YearToAvoid

2017 Subaru Forester Visibility & Wipers Problems

NHTSA lists 115 Visibility & Wipers complaints for the 2017 Subaru Forester, 20% of its 587 total complaints, with a median failure mileage of 34,000. There are no related recalls for this problem area.

Visibility & Wipers complaints
115
20% of 587
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
34,000 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical visibility and wiper symptoms owners report

  • Windshields crack from small stone or debris impacts and the crack quickly spreads into a long linear split, often 24 to 30 inches.
  • Some owners report the windshield cracking with no apparent impact, discovered after the car sat parked overnight or in a garage.
  • Repeated replacements are common, with several owners describing two or three windshield replacements within less than a year of ownership.
  • Because the Forester uses the EyeSight camera system, replacements require OEM glass and recalibration, and owners describe long backorder waits for replacement windshields.
  • Chips and small star cracks from road debris sometimes fail to repair properly and later expand into large horizontal cracks.

When 2017 Subaru Forester visibility and wiper complaints were filed

First complaint Feb 10, 2018, latest Aug 31, 2026.

2017 Subaru Forester visibility & wipers complaints: complaints filed per month11Feb 2018Mar 2019Jan 2020Sep 2020Mar 2021Dec 2021Mar 2023May 2024
115 complaints filed with NHTSA from Feb 2018 to Aug 2026; peak Oct 2019 (11).

Visibility & Wipers recalls for the 2017 Subaru Forester

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Visibility & Wipers complaints by Forester model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 20108 (3%)
  2. 20113 (2%)
  3. 20125 (5%)
  4. 20135 (6%)
  5. 201411 (3%)
  6. 201524 (4%)
  7. 201623 (6%)
  8. 2017115 (20%)
  9. 2018155 (31%)
  10. 2019406 (49%)
  11. 2020301 (50%)
  12. 202190 (43%)
  13. 202224 (24%)
  14. 202312 (16%)
  15. 20245 (17%)
  16. 202520 (22%)

Frequently asked questions

How many 2017 Subaru Forester owners complained about visibility and wipers issues?
NHTSA lists 115 complaints in the Visibility & Wipers area for the 2017 Forester, which is 20% of the 587 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2017 Subaru Forester windshield?
No. NHTSA shows no related recalls tied to this Visibility & Wipers problem area for the 2017 Forester.
At what mileage do these windshield problems usually show up?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this problem area is 34,000 miles.
Did these windshield complaints lead to any crashes or injuries?
NHTSA data for this problem area on the 2017 Forester shows 0 crashes, 0 fires, and 0 injuries reported.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.