2016 Subaru Forester Visibility Problems

The windshield cracked without incident while parked. The is the exact same issue for which there is a class action lawsuit against Subaru for year models 2017-2020. The crack has spread to the drivers side and is obstructing the view. The dealer has reviewed the issue and provided a price quote but will not cover under the extended covered ordered as result of the class action lawsuit. There was no warning of this issue prior to noticing the cracking.

NHTSA ID

11621940

Incident

Oct 16, 2024

I have a 2016 Subaru Forester. One day I noticed the windshield of my 2016 Subaru Forester cracked in the garage. I do not recall any stone or point of impact while driving. It seems that the crack started from the right-side edge of the windshield extending to the midline. I have to repair this because the crack is getting worse. no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to this. I have seen this in 2015 or 2016 Subaru Outback or Legacy for which a recall was announced. However, I do not see this for the Forester yet. The dealer confirmed this, but I got the same answer (no recall).

NHTSA ID

11476897

Incident

Jul 8, 2022

The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard an abnormal sound and noticed that the windshield had cracked. The contact stated that the crack expanded to approximately 12 inches. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000.

NHTSA ID

11419668

Incident

May 21, 2021

Mileage

40,000 mi

THE WINDSHIELD START DEVELOPING A CRACK AFTER THE WINTER STORM IN TEXAS AND SUDDENLY SPREAD TO THE TOP OF THE GLASS. THE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE AND IT MUST BE JUST THE COLD THAT TRIGGERED IT.

NHTSA ID

11397997

Incident

Feb 20, 2021

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE WINDOW IMPLODED WITH A LOUD NOISE, WITHOUT IMPACT, LEAVING PIECES OF GLASS, LARGE ENOUGH TO CAUSE SEVERE INJURIES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE CONTACT CALLED KOEPPEL SUBARU LOCATED AT 42-01 NORTHERN BLVD, QUEENS, NY 11101, (347) 846-0660, AND SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,000. *LN *TR

NHTSA ID

11353749

Incident

Sep 4, 2020

Mileage

55,000 mi

WHILE STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT AND SMALL OBJECT (NOT A ROCK OR METAL) IMPACTED THE WINDSHIELD. WHICH CREATED A 3IN CRACK TOP OF WINDSHIELD (DRIVER SIDE). IN THE FOLLOWING 30 MINUTES, THE CRACK GREW TO OVER 10 INCHES.

NHTSA ID

11351296

Incident

Aug 25, 2020

Mileage

97,000 mi

YESTERDAY AM FOUND WINDSHIELD CRACK ON MY 2016 FORESTER. CAR HAD BEEN PARKED ALL NIGHT IN CLEAR WEATHER , AND NO DING OR CRACK WAS PRESENT DAY BEFORE. KNOWING THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED IN OTHER YEARS OF THIS AUTO, FELT IT NECESSARY TO REPORT. PHOTOS SHOW COMPLETE CRACK AND POSSIBLE PLACE OF ORIGIN WHERE WINDSHIELD MEETS BODY BY ROOF.

NHTSA ID

11351098

Incident

Aug 24, 2020

Mileage

13,700 mi

I HAD DROPPED MY CAR OFF AT THE SHOP FOR A RECALL. ON THE DRIVE HOME, WHEN I WAS ABOUT 6 MILES FROM THE SHOP, I STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. SUDDENLY MY FRONT WINDOW CRACKED FROM RIGHT ABOVE THE REARVIEW MIRROR DOWN THE CENTER OF THE WINDOW AND THEN OVER TOWARDS THE DRIVER'S SIDE. I'VE ATTACHED A PHOTO OF THE CRACK. THE SHOP REVIEWED THEIR VIDEO OF THE WORK ON THE CAR AND SAID THEY DID NOT SEE ANYTHING THAT HAD STRUCK THE WINDOW. IT WAS A VERY HOT DAY AND I HAD JUST TURNED MY AIR CONDITIONING UP ALL THE WAY RIGHT BEFORE THE WINDOW CRACKED. THE STREET I WAS ON WAS A 4-LANE COUNTY ROAD. *TR

NHTSA ID

11330068

Incident

Jun 18, 2020

Mileage

59,745 mi

IN 2016 WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IT STARTED TO SLEET. THERE WERE NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME. I TURNED ON MY HEATER AND DEFROST AND THE WINDOW POPPED AND CRACKED FROM THE HEATING VENT TO ABOUT 1/2 UP THE WINDOW. OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS THE CRACK CONTINUED TO GROW. *TR

NHTSA ID

11330062

Incident

Mar 12, 2016

Mileage

5,000 mi

SMALL CHIP IN WINDSHIELD ON HIGHWAY TURNED INTO LARGE CRACK REQUIRING WHOLE WINDSHIELD TO BE REPLACED AND VISION SYSTEM RECALIBRATED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME REPLACING THE WINDSHIELD SINCE PURCHASING IT IN 2016

NHTSA ID

11318155

Incident

May 9, 2019

SMALL CHIP IN WINDSHIELD ON HIGHWAY TURNED INTO LARGE CRACK REQUIRING WHOLE WINDSHIELD TO BE REPLACED AND VISION SYSTEM RECALIBRATED.

NHTSA ID

11318154

Incident

Aug 15, 2017

WINDSHIELD CRACKED OVER NIGHT. DID SEE SMALL ROCK IMPACT BUT WEIRD WINDSHIELD CRACKED ALL THE WAY UP OVER NIGHT.

NHTSA ID

11318018

Incident

Jun 1, 2019

Mileage

55,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU FORESTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED ACROSS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE AUTOBARN SUBARU OF COUNTRYSIDE (6191 JOLIET RD, COUNTRYSIDE, IL 60525) HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

NHTSA ID

11315534

Incident

Feb 1, 2020

Mileage

62,000 mi

THE WINDSHIELD ON MY 2016 FORESTER SUBARU CRACKED FROM THE PASSENGER BOTTOM SEAM THEN UP & ACROSS TOWARDS THE DRIVERS SIDE. IT HAS SO FAR STOPPED NEAR THE CENTER. I BELIEVE I HAVE A DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD. THE PASSENGER SAW IT BUT SAID SHE DIDNT SEE IT THE DAY BEFORE. IT WAS SEEN WHILE DRIVING ON THE STREET. I WILL CONTACT MY INSURANCE COMPANY TOMORROW 2/24/2020 BUT I HAVE A HIGH DEDUCTIBLE SO I WILL HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR A REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT.

NHTSA ID

11310963

Incident

Jan 28, 2020

Mileage

24,600 mi

ON 2/18/2020 A SPONTANEOUS WINDSHIELD BREAKAGE EVENT OCCURED ON MY 2016 SUBARU FORESTER WHILE STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT ON A CITY STREET. A CRACK DEVELOPED IN THE WINDSHIELD. THE POINT OF ORIGIN WAS THE EMBEDDED WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADE DE-ICER ELEMENT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. A HORIZONTAL CRACK THEN SPREAD FROM LEFT TO RIGHT ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD TRANSVERSING THE AREA DIRECTLY ABOVE THE DE-ICER HEATING ELEMENT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON 2/19/2020 WHERE THE SERVICE MANAGER ASSESSED THE WINDSHIELD, DETERMINING THAT THERE WEREN'T ANY IMPACT MARKS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SPONTANEOUS WINDSHIELD BREAKAGE. HE TOOK PICTURES, COMPLETED AN ORDER ON RECORD AND FILED A REPORT WITH THE REGIONAL SUBARU OFFICE. CLAIM #TL1-53388627724. ON 2/21/2020 THE REGIONAL SUBARU OFFICE DENIED A CLAIM TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD AND PERFORM THE NECESSARY RECALIBRATION OF THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM BECAUSE THE WINDSHIELD IS OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD OF THREE YEARS. MY CAR IS THREE YEARS AND TEN MONTHS OLD. MILEAGE WAS 31,122 ON 2/18/2020.

NHTSA ID

11310940

Incident

Feb 18, 2020

Mileage

31,122 mi

VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY IN LAS VEGAS WITH NOTHING OVERHEAD. CAME OUT TO GO TO THE STORE AND THE WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED ON DRIVER'S SIDE. HAD DRIVEN THE CAR EARLIER IN THE DAY AND THIS CRACK WAS NOT THERE. JUST READ ABOUT THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AND WONDER IF MY 2016 WITH EYESIGHT IS POSSIBLY IN THE SAME SITUATION.

NHTSA ID

11310783

Incident

Feb 22, 2020

Mileage

86,789 mi

WEAK OR THIN WINDSHIELD THAT CHIPS/CRACKS EASILY CAUSING VISIBILITY ISSUES AT NIGHT/RAIN/SNOW ETC.

NHTSA ID

11280211

Incident

Nov 11, 2019

WINDSHIELD RANDOMLY CRACKED

NHTSA ID

11271531

Incident

Oct 3, 2019

Mileage

38,200 mi

WHILE DRIVING ON STRAIGHT ROAD WITH NO VEHICLES ANYWHERE AROUND OR ANY ROAD DEBRIS HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE WINDSHIELD GLASS IMPACT. SAW NO DAMAGE. NO CRACK APPEARED. 4 HOURS LATER HAD 12 INCH CRACK FROM BOTTOM LEFT BASE OF WINDSHIELD. THERE WAS NO IMPACT AS NO OTHER VEHICLE WAS AROUND ME WHEN THIS OCCURRED. WEATHER WAS A SUNNY 75 AT THE TIME. BAD GLASS? VEHICLE HAS EYESIGHT. IN MOTION AT 50 MPH, GOING STRAIGHT ON COUNTRY 2 LANE ROAD. BEGINNING OF FRACTURE IS TOO LOW TO HAVE BEEN AN IMPACT.

NHTSA ID

11257181

Incident

Sep 12, 2019

Mileage

40,000 mi

THE WINDSHIELD SEEMS TO BE BRITTLE. ROCK CHIPS DEVELOP INTO LONG CRACKS THAT CONTINUE LENGTHENING WITHIN WEEKS. ROCK CHIPS CANNOT BE REPAIRED WITHOUT FURTHER CRACKING CONTINUING. ONE TECHNICIAN TRIED SIX TIMES TO REPAIR A CRACK. THE WINDSHIELD HAD TO BE REPLACED FOR $802.13 AND A CLAIM FILED WITH INSURANCE. WITHIN 14 MONTHS THE WINDSHIELD HAS DEVELOPED A SNACKING CRACK THAT IS CONTINUING TO GROW FROM A ROCK CHIP AGAIN. IT'S CONCERNING THAT ANOTHER INSURANCE CLAIM WILL NEED TO BE FILED AND THAT THE WINDSHIELD CAN NOT WITHSTAND NORMAL ROCK CHIPS. IT IS ALSO CONCERNING HOW THE WINDSHIELD WILL PERFORM IN AN ACCIDENT. ALSO THE REQUIRED WINDSHIELD TO MAINTAIN 'EYESIGHT' IS NOT AFFORDABLE WITHOUT FILING AN INSURANCE CLAIM. THE CHIPS DEVELOP WHEN DRIVING 50-65 MILES AN HOUR ON THE HIGHWAY.

NHTSA ID

11203701

Incident

Sep 28, 2017

Mileage

32,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THERE HIGHWAY IN UTAH WITH NO VEHICLES IN FRONT OF ME. I HEARD A LOUD CRACKING NOISE COME FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE UPPER CORNER OF THE WINDSHIELD. I STOPPED AND INSPECTED THE WINDSHIELD AND DID NOT SEE AND CHIPS OR CRACKS. I KEPT DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY FOR APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS AND WHEN I STOPPED I NOTICED A 4 INCH CRACK IN THE UPPER AREA OF THE PASSENGER SIDE WHERE THE ORIGINAL CRACKING NOISE CAME FROM. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATIONS THIS PAST WEEK WHILE IN UTAH (30F AT NIGHT AND 60-65F DURING THE DAY). THE HIGHWAY WAS SMOOTH (NOT BUMPY OR ROUGH). IT WAS A CLEAR AND SUNNY DAY.

NHTSA ID

11196017

Incident

Apr 12, 2019

Mileage

34,500 mi

WE NOTICED A TINY CHIP IN THE WINDSHIELD ONE DAY. WE DID NOT SEE OR HEAR IT HAPPEN AND IT WAS TOO SMALL TO REPAIR (NO BUBBLE TO FILL), SO WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO LEAVE IT ALONE AND HOPE IT DIDN'T SPREAD. A FEW WEEKS LATER THE WEATHER CHANGED AND IT BECAME A 2FT LONG CRACK ACROSS THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE DEALER TOLD ME TODAY THAT THE MANUFACTURER WOULD COVER IT ONLY IF THE CRACK ORIGINATED FROM THE BOTTOM, NOT FROM A ROCK IN THE MIDDLE. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM OF WEAK GLASS THAT EASILY CHIPS AND THEN CRACKS IS WIDESPREAD WITH THIS VEHICLE AND IT IS CLEARLY RELATED TO THE GLASS HEATER, WHICH HEATS THE BOTTOM BUT NOT THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE COMBINATION OF WEAK GLASS UNDER TENSION AND DIFFERENTIAL HEATING IS A DESIGN FLAW FOR WHICH THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE.

NHTSA ID

10928689

Incident

Nov 1, 2016

Mileage

6,000 mi

MY CAR WAS PARKED AND THE WINDOW SUDDENLY SHATTERED FOR NO REASON. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. IT WAS ONLY 76 DEGREES AND SUDDENLY I HEARD A LOUD NOISE. NOW THERE IS GLASS ALL INSIDE MY DOOR. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS. I THINK IT MUST HAVE BEEN A DEFECTED WINDOW. I HAVE HAD MY CAR PARKED AT WORK ON HOTTER DAYS SUCH AS 97 DEGREES WITH NO PROBLEM. THIS IS A NEW CAR AND MY FIRST SUMMER OWNING IT AND I HAVE TO HAVE THIS OCCUR. I HAVE PICTURES BUT HAD TAKEN THEM WITH MY PHONE CAMERA. IF NEEDED I CAN SEND THEM TO A WEBSITE FROM MY PHONE.

NHTSA ID

10891833

Incident

Jul 30, 2016

Mileage

14,000 mi