NHTSA Complaint #11671639 — 2023 SUBARU FORESTER

I had been driving for 30 minutes from Mokena towards Rosemont. I was on [XXX] near rosemont when the rear passenger-side window spontaneously shattered without warning. There was a loud pop, and tempered glass collapsed inward into the rear cargo area and passenger footwell. Some of the glass traveling quite far. I did not hear or see any object strike the vehicle, and there is no visible damage or point of impact on the exterior or interior trim. I have also not been able to locate any evidence of an object. All glass remained inside the vehicle, which I have read is consistent with spontaneous failure rather than impact. Safety Concerns: The sudden breakage was extremely loud and could easily startle or distract a driver to cause an accident or injure the driver with glass. I was alone, but this could pose a serious injury risk if a child or passenger had been seated in the back. The volume and distribution of shattered tempered glass throughout the car will require extensive cleanup. While I suppose it could have been object, this appears consistent with a known safety risk involving nickel sulfide inclusion or internal glass stress in tempered automotive windows. Action Taken: I have documented the incident with extensive photographs. I am in contact with Subaru, but they are looking into prices for us to fix that window. I am submitting this report to ensure visibility and support further investigation into whether this issue is occurring in other 2023 Foresters or related Subaru models. If it was an object, then should that be noted as well given it was on a highway. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)