Unexplained windshield cracking starting from the passenger side at the edge of the window by the defroster.
While driving on hwy 101 in paso robles , heard a large pop. after stopping noticed a crack approx 8 inches long on passenger side about halfway up apparently emanating from the edge of the windshield. did not see an obvious rock hit.
The windshield developed a horizontal crack on the driver side only a year and half into ownership. nothing was observed to have struck the vehicle. the crack was not there in the evening when the vehicle was parked in our carport. it was observed when we went to drive the vehicle in the morning (july 10, 2018). san diego was experiencing average summer temperatures. the windshield was replaced at our own cost, as the dealership would not take responsibility. a second crack in the exact same place has appeared approximately 18 months later. again, there was no crack when the vehicle was parked in our driveway in the evening. nothing struck the vehicle's windshield in the days prior. in the morning, we came out to an identical horizontal crack on the driver's side of the windshield (january 21, 2020). the temperature was consistent with the winter average (low of 45f). as we have moved cities (san diego to portland), we took the vehicle in to have it looked at, as we also had a safety recall that needed to be fixed. again, the dealership claimed that it wasn't their responsibility and that something must have hit the windshield at exactly the same place. the mechanic did not think that anything struck the vehicle. the assistant manager motioned for him to be quiet and then tried to convince my wife that it was a rock.
The windshield in our 2017subaru outback has failed for the third time in three years. a crack initiated in the passenger side lower corner wiper defrost zone, and grew upward and into the central part of the windshield. see photo. this happened under routine low speed in-town driving conditions and for no apparent reason except the windshield defroster was on. a cracked windshield is a safety risk. subaru is well aware of the deficiencies in the windshield design and materials in outbacks and other subaru models of this vintage, and the attendant safety concerns the defective windshields represent. evidence of a pervasive defective windshield problem and related safety concerns includes subaru service bulletin #12-19215r and numerous associated class action suits including luong v. subaru of america and powell v. subaru of america. subaru's solution has been to replace broken defective windshields with new defective windshields of the same type that are prone to break again, or to deny responsibility. subaru should offer free windshield replacements for the life of affected vehicles, or improve the windshield design and materials to actually fix the cracking and damage susceptibility issues.
When leaving my garage on 1/2/2020, a 9" vertical crack was first noticed in the top middle portion of the windshield, just below the right eyesight camera of my 2017 outback. two days later, when entering my parked vehicle, i noticed a 10" horizontal crack to the left (towards the driver's side) and an 4" horizontal crack had developed to the right from the bottom end of the vertical crack. the windshield does not appear to have any deep chips that would have initiated the cracks. the cracks are propagating into the driver's view which is a safety issue.
While driving on the highway my husband turned the defrost on and we heard a 'pop' sound. then my husband said your windshield is cracking and nothing hit the windshield. the crack started in the bottom center of the windshield in the black part of the windshield and the crack curves up and towards the passenger side of the windshield.
2017 outback second time windshield has cracked. first time (11/2018)something very tiny hit the bottom of the windshield and it cracked. the car was on an interstate. the emphasis is on tiny, no way it should have cracked. this time, 12/25/2019, i was in the passenger seat, on an interstate, looking straight ahead and all of a sudden a crack appeared on the top of the windshield. i exclaimed to my husband "the windshield just cracked!". nothing hit it, it just cracked and it continues to grow. this was and continues to be a known problem based on reading i have done. i hoped the first time around subaru had corrected the problem with the windshield, i had a corrected windshield and no longer had to worry. why isn't this obvious problem being addressed? my insurance rate went up as a result of the first "incident". and, with the first one it took around 30 days to get it resolved primarily because of a difficulty locating a subaru replacement windshield.
Windshield had a crack for no reason. car was stationary and in the covered garage. we noticed the crack originate from the bottom center of the glass and was spreading upwards towards the middle. we had to get the entire thing replaced.
Windshield cracks and instantly spread with minimal impact disabling car speed control and safety systems such as pre-collision braking and lane keep assist.
Windshield developed a crack from the very top edge without any impact or signs of damage. vehicle was stationary and in a covered garage.
My subaru outback 2017 windshield was hit by a tiny stone at ~50mph speed, barely leaving any mark. however, later on (hours later) a crack started to grow from that area. every several days it would increase by a few inches, eventually splitting into couple directions across a few weeks period. it ended up closing a full loop, at which point i feel it is unsafe to drive and am about to replace it. similar type of minor stones hits never seemed to cause any such issues on other cars i've owned.
4th windshield replacement on 2017 subaru outback 2.5i premium with eyesight (43,000 miles). minor impact while driving which i'm sure happens every day to other makes without needing to replace windshield. never had to replace a windshield in this household with 80+ years of driving non-subarus. subaru cannot guarantee that defective glass from 2015-2016 is not being used as oem replacement. went with aftermarket on 4th time. seems to me that subaru glass is defective.
Have to replace windshield for 2nd time on 2017 subaru outback. cracks have been both times on drivers side from bottom up under wiper with no chips on windshield. there was a class action suit for the same problem for the 2015 and 16 outbacks which subaru lost but so far they are nor covering the 2017 models which is has a different windshield but having numerous complaints for the same problem. the cracking both times was first noted when the car was in the our garage.
Our outback was sitting in the driveway since yesterday afternoon. this morning my wife discovered a large crack in the windshield. it's approximately 7 inches long. i've read on several websites that this is an ongoing issue with late model subarus. can you please help us?
Windshield cracks and chips way too easily.
Windshield developed crack from under driver's wiper up and across 3 inches then across to up to above other wiper then up in half circle and back across the windshield to the driver's side. car had been parked.
Driving on interstate and small pebble struck center of windshield. at the time of impact no visual damage to windshield. drove approximately 5 miles on the way to home when the lower center of windshield cracked. crack is estimated 8 inches in diameter.
Windshield cracked while car was parked.
Camera display does not always display the rear view image while backing up. first time it happened was 5/25/2019.
My windshield was struck with debris while traveling down a 35mph road. the chip immediately began to crack in two directions. i have a extended warranty from subaru that is for windshield protection, which my dealer said will not cover.
We put car in garage. it was clean perfect condition. the garage is locked and i found a spider scratch which had no visible hole from a pebble. the spider crack was internal so i could feel no indentation. i have witnesses in the vehicle. it is very clear that it was inherent in the window. to avoid possible danger i brought it to dealership. i still paid $100 for repair and i bought it new. also i had scratch protection.
I hit a large deer on ih 10 at 75 mph. all airbags deployed safely but conpletely blocked my vision and prevented me from exiting the vehicle as the bags blocked door handles, window control switches and my seat belt release. another motorist cut air bag strips and helped me to exit the car. fortunately, no fire.
I had the original windshield in my 2017 outback crack while driving on i-65 back in march of 2018, which i presumed was due to a stone chip even though the chip damage i observed was extremely minor. not knowing about the ongoing windshield cracking issues that subaru was undergoing with their 2015-2016 models, i had the cracked windshield replaced at my dealer with oem parts ordered through my dealer's parts dept. which ended up costing me $500 out of pocket on a $788 insurance claim. now i have the same kind of crack appearing in the replacement window with no apparent stone chip or other cause. i first noticed the crack originate from the area of the vin window in the bottom driver's side of the window. this happened soon after i began driving on a quite cold day with the windshield defogger engaged. since it happened less than 1 year after the first, i asked the service rep at my local dealership if the replacement window was covered by any manufacturer's warranty and he said no, not for cracking. after searching the windshield cracking problem online, i was shocked to read of the number of other subaru legacy/outback owners of similar model years and later with identical stories and with subaru apparently ducking the issue by contending that they are not responsible for warrantying replacement windows. needless to say i'm not happy to read of their dodging this potentially serious safety issue. i guess it will take another class action lawsuit to get subaru to step up.
Windshield spontaneously cracked while driving in rainy conditions with the defroster on. i heard a large pop. i was driving on the freeway, i wasn't behind any traffic. the cracked started at the side of the windshield. on my way home later that day with the windshield the crack grew an additional 6 inches. i originally thought this was just a freak accident but then i seen someone else's post on newer model subaru windshields and there are hundreds more incidents exactly like this one. i know there was a lawsuit in 2017 on the 2015-2016 model windshields, but i read enough to believe this problem still exists in the 2017 to present models. this isn't safe. torque news there is an article dated may 5, 2018, "subaru loses lawsuit over faulty outback windshields" discussing the lawsuit, the comments from the fellow subaru owners is concerning.
Driving on i 29 with no cars around us. heard a pop sound and a crack appeared in my windshield. nothing hit it. it just cracked spontaneously.
The windshield is extremely fragile and cracks easily. i feel it is a lighter windshield, perhaps to help with gas mileage. one little rock cracked it easily. previously, owned vehicles of older vintage and models never seemed to crack as readily. on highway traveling 60 small stone hit windshield.
Subaru outback 2017 while in motion on highway, heard a cracking sound and with no apparent impact on glass, windshield has now an about four inch crack near the bottom corner edge of the driver side. after a few days time has developed into a length approximately one third of the whole windshield.
My windshield spontaneously cracked. car was parked. i went in a restaurant for lunch, with car in view. came out windshield had cracked from very top, through eyesight camera, down through middle of windshield in a wide j. temp was in mid 80s. took it to dealership they said it was due to impact. there is no impact mark at all. brand new car. had it less than a year. had 2 chips prior to this, not connected to large crack. been in outside sales 9 years with 2 other cars. never had windshield problems like this.
First large crack appeared just 4 months after purchasing the car in august 31, 2016 at a fairly slow speed (under 40 mph). second crack appeared may 2018. the third and largest crack happened june 30, 2018, again at a fairly slow speed.
The windshield spontaneously cracked while sitting stationary outside my office yesterday. the vehicle was half in sun and half in shade. the crack started near the top driver's side and spread downward and outward. the vehicle has less than 7,000 miles on it.
> the auto in this complaint is equipped with subaru's "eyesight" driver assist technology. > june 18, 2018 - driving on divided interstate highway, there was a very loud "bang," - the new replacement windshield cracked and instantly the crack extended 2/3 of the way across the full width of the windshield. after pulling over to the side of the highway and taking a look at the windshield to determine what caused the crack, i sadly discovered that one section of the outside glass had separated from plastic behind it to the degree, that when ranning my hand against the outside glass surface, it cut my hand. the separation was enough that i questioned whether it was safe to continue to drive the car. i did drive the car home. the next day i took the car to my dealership's service dept. - they pointed to a minute nick on the very bottom of the windshield, so small that i did not see it until it was pointed out to me, as the "outside source" causing the crack. i don't buy what they are saying. i believe the the glass is so fragile that it simply cracks from stress from normal driving movement of the auto. and that the fragile glass begins to separate from the plastic securely holding it in place. > my complaint is this: 1) this particular subaru model has a record of "cracked windshield" complaints. based on my last experience with a cracked windshield, the glass is not strong enough to withstand normal car impossed stress while driving .... and, the subsequent separation between the glass and the plastic behind the glass holding it in place is large enough that it constitutes a driver safety hazard. worthy of your investigation. note - a photo cannot adequately show the separation.
The quality of the windshield leaves a lot to be desired. this is the second time in less than a year i have had to replace my windshield. in both occasions, the windshield cracked while the vehicle was in motion. i thought the first crack was caused by a small object/projectile i could not see. then the second crack occurred a few months later (about 5 months apart) around the same spot (driver side) as the first one. in about 30 minutes, the crack radiated quickly from the driver side all the way to the middle of the windshield. in both cases, even if the crack was caused by a small object, the impact was too small to explain such major damage. the first time the windshield cracked, it was replaced by a subaru recommended part and not by an aftermarket windshield. i will use a subaru recommended part again. however, based on the evidence, i do not have any confidence that the problem will not resurface. i think the windshield is fundamentally defective.
Came out of work and found a 12 inch crack going across the windshield without a reason. took it to my subaru dealer and they claimed it was a rock chip and not covered by the warranty. this is the 2nd windshield that has cracked in less than a year. the 1st was 4 months after we bought the car. salesman did not tell us when we bought the car that the windshield is thinner than nornal windshields. subaru has a faulty windshield and they won't admit it. i could see if the windshield had been hit with a 1 inch rock but there is no evidence that it was a rock chip other than the service guys grab a pen and run it along the crack until they find a place that the pen jumps and then states rock chip did it. the windshield seems to have shifted causing a stress fracture break and it is a safety hazard. thought subaru stood for quality but they don't stand behind their vehicles. it's like take your money and run. seems that their engineers could figure out how to make a windshield with thicker glass to work instead of the inferior glass in them. tempted to purchase another brand of vehicle that would be safer. i think subaru ought to stand behind their vehicles instead of hiding from the issues.
The windshield cracked and by the end of the day (sitting in a parking lot) was several feet long. i took it to the dealer service center and had it replaced. used my insurance claim and paid out of pocket.
Purchased our 2017 subaru outback 2.5 i limited in august 2016. as of april 30, 2018 we have had to have the windshield replaced 4 times! each time we were on highways. the most recent incident we were traveling at only 45 mph. each time, as soon as we heard the impact, a huge crack appeared. there is obviously a problem with either the quality of glass being used or the design. we have contacted subaru of america and reported the incidents. and yet, subaru will say there is no problem and no complaints have been filed. we are frustrated and now anxious each time we are traveling that we will have to deal with getting the windshield replaced. today, we again contacted subaru of america and said we want subaru to admit there is a problem and deal with it. we also met with the service director of our local subaru dealer and filed a complaint. he has agreed to forward the complaint to the regional director.
Within 6 months of purchase the windshield cracked spontaneously. car was parked in the employee parking lot. windshield was fine when i left the car. when i came out after work there was a large crack across my windshield. started in the top corner edge of the drivers side and extended across to middle of the windshield by the eyesight camera. no impact point.
Exploding sun roof: on 11/23/2017 our family was driving from hillsboro, or to coosbay, or for a family thanksgiving dinner. while we were on interstate i-5 south just near cottage grove, or we heard a loud shatter which scared all of us, we immediately pulled to the shoulder safely and noticed that the sunroof was shattered. we were going at 65-70mph with drizzle oregon rain and temps at 50's f
We purchased the outback 2017 a couple of weeks ago and have discovered that visibility is severely limited when raining and wipers are on, especially when lights are reflected on the windshield. we have researched and have found on the internet that others have the same problem....for years before and for the 2017 models. we were driving on interstate highways and local roads. a heavy haze appears on the exterior windshield with every swipe of the wipers . so, the windshield is extremely glary when light hits it, thus visibility is tremendously impaired. we noticed that beading occurred on the windshield as rain fell and changed to haze after each swipe of the wipers. defrost did not help; cleaning windshield did not help.
I very small rock chip hit my windshield initially causing an 8 inch crack and is now over two feet long. the chip did not even leave an impact mark; if you tried right now to see where the crack started you would not be able to. i reviewed forums online and have seen numerous complaints about outback windshields. weak or cheap is how they were often described. this was a very small rock chip that hit my windshield. this amount of damage should not have happened. i agree with the forums; weak and cheap. i see there is even a class action lawsuit against subaru.
Purchased a 2015 outback and experienced 4 cracked windshields in an 18 month period. traded the car in for a 2017 outback hoping they fixed the design flaw. now 6 months after 2017 outback purchase an outrageous crack formed on this new vehicle. all 5 cracks began not further than 2 to 3 inches from the frame. so 5 cracked windshields in a 2 year period from subaru outback. automobiles. the dealership and manufacturer never would acknowledge that there are so many other people experiencing this problem. sometimes the crack would appear spontaneously, sometimes it actually sounded like crackling sounds happening in frame and maybe (?) one time there might have been a small pebble hit the windshield. twice i wasn't even driving the vehicle. impedes vision. distracts driver.
On a bright sunny day it is really difficult to drive as glare from the center infotainment display directly reflects on the eyes, making it hard to see the road. this is a safety issue, the screen should be anti glare. subaru representative replied they could not help it and asked to find after market anti glare screen protectors.
Window cracked but was not hit with anything. crack appeared on the drivers side, halfway down the windshield, and obstructs view of the driver. car has less than 1600 miles on it. dealer stated it was not covered as a defect and we are on own own to replace it. there are numerous complaints of subaru outback windshields cracking because they are to thin. dangerous to drive due to visibility issues.
Our windshield began slowly cracking starting at the base of the driver side front window. it began at the bottom edge (heat strip) and moved half up the windshield before we replaced. cost $569 for oem windshield. subaru dealer denied the warranty claim, while admitting a problem with earlier versions that year's outback.
In april 2017, just 3 months after purchasing my outback new, i was driving along i-10 in louisiana when i heard a loud noise and a crack in windshield appeared. it began to grow and a couple of months later, in june, there was another spontaneous crack in my windshield that appeared. my car was still under warranty but my dealership told me that this was not covered. the cost was over $600 for replacement and calibration of eye sight. we purchased the oem windshield because they told us our eye sight may not work with a generic windshield. it was replaced august of 2017 - car was less than one year old. well, a year later in september of 2018, the spontaneous cracks started appearing again. and now the crack expands across the entire windshield. i am upset at having to change it again because i feel like this will happen over and over again. it is dangerous and effects visibility. subaru should take care of this.
Star crack in windshield discovered stationary (in carport) the day after purchasing the vehicle (odometer reading 200 miles). location of crack slightly above wiper blade on passenger side. impact strike the size of a pinhead. the damage is characteristic of prior model years 2015 and 2016 in which the manufacturer initiated recalls. it is apparent this problem continues and has yet to be resolved.
Tl* the contact owns a 2017 subaru outback. while driving various speeds, there was a glare from outside the vehicle that reflected off the face plate of the navigation system without warning. the failure distracted the contact from driving and hindered her visibility. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the glare failure was confirmed. a buy back for the vehicle was offered; however, the contact declined. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 1,000. updated 04/06/17 lj the consumer stated the buy back offer involved a $5,500 loss. the consumer stated the light was so extreme that it was painful, causing nausea and migraines. updated 09/20/20017*js