2015 Subaru Forester Visibility & Wipers Problems

The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked outside during a snowstorm; while removing snow from the windshield, she noticed that the windshield was severely cracked. Additionally, the contact stated that the crack originated from the driver's side of the windshield to the passenger's side. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,855.

I have a crack running across the bottom of my windshield. I took the car to SafeLite for replacement. They do a pre-service check of the EyeSsight camera system which provides forward collision avoidance and lane departure warning. The scan revealed History Code P00FF and a Current Code B280AA8. The SafeLite technician advised they could not replace the windshield until the codes were removed. Then they could replace the windshield and calibrate the EyeSight system. They also stated I had to go to a dealer code removal. I contacted Brunswick Subaru (dealer where I purchased the vehicle) and they stated they could only calibrate after the windshield was replaced. Another dealer (Ganley Subaru) stated the same thing. PROBLEM - the windshield cannot be replaced with the codes and the dealer cannot remove the codes (by recalibration) until the windshield is replaced. I am left with driving the car with a broken windshield. PLEASE HELP

Noticed that there was a crack in the windshield when starting up car. Not sure why windshield should crack when parked. I can understand if this happened when driving on highway or next to construction vehicles.

DRIVER SIDE WINDOW SUDDENLY SHATTERED. NOBODY WAS NEARBY, NO ROCKS, CAR WAS JUST LEAVING GAS STATION ON SURFACE STREET, TURNING LEFT TO ENTER FREEWAY IN A QUARTER MILE WHEN THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW SHATTERED FOR NO EXPLANATION. TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH.

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AT 7AM, AND I HAD STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. ALL OF A SUDDEN, I HEAR THE SOUND OF GLASS CRACK AND OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE, I SEE A HUGE CRACK IN MY WINDSHIELD. IT JUST CONTINUED TO SPREAD THE REST OF THE DRIVE HOME. HAD TO GET IT REPLACED, OEM QUOTED ME OVER $800 AND EVEN MORE IF I HAD THE EYESIGHT OPTION.

PRIOR TO DRIVING MY CAR ON AUGUST 18, 2020, THERE WERE NO OBSERVABLE DEFECTS IN MY WINDSHIELD. I DROVE ABOUT A QUARTER MILE TO THE POST OFFICE. WHEN ARRIVING, THERE WAS STILL NO DEFECT. ABOUT 2-3 MINUTES LATER, I RETURNED TO MY CAR AND FOUND A LARGE CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD THAT EXTENDED FROM THE TOP MIDDLE, BEHIND THE REAR VIEW MIRROR, DIAGONALLY DOWN TO THE LOWER CORNER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE SUBARU DEALER WHO INSPECTED THE CRACK AND TOLD ME THERE WAS A MINUSCULE CHIP AT THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD, WHICH I COULDN'T EVEN SEE, ALONG THE CRACK AND THAT BECAUSE OF THE CHIP, THE WINDSHIELD WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE VEHICLE WARRANTY. THE REPLACEMENT COST, INCLUDING THE REQUIRED RECALIBRATION OF THE "EYESIGHT" SAFETY SYSTEM WOULD COST ME MORE THAT $1,000.00. I NOW LEARNED THAT THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM WITH MY FORESTER, AS WELL AS OTHER SUBARU MODELS (I.E., SUBARU OUTBACK). THE LEVEL OF COMPLAINTS, WHICH COMPROMISES DRIVER AND PASSENGER SAFETLY WARRANTS A RECALL.

THE WINDSHIELD WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY. *TR

I AM AN OWNER OF OF A 2015 SUBARU FORESTER XT AND I BELIEVE THAT I HAVE A DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD. I NOTICED THAT THERE IS A CRACK ON MY WINDSHIELD THAT IS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A QUARTER AFTER EXPERIENCING A SMALL ROCK HITTING MY WINDSHIELD ON THE HIGHWAY.I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF I AM ABLE TO REPLACE MY WINDSHIELD BY SUBARU BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE QUALITY OF THE WINDSHIELD IS FAULTY AND A SAFETY HAZARD. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.*DT CONSUMER STATED INCIDENT HAPPENED AGAIN ON DEC.30TH,2019 WHILE DRIVING TO WORK AND A ROCK HIT WHICH CAUSED A INDENT ON THE WINDSHIELD BY A HAIRLINE CRACK.*JB

ON MONDAY, 11/18/19, I FOUND MY WINDSHIELD HAD A FAIRLY LONG CRACK (ABOUT 9 INCHES) WHICH APPEARED TO BE INTERNAL AT THE TOP OF MY DRIVER SIDE WINDSHIELD. THIS APPARENTLY OCCURRED SOMETIME BETWEEN 11/16 AND 11/18 WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY NEAR MY HOME. OTHER THAN RAIN, WE HAD NOT HAD ANY SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EVENT THAT MIGHT BE AN EXPLANATION. STRANGELY, THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY VISIBLE OR TACTILE CHIP. EVEN WHEN I SCRAPE MY FINGERNAIL ACROSS THE CRACK, I CAN NOT DETECT ANY DIFFERENCE FROM A SMOOTH WINDSHIELD. THIS MAKES ME BELIEVE IT IS WITHIN THE GLASS ITSELF. I HAD READ ABOUT SUBARO FORESTER RECALLS FOR CRACKING WINDSHIELD AND HAD BEEN RELIEVED TO SEE THAT MY YEAR WAS NOT INCLUDED. THEN A FEW DAYS LATER I FOUND THIS PROBLEM. THIS MAKES ME BELIEVE THE PROBLEM MAY HAVE BEEN LESS FREQUENT WITH MY YEAR, BUT THAT IT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL SINCE IT SEEMS TO BE A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM. I DO NOT HAVE THE EXPERTISE OR ABILITY TO UPLOAD A PHOTO.

SHORTLY AFTER 8 AM ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019, THE REAR WINDOW OF MY 2015 FORESTER SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODED. IT BLEW OUTWARD, WITH SOME GLASS PIECES FLYING NEARLY 20 FEET. AT THE TIME OF THE EXPLOSION, THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY AND THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 34 DEGREES. UPON CLOSE INSPECTION OF THE REMAINING GLASS PIECES, I COULD SEE THE REAR WINDOW HAD BOWED OUT BEFORE EXPLODING OUTWARD. THE ENTIRE WINDOW WAS SHATTERED. IN ADDITION TO THE GLASS, THE EXPLOSION BROKE THE PLASTIC PANELING INSIDE THE HATCH THAT WAS NEXT TO THE GLASS. THE GLASS HAD NO SCRATCHES, CHIPS, OR DAMAGE TO IT PRIOR TO THE EXPLOSION.

MY VEHICLE EATS WINDSHIELDS. THEY SEEM TO CRACK WITH THE LIGHTEST TAP FROM ROAD DEBRIS OR, IN ONE INSTANCE, FOR ABSOLUTELY NO REASON AT ALL (WHILE DRIVING OUT OF AN UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE). I HAVE REPLACED 2 WINDSHIELDS IN THE PAST 4 MONTHS, AND SUBARU KEEPS SAYING IT IS DUE TO IMPACTS (EVEN WHEN NO IMPACT OCCURRED). IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE, DESPITE SUBARU DENYING IT.

MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHEN I WAS DRIVING IN THE HIGHWAY

WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHEN TURNED ON DEFROSTER. INSPECTION BY DEALERSHIP VERIFIED CRACK WAS NOT DUE TO ANY OUTSIDE FORCE. SUBARU HAS EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD CRACKS ON OUTBACK & LEGACY MODELS, BUT HAS NOT RESPONDED TO MY REQUEST FOR REPLACEMENT OF DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD ON MY FORESTER. WINDSHIELD CRACK STARTED AT BOTTOM OF PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD & EXTENDED ABOUT 12 INCHES UPWARDS TOWARD CENTER OF WINDSHIELD. THE CRACK HAS CONTINUED TO EXTEND TOWARDS THE CENTER AND IS NOW ABOUT 24 INCHES IN LENGTH. SEE: HTTP://BERANEK.AGRRMAG.COM/2015/12/SUBARU-EXTENDS-WINDSHIELD-WARRANTY/#.WLHQBCFXRLK.EMAIL

WINDSHIELD PROBLEM ON NEW VEHICLE. WITHIN THE FIRST 12 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP, THE WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED ON 3 (THREE) SEPARATE OCCASSIONS TO THE POINT OF HAVING TO BE REPLACED WITH SUBARU GENUINE GLASS. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A HIGHWAY WHEN THE DAMAGE OCCURRED. THE DAMAGE WAS DUE TO UNKNOWN ROAD DEBRIS (GRAVEL/ROCK), BUT INSTEAD OF DINGS IN THE WINDSHIELD, THE GLASS AUTOMATICALLY CRACKED AND RESULTED IN UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED ON ALL 3 OCCASIONS WITH SUBARU GENUINE GLASS. IS THERE A WINDSHIELD DESIGN FLAW ON THE SUBARU FORESTER LIMITED? IT THE DESIGN FLAW AND WINDSHIELD BREAKAGE DUE TO THE HEATING ELEMENT? WHAT IS CAUSING THE WEAKNESS IN THE WINDSHIELD OF THE 2015 SUBARU FORESTER LIMITED? WINDSHIELD BREAKAGE INCIDENTS: 1. JUNE 2015 - IN MOTION ON HIGHWAY @60 MILES 2. 12/28/2015 - IN MOTION ON HIGHWAY @60 MILES 3. 04/28/2016 - IN MOTION ON HIGHWAY @60 MILES

THIS IS MY FIRST WINTER OWNING A SUBURU FORESTER AND MOST OF THE TIME IT IS STORED IN OUR GARAGE. WE LIVE IN WNY AND SOME TIMES HAVE TO PARK IT OUTSIDE. ON 3 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, THE SUV WAS PARKED OUTDOORS IN TEMPERATURES LESS THAN 25 DEGREES AND ALL THE WINDOWS FROZE OVER ON THE INSIDE. FOR THOSE TIMES IT WAS PARKED 3 HOURS OUTDOORS AND IT TOOK US 15-20 MINUTES TO DEFROST THE WINDOWS BEFORE WE COULD DRIVE. A COUPLE OF TIMES WE RAN INTO STORES AND IN LESS THAN 15 MINUTES THE INTERIOR OF THE WINDOWS BEGAN TO FREEZE. THIS WEEK WE HAD A SERVICE CALL AT OUR LOCAL SUBURU DEALER AND THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD US HE WAS AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT SUBURU HAS GIVEN THEM NO SOLUTIONS. HE TOLD ME TO TRY LOWERING A WINDOW WHILE PARKED IN THE GARAGE OVERNIGHT TO TRY TO GET THE MOISTURE OUT. IT APPEARS THIS MODEL IS OVERLY AIR TIGHT AND THIS DESIGN FLAW HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED. SINCE IT IS ALWAYS COLD DURING THE WINTER MONTHS THE PROSPECTS OF THIS CONTINUING TO HAPPEN WILL RESULT IT ME BUYING A DIFFERENT MAKE VEHICLE NEXT TIME AROUND.

ON THE HIGHWAY DURING A ROAD TRIP, A TINY ROCK HIT MY WINDSHIELD AND CRACKED PART OF IT. OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT 24 HOURS THE CRACK GREW IN TWO DIRECTIONS RAPIDLY. THIS FORCED ME TO HAVE TO GET A COMPLETE WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT ONLY 1 MONTH AFTER PURCHASING THE BRAND NEW VEHICLE. LOOKING ONLINE, THIS SOUNDS LIKE A VERY WIDESPREAD ISSUE WITH SUBARU WINDSHIELDS THAT ARE EASILY CRACKED.

6/2/15 MORNING I DROVE MY 2015 SUBARU FORESTER TO WORK. THE WINDSHIELD WAS NOT HIT BY A ROCK OR ANYTHING ELSE, THERE WAS NO CRACK OR DAMAGE ON THE WINDSHIELD. I PARKED IT IN THE COMPANY'S PARKING LOT AT 7 AM. IN THE AFTERNOON WHEN I WAS READY TO GO HOME AT 4 PM, I FOUND A LONG CRACK ON THE WINDSHIELD. IT WAS TOO LARGE TO REPAIR AND IT MUST BE REPLACED. I HAVE HEATED WINDSHIELD WITH EYESIGHT CAMERAS, IT WOULD COST UNDER $500 TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD. VEHICLE IS LESS THAN 6,000 MILES AND LESS THAN 6 MONTHS OLD, AND I'VE GOT A CRACKED WINDSHIELD BEFORE ITS FIRST OIL CHANGE.

MY NEW 2015 SUBARU FORESTER WITH ABOUT 3,000 MILES ON IT DEVELOPED A LONG CRACK FROM THE CENTER TOP OF THE WINDSHEILD CAUSED BY WHAT LOOKED LIKE AN INSIGNIFICANLTY SMALL PEBBLE. THE IMPACT WAS BARELY NOTICIBLE. I WAS GOING ABOUT 45 MILES AN HOUR. AFTER INSPECTING THE WINDSHEILD, I NOTICED A SUPER TINY PIT WHERE A MINISCULE PEBBLE MUST HAVE HIT THE WINDOW. IN THE MORNING THE TINY PIT TURNED INTO A FULL ON CRACK EXTENDING HALF WAY DOWN THEN CURVING MIDWAY TOWARDS THE DRIVER SIDE. I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WITH MY INSURANCE AND THEY REPLACED IT. IT WOULD HAVE COST ME 625.00. I PAID THE 50.00 DEDUCTIBLE. THE DEALER WOULD NOT COVER THE WINDSHEILD. IT WAS REPLACED WITH AN OEM SUBARU WINDSHEILD. THIS WAS HIGHLY IRREGULAR. NEVER IN ALL MY YEARS OF DRIVING HAS A SMALL PEBBLE, THE PIT SIZE OF A MILLIMETER CAUSED THIS KIND OF DAMAGE. I THOUGHT IT MUST BE A FLUKE UNTIL IT HAPPENED AGAIN LAST NIGHT WHILE DRIVING HOME ON THE FREEWAY. I HEARD A POP AND THEN ANOTHER POP. IT SOUNDED LIKE IT CAME FROM UNDER MY CAR. SOON I SAW A CRACK COMING RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF MY WINDSHEILD. AFTER INSPECTING IT THIS MORNING, IT WAS CAUSED BY ANOTHER SUPER TINY PEBBLE AS THERE IS A SMALL PIT LESS THAN A MILLIMETER IN SIZE AT THE MIDDLE TOP OF MY WINDSHEILD. 2 WINDSHEILDS IN 7 MONTHS! THIS IS RIDUCLOUS. THIS QUALITY OF THE WINDSHEILD IS SUBSTANDARD TO NOT HANDLE THE IMPACT OF TINY PEBBLES. IN ALL MY YEARS OF DRIVING MANY TYPES OF VEHICLES WITH WINDSHEILDS HIT BUT MUCH LARGER ROCKS HAS THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM OCCURED. THIS IS A HUGE SAFTEY CONCERN. THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED.

I PURCHASED A NEW 2015 SUBARU FORESTER JANUARY 31, 2015. ANYTIME THE TEMPERATURE IS BELOW APPROXIMATELY 10F, THE INTERIOR WINDOWS ICE OVER. HAVE TO CONTINUALLY SWITCH FROM 100% DEFROST TO 100% SIDE WINDOWS TO BE ABLE TO SEE OUT ONE OR THE OTHER. IF ANYONE IS RIDING IN THE BACK SEAT, THE REAR SIDE WINDOWS ARE NEVER CLEAR. THIS POOR VISIBILITY IS A SAFETY HAZARD. IN ADDITION, THE CAR IS EXTREMELY COLD INSIDE, ESPECIALLY IN THE FOOT WELL. MY FEET ARE NUMB FROM THE COLD AS THE HEATER IS BLOWING COLD AIR ON YOUR FEET AND LEGS. EVEN WHEN NO AIR IS DIRECTED TO THE FOOT WELL, THERE IS A CONTINUAL COLD DRAFT. HAVE TAKEN THIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TWICE WITH THESE COMPLAINTS ? BOTH TIMES THEY CONTACTED SUBARU AND WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR IS OPERATING AS DESIGNED, SO NO EFFORT WAS MADE TO IMPROVE. FOR COMPARISON THE DEALER PROVIDED A LOANER CAR ? SAME MAKE, MODEL, YEAR AND FEATURES. WE DROVE IT AND OUR CAR ON THE SAME 60 MILE ROUTE AT THE SAME AMBIENT TEMPERATURE (0F), THE LOANER CAR HEATED UP QUICKER, WAS MORE COMFORTABLE INSIDE, HAD MINIMAL FOOT WELL DRAFT, HAD HIGHER ENGINE OIL TEMPERATURE AND THE WINDOWS WERE MUCH CLEARER. THIS WAS COMMUNICATED TO SUBARU, WITH THE SAME RESPONSE ? YOUR CAR IS BEHAVING AS DESIGNED, NO SERVICE IS REQUIRED. IN ADDITION TO MY COMPLAINT, THERE ARE OVER 1100 COMMENTS COMPLAINING ABOUT THESE SAME ISSUES AS DETAILED ON HTTP://WWW.SUBARUFORESTER.ORG/VBULLETIN/F77/2014-FORESTER-WEAK-HEATER-263009/. ALTHOUGH MANY OF THE COMMENTS ARE FOLLOW UPS, THE TREND IS CLEAR ? THERE IS A SHORTCOMING IN SOME CARS THAT RESULT IN POOR HEATER PERFORMANCE, WITH THE SYMPTOM BEING POOR VISIBILITY AND VERY UNCOMFORTABLE PASSENGERS. FOR WHATEVER REASON, SUBARU IS EITHER UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE OR EVEN ADMIT IT. *JS

HEAT SYSTEM DOES NOT HEAT THE CAR AND WINDOW KEEP FREEZING OVER. HAVE TO KEEP TURNING FROM FLOOR HEAT WHICH IS NONE, TO WINDSHIELD TO KEEP IT CLEAR. ALWAYS COLD WHICH TAKES YOUR MIND AND CONTROL AWAY FROM DRIVING, COULD CAUSE TO ACCIDENT TAKING TIME TO KEEP TRYING TO GET HEAT TO WHERE IT IS NEEDED. PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BUY THE SUBARU FORESTER TILL THEY FIX THE PROBLEM, AND SHOULD BE BANDED TILL FIXED. THE DID NOT HAVE HEAT PROBLEM TILL THIS YEAR BY THE SOUNDS OF IT, SO THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO SWITCH IT BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS IN OLDER MODEL YEAR BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. A RECALL IS PASS DUE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED. *TR