. Otherwise the sample shows mostly scattered single reports across brakes, electrical and driver-assist systems rather than a repeated pattern.

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.