My windshield cracked significantly after shutting the passenger side door. I chalked that up to maybe a possible chip was put under stress, until a few months later, my driver's side window burst spontaneously right in front of my eyes as I was shutting the trunk door. The pieces went half inside the car and half outside the car. Even though most of it was chunks of glass, I have been sliced and cut up trying to remove it from the driver's, passenger and rear seats, carpets, doors, etc. The entire thing shattered completely, like it almost exploded. The car was parked in the shade on a relatively cool day (it was about 75 degrees) and had not been running.
2017 Subaru Forester: windshield cracks
94 of the 594 complaints about the 2017 Subaru Forester describe windshield cracks.
- owner complaints
- 94
- of this car's complaints
- 16%
- typical repair cost reported
- $642
- typical mileage
- 38,078
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 7 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Windshield cracks by model year
What owners say
Cracked windshield for no reason
The front windshield is extremely prone to cracks. I've gotten three cracks in my windshield, all along the bottom half in close proximity to each other, which leads me to believe there is a structural issue with either the body of the car or the glass that is causing this. Two of the times, there were no other cars around me and a pinhead size piece of gravel lodged into the outside layer of the windshield, chipping and cracking it.
Right side of windshield had a small crack. Illinois law can’t drive with a cracked windshield. Called Subaru they don’t fix windshield problems. Appointment at Safelite on 1/23/24 crack had gotten bigger they cannot repair now have to replace windshield. Appointment on 1/25/24 to replace windshield. No prior incident that would have led to this situation. Never owned a car where the windshield needed to be replaced.
Windshield cracker for NO reason. And rear/back window/glass again cracked for NO reason
The front windshield spontaneously cracked, beginning from the bottom of the windshield at the de-icer on the passenger side and propagated up and across the windshield toward the driver's side. No evidence of a strike or outside damage which caused the crack is evident. The obstruction to my view is hazardous on the roadway as the crack continues to spread. This issue has been well documented in Subaru vehicles, and was the subject of a class-action lawsuit in 2017 regarding 2016 model year Subaru Impreza's and Outback's.
Windshield cracked without reason, and happened while vehicle was not being driven. Within the span on one day, the crack doubled in size, in my line of vision. There are other chips in the windshield that have occured, and I have filled them quickly as to not do damage like this. However, this crack occurred seemingly overnight, without time to schedule a repair at all.
The windshield cracked without anything happening. It started at the bottom and moved it's way up.
Windshield cracked while being parked on driveway over the week. Car has not been driven for a week and has not been hit by anything prior, normal outdoor temperature 50-85F.
The lower part of the windshield has cracked and I have no incident that occurred to cause it to crack. If a piece of gravel caused it, it was so small to not even be noticed by me. I have never had a windshield crack so easily in all my years of driving.
I have a 2017 Subaru Forester that I bought brand new with only 5 miles on it at the time. Within the first year my battery needed replaced twice! I am still having this issue 5 years later and have purchased sometimes 2 batteries a year depending! The windshield also cracked within the first year I bought the car. I had it fixed and it cracked again this time not under warranty and the crack is in front of my eyesight sensor which makes my eyesight turn off which is very dangerous. I have seen MANY complaints on the windshield issue online with 2021 foresters. This is unacceptable. I am very unsatisfied with the company for not fixing this issue or making it right. I would not buy another Subaru or recommend anyone to buy one until they fix these problems.
Front Windshield has started cracking from the middle top by the rear view mirror and is steadily getting larger making it's way toward driver side of windshield, there is also a chip by the passenger side of windshield
Service bulletins that may apply
- This bulletin provides a service procedure to address customer concerns of a rattling-type sound coming...
- This bulletin announces a design change made to the front door glass run channels
- This bulletin announces availability of new power window switch assemblies developed to address the...
- This Service Information bulletin announces a change made to the lens portion of the fog light assembly
- This bulletin provides a repair procedure for replacing the foam cushion installed between the top front...
- This bulletin provides a repair procedure for replacing the foam cushion installed between the top front...
- This Service Information bulletin provides a guideline to use for placement of required or mandated...
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2017 Subaru Forester windshield crack
Is windshield cracks a common problem on the 2017 Subaru Forester?
94 of 594 owner complaints about the 2017 Subaru Forester (16%) mention windshield cracks. The model year with the most reports is 2019.
How much does it cost to fix windshield cracks on the 2017 Subaru Forester?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $642 (median of 7 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2017 Subaru Forester?
There are 0 recalls and 7 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2017 Subaru Forester
Airbag light 80Battery drain 30No deployment 17Stalling 17Ball joint 14Sudden acceleration 14Adaptive cruise 10Check engine light 10Won't start 10Hesitation 8Loss of power 8CVT failure 7Collision warning 6Fuel smell 6Jerking 6
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