2019 Subaru Forester Visibility & Wipers Problems
Visibility & Wipers complaints made up 49% of all 2019 Subaru Forester complaints (406 of 833), the highest share of any model year. Most involve windshield cracks appearing with no impact, reported at a median mileage of 8,375. No related recall has been issued.
- Visibility & Wipers complaints
- 406
- 49% of 833
- Crashes reported
- 0
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 0
- Median mileage
- 8,375 mi
- Related recalls
- 0
Typical visibility and wiper symptoms owners report
- Windshield develops a crack or chip with no apparent rock strike or impact, often noticed after a snap or pop sound while driving.
- Cracks appear within the first few thousand miles, in some cases within the first month or day of ownership.
- Cracks start small (a chip or hairline mark) and then spread horizontally or vertically across the glass over hours or days.
- Dealers and glass shops reportedly tell owners the OEM windshield glass is on national backorder, delaying replacement.
- Dealership staff reportedly deny any defect and attribute the damage to an impact, even when owners say no impact occurred.
- Some owners report the problem recurring after the windshield was already replaced once.
When 2019 Subaru Forester visibility and wiper complaints were filed
First complaint Feb 5, 2019, latest Jun 4, 2025.
Visibility & Wipers recalls for the 2019 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.
Frequently asked questions
- How common are visibility and wiper complaints for the 2019 Subaru Forester?
- NHTSA lists 406 Visibility & Wipers complaints for the 2019 Forester, which is 49% of the 833 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is the 2019 Forester's windshield issue worse than other model years?
- Yes, relative to other Forester years. The 49% share for 2019 is higher than 2017 (20%), 2018 (31%), and 2020 (50% is close but 2019 remains among the highest), and far above years like 2010-2016 which stayed in single or low double digits.
- What mileage do windshield problems typically show up at on the 2019 Forester?
- NHTSA data shows a median mileage at failure of 8,375 miles for Visibility & Wipers complaints on the 2019 Forester.
- Is there a recall for the 2019 Subaru Forester windshield issue?
- No. NHTSA lists no related recalls for the Visibility & Wipers complaints on the 2019 Forester despite the high complaint volume.
- Did the windshield cracking cause crashes or injuries?
- NHTSA records show zero crashes, zero fires, and zero injuries linked to the 406 Visibility & Wipers complaints for the 2019 Forester.