Six months after buying my 2018 outback the windshield cracked down by the defroster. There was no evidence of an impact. I replaced it with subaru glass because of the eyesight system. Cost was $1000. One year later another crack appeared at the top middle part of the windshield. There is evidence of a small ding. The windshield seems particularly fragile and I understand others are having the same problem. I have replace three or four windshield in 40 years of driving other cars but now have two in less than two years on this car. Car is otherwise great but clearly there is a problem with the windshield.
2018 Subaru Outback visibility complaints
Page 6 of 10: complaints 131 to 160 of 273, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The windshield cracked spontaneously one day while driving. No other cars were around. Took into the dealership and they told us it was a rock chip that had cracked the windshield but the crack started at the top of the window and went down. No impact point is visible. We have also has another subaru which did the same thing but while sitting in garage.
Defective front windshields. The original had a legitimate crack from a rock hitting it. The first & second replacement windshields (subaru branded) both cracked starting from the drivers side about midway up. The first replacement cracked at slow speed after pulling away from the curb. The second cracked after parking and closing the drivers door. Both cracks immediately spread laterally across almost half of the windshield in the drivers line of sight. The original windshield was replaced on 4/3/2019 and the first replacement windshield was replaced on 11/4/2019. This second replacement windshield cracked on 7/24/2020. Neither of these last two cracked windshields was caused by rock or debris hitting them.
Windshield experienced serious multi-fingered crack, originating in the top center portion of the windshield, where the 'eyesight' cameras are located. No known contact by object from road. Appeared to be spontaneous. Not certain if vehicle was in motion or stationary- didn't notice it until entering vehicle in the morning.
The windshield cracked out of nowhere and spread quickly. The vehicle was stationary when we entered the car and noticed a long crack in the windshield. I never had this happen to a windshield before. The crack keeps growing for no reason.
Tl* the contact owns a 2018 subaru outback. The contact stated that the front windshield cracked without impact. The vehicle was taken to reliable subaru (438 s ingram mill rd, springfield, mo 65802, (417) 720-8373) where the contact was informed that the windshield needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 10,000.
I have had my outback for almost 2 years. In the last 3 months, I have experienced 4 cracked or broken windshields. I avoid driving behind trucks/semis but the smallest rock or anything seems to have disasterous result of bullseye/crack etc. I have had my windshiled replaced twice and now it needs to be replaced a third time.
After replacing the windshield once with oem glass. It cracked again, in roughly the same place as before (bottom middle of windshield). This is the second windshield in less than 2 years! Subaru clearly has a problem with their glass or clearances around the glass. This one cracked while sitting in a caribou parking lot. We werent even moving. No rock chips, nothing hit the window. All the sudden heard a "pop" noise, then saw the crack.
Was driving home from getting dinner on a side road near home (40mph zone), no other cars on the road, nothing hit the windshield, and it started to crack from the bottom middle of the windshield. There were no chips, the car was only 6mo old. No drastic temperature changes or anything. Believe what all the other people are saying. I have never seen glass crack out of nowhere like this. I really hope the class action lawsuits stick as there is clearly an underlying issue.
Two separate instances of a crack have formed while driving in normal conditions without a notable incident connected to the cracks. The initial cracks were noticed while driving on the highway.
Like many others, my windshield started cracking in 2 separate places. One long crack from just above the wiper blade spanning 18 inches, and another one that starts from midway up on the passenger side about 2 feet long that almost links up with the other one. Windshield was not struck and just occurred while in my driveway and garage in florida.
Tl* the contact owns a 2018 subaru outback. The contact stated that upon inspection it was discovered that the upper right passenger side glass windshield was cracked. The contact indicated that the crack was approximately 5 inches long and was located on the interior section of the windshield. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.
Normal driving 45 MPH highway and without reason the windshield started to crack about one inch then kept getting longer about 20 minutes later the crack was about 8 inches long.
I have been suffering from repeated windshield cracks, in a variety of road conditions, with this vehicle. Between my own car, and loaner vehicles of the same year/model, I have had 5 windshields crack in less than 30,000 miles. Most instances I did not see any debris impact the vehicle. On one occasion I was travelling under 10 MPH, with no other vehicles on the street, which resulted in the largest 'bullseye' I've experienced, nearly 3" across. I did not see any object impact the car, and even stopped to inspect the road for debris that I did not find. My current vehicle has three distinctly separate cracked sections that occurred on separate occasions. One one instance, the nearest vehicle was almost 1/4 mile ahead of me as we were both travelling straight at about 65mph. The latest was while on an interstate entrance ramp, with light traffic, and under 50mph at the time of the crack. I did not see anything impact the vehicle.
Windshield cracking while driving down interstate 80.
Windshield cracked drivers side very low. It does not impede vision driving and I have not had it replaced. I don't know when it happened. I was driving my outback. I stopped for an errand and came out and noticed the windshield was cracked. I had used my defrost on the trip as the windshield was fogging. Please note that I had the same thing happen on my 2015 outback too.
I believe a defect in the material or assembly caused my front windshield to crack. This crack was initially noted as I prepared to drive my car out of my garage and on to work, with a nearly imperceptible crack in the very lower left corner. The windshield cracked within months of purchase. The crack started in the lower left corner of the windshield, up against the very bottom of the a pillar. There was no pitting anywhere near the crack. It appeared to be caused by the metal frame for the windshield. The local subaru dealer refused to even look at it. I paid the total cost for repair, $867.06, out-of-pocket.
The windshield cracked after starting defroster while still parked in the unheated garage. The vehicle was not in motion and there was no crack prior to starting the defroster.
1. Defect in windshields or framing area. I've had 4 windshield crack in the bottom right and have replaced 3 so far since I bought it. Adding my name and car to the complaints saying the windshields in their subaru vehicles are defective and are spontaneously cracking, and breaking, sometimes 'within weeks or a few months of purchase.' I usually notice upon returning to my car in the morning to leave for work or returning from being away from it all day. My car insurance has covered all but $100 of the bills over the span of 2 years, luckily. But my time is valuable. 2. Radio/multimedia screen sometimes doesn't come on when I start the car and won't work until I turn the car off and back on later. 3. Chincy material, seems to dent veeeery easily, does not live up to high standards and durability they rave about. I'm not sure what all has dinged my car but it is way more frequent than any other car I've owned. I usually notice walking up to it from being parked. Could be from driving down road though. 4. Battery life is short. Car was not run for 5 days and battery was dead. Claims to be an outdoorsy car so why would it be set up to kill the battery so quickly? My dealership updated the software and gave me a bigger battery to help "fix" that issue.
My subaru outback 2018 windshield cracked again after just a few weeks into getting it previously replaced. The same thing happen as the previous time, a very small rock caused a huge crack to the windshield going at moderately slow speed entering the free way. Subaru replaced the first one free of charge because they knew an ongoing class action lawsuit was in place, but states that any further issues will be out of my pocket. The windshields that are being provided as replacements all have the same issues of cracking very easily.
The car was parked in an end space parking. When I returned the windshield was cracked on the passenger side. No marks, dings or dents are near or around the cracked windshield.
Over the last 6 months I have gotten 6 rock chips that have come from driving on ground roads at speed of no more than 40 MPH some were from bugs or dirt clods. One chip has resulted in a break going up the middle of the window and will soon be in the eyesight system. The crack happened while sitting in a sheltered parking lot during a warm 75 degree day.
While parked indoors a front windshield crack first appeared on lower drivers side of windshield. No sign of being struck by projectile.
Car was sitting in driveway for one week. Drove my car,city street, turned on air conditioner, windshield started cracking out of nowhere, from middle of passenger side, the crack turned up halfway and stopped halfway through windshield. Nothing hit the window. Took it to the dealership and they said there was a point of impact. The dealer took a pushpin and pushed it into the windshield to show me. I argued that several people have had this same problem with this model and dealer said that it is not covered under my warranty. I argued that nothing hit my windshield and they said that something did.
Tl* the contact owns a 2018 subaru outback. The contact stated that after 2 months of owning the vehicle the windshield cracked. Additionally, the passenger's side front window was also cracker. The passenger's side window and windshield were replaced were replaced by international autos orland park (8031 159th st, tinley park, il 60477). The contact stated that four months later, the windshield was cracked again. The manufacturer was contacted and authorized the replacement of the windshield a second time. The contact stated that six months later, the passenger's side window and windshield were again cracked. The manufacturer was not contacted after the last failures. The failure mileage was 5,000.
Windshield cracks exceptionally easily and seemingly without any cause.
Subaru outback 2018, was parked in a garage, rarely driven for last two months. Came to the garage in the morning and found a long single-line curvy crack starting at the drive edge of the windshield and going horizontally for about half of the windshield.
2018 subaru outback windshield cracked while on highway. No apparent stone hit it. Replaced on 3/5/2019. Friend sent me a website where it was noted that multiple others subaru owners experienced the same occurrence. It stated to file a complaint with you. I am unable to scan or upload repair paperwork but I have my receipt from the repair.
I noticed a small crack in the center of the windshield. I did not see or hear a rock or item hit the windshield, I only saw the result ' the crack. Each day the crack grew longer. Once it was approximately a foot long, I called to get it repaired.
Front windshield cracked for no apparent reason.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2018 Subaru Outback?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history