2020 Subaru Forester Problems, Recalls & Reliability
802 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2020 Subaru Forester, alongside 0 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 74/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Visibility & wipers leads the reports, typically around 6,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2020 Subaru Forester sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1998–2000, 2002, 2005–2008, 2012–2013, 2022.
Avoid
Where 2020 sits among all Forester years
What owners report
“Windshield cracked out of nowhere. It was parked and just showed up to a cracked windshield”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Forester
“One day i looked up at my windshield and there is a scratch/crack visible on the inside. Nothing hit it.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Forester
“I have owned this vehicle since 2019 and the auto start has ALWAYS stalled out when I stop at a light or stop sign. The vehicle needs to be put in park and restart the car. It is very dangerous”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Forester
“Multiple dashboard lights are on including starlink, eyesight, check engine, thermostat, and a blinking s. A quick Google search shows that this exact combination is a known issue. Safety concern is that all the accident prevention systems are down leaving me at risk.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Forester
“Thermo control valve needed replaced. Check engine light and all safety lights turned on. All safety features were disabled when light came on. Subaru has has a recall on 2019 but not 2020 .”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Forester
“Check engine, forward collision warning, flashing "s"drive, no eyesight, automatic emergency braking warning lights, all came on at once and staying on. Possible thermo control valve issue - needs a recall!”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Forester
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 307 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 6,410 miles. Half of those reports fall between 2,500 and 13,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls
No recall campaigns on file for the 2020 Subaru Forester.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2020 Subaru Forester reliable?
The 2020 Subaru Forester drew 802 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 74/100, scored against the model's worst year (2019).
What are the most common 2020 Subaru Forester problems?
The top reported problems for the 2020 Subaru Forester are visibility & wipers (301 complaints), other (109), and electrical (102).
At what mileage do 2020 Subaru Forester problems show up?
Owners most often report 2020 Subaru Forester problems around 6,410 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 2,500 and 13,000 miles.
Does the 2020 Subaru Forester have recalls?
No recall campaigns are on file for the 2020 Subaru Forester. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check the VIN before buying.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.