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2022 Subaru Forester Wipers & Visibility Problems

20 owner-reported wipers & visibility complaints from NHTSA data

20
Complaints
Jan 2023Dec 2022
Date Range

Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.

Owner Complaints (20)

highVISIBILITY
Filed: Jan 2026

Your rear window suddenly developed cracks across the entire glass while you were driving, even though nothing hit it or fell into it. The cracked glass then completely fell out of the vehicle. This unexplained failure of the rear window glass is a visibility and safety concern.

NHTSA #: 11711104
mediumVISIBILITY/WIPER
Filed: Feb 2026

Your windshield developed a vertical crack on the passenger side that runs from the bottom to the middle, even though nothing hit it and it was fine the day before. This appears to be a spontaneous crack rather than damage from road debris. The windshield will likely need to be replaced, as cracks of this size typically cannot be safely repaired.

NHTSA #: 11715806
mediumVISIBILITY
Filed: Jul 2025

Your 2022 Forester's front windshield developed a crack while the vehicle was parked, with no known impact or accident involved. This happened at around 29,000 miles. You've scheduled a windshield replacement to address the issue.

NHTSA #: 11673298
mediumVISIBILITY/WIPER
Filed: Aug 2024

Windshield formed a crack for no apparent reason. The crack increased to about 10 inches in the course of 2 days.

NHTSA #: 11606932
mediumVISIBILITY/WIPER
Filed: Oct 2023

While driving the drivers side rear window imploded sending thousands of shards of glass into the vehicle.

NHTSA #: 11550637
mediumVISIBILITY/WIPER
Filed: Aug 2023

Overnight, my windshield cracked from the inside. The car was safely in the garage and is only driven by me. The crack was in a "J" or "L" formation on the driver's side, approximately 2.5 - 3", stemming from the dashboard. Nothing had hit or injured the windshield. Over the last few months, the crack has slowly expanded to a larger "L" formation. I've filed a claim with insurance but believe the crack is due to a faulty Subaru windshield.

NHTSA #: 11541623
mediumVISIBILITY/WIPER
Filed: Jul 2023

Windshield has random cracks and scratches everywhere and I only have 18000 miles.

NHTSA #: 11533874
mediumVISIBILITY/WIPER
Filed: Mar 2023

At 5.000 miles I observed a crack in the lower portion of the windshield. The crack was vertical and about 8 inches in length. The crack was located almost in the center of the windshield. The crack is smooth to the touch on both the interior and exterior of the windshield. At no time to my knowledge did any objects strike the windshield. In the next few days of driving the crack grew to approximately 2 feet in length and spread horizontally across the passenger side. I contacted the dealer and was informed that the vehicle warranty does not cover glass. I made arrangements at a local auto glass shop to have the windshield replaced. I believe that the glass was defective.

NHTSA #: 11512138
mediumVISIBILITY/WIPER
Filed: Feb 2023

The windshield seems to crack and get chipped very easily. I have been driving on the same freeway for 10 years. I bought the Subaru last year and have received four windshield cracks in one year. This can’t be a coincidence that this only became an issue with this specific vehicle. The windshield is incredibly expensive to replace yet breaks far too easily.

NHTSA #: 11505548
mediumVISIBILITY/WIPER
Filed: Jan 2023

Windshield developed multiple small chips for no apparent reason. I am the only one who drives the car and never felt any rock or pebble hitting my windshield. Chips were small (less than 1cm). I took the car to my authorized Subaru Dealer (Pembroke Pines, Florida) to be inspected and they told me that windshield needed to be replaced. They did not accept that this was a manufacturer problem and they told me it was not covered by my warranty. They referred to a company they work with to replace my windshield. I am uploading pictures of some of the chips. There were more but I did not take pictures of all of them. Chips were all over the windshield which obviously is very unlikely to happen and never happened to me before with any of my cars.

NHTSA #: 11503510
mediumVISIBILITY/WIPER
Filed: Jan 2023

Over the past year that I have had my vehicle, having bought it in April 2022, I have had my windshield crack 3 times. Each crack has occurred around the end he’s of the windshield. One was caused by a rock hitting the windshield while driving less then 20 miles per hour - resulting in two cracks up the windshield.

NHTSA #: 11500711
mediumVISIBILITY/WIPER
Filed: Dec 2022

Woke up this morning to a cracked windshield. Car was garaged over night and I drove it around 8:30pm the evening before and their was no crack. Now have a 4” crack in the passenger side windshield.

NHTSA #: 11496858
mediumVISIBILITY/WIPER
Filed: Oct 2022

Windshield spontaneously cracked while stationary on a level paved major thoroughfare. There was no impact on the windshield of any kind. No prior damage. Just sitting at a red light no traffic approaching from any direction and the windshield cracked in the middle sections of the glass, on the right edge.

NHTSA #: 11488107
mediumVISIBILITY/WIPER
Filed: Aug 2022

Driving through a parking lot under 5mph, and the glass cracked with no warning or sign of anything hitting the windscreen.

NHTSA #: 11480160
mediumVISIBILITY/WIPER
Filed: Jul 2022

Windshield Cracked while in the hot sun. I was sitting inside my car and started hearing a cracking noise and noticed my windshield was cracking. Eventually it developed a 7 inch crack.

NHTSA #: 11476572
mediumVISIBILITY/WIPER
Filed: Jul 2022

2 separate windshield cracks in 2 days!!

NHTSA #: 11475694
mediumVISIBILITY/WIPER
Filed: Jul 2022

Subaru installs terribly delicate windshields on their vehicles. I just bought this car in May of 2022 and already there are chips and cracks in the windshield. I had to replace the windshield on my previous 2019 Forester within months of purchase, too. If the slightest pebble (even at low speeds) hits the windshield, it will crack - currently the crack on my windshield is about six inches long and growing.

NHTSA #: 11475582
mediumVISIBILITY,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Filed: Jul 2022

The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Forester. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, a rock struck the bottom middle of the windshield glass. The rock became imbedded inside the windshield glass which caused water to leak inside the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure and insisted that the windshield glass be replaced with the same type of glass and not an aftermarket glass. The contact waited a month for the windshield repair; however, the eyesight and cruise control features both became inoperable after the repair. A month later, the contact stated while exiting the highway, an unknown object struck the windshield and caused another crack to form on the bottom left side of the windshield. The contact stated that each crack obstructed her vision while driving. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 500.

NHTSA #: 11472395
mediumVISIBILITY
Filed: Jun 2022

The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, she noticed a crack on the windshield which started from the bottom of the front windshield and expanded to the driver's side casing a visibility hazard. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed. The representative at the dealer took a picture and forwarded the picture to the manufacturer. The windshield was not replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 7,600.

NHTSA #: 11470202
mediumVISIBILITY/WIPER
Filed: Feb 2022

Bought my brand new Forester less a month and i have to replace a windshield already!!! Discovered about 5 inches crack while warming up the car on the snow day. Subaru have a glass action agains them about windshield so easily to crack. Service dept refused to replace my windshield because of a super tiny hold that can not be seen by normal eyes, i think it was a damage from crack . We have a different brand vehicle which has about 10x bigger intake but never cause the crack for year. Now i know the reason why Subaru offer the limited windshield replace program.

NHTSA #: 11454529

Other 2022 Subaru Forester Issues