What 505 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Subaru Outback Wilderness

THE TOUCH SCREEN THAT CONTROLS THE SYSTEM'S RADIO/NAVIGATION IS VERY GLOSSY AND WHILE DRIVING HOME, THE SUN HIT IT AT AN ANGLE AND BLINDED ME. WAS BARELY ABLE TO DRIVE, HAD TO PLACE MY HAND OVER THE 7" SCREEN TO REDUCE THE BRIGHT SUN GLARE WHICH WAS IMPEDING MY VISIBILITY AND MADE IT VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE THE CAR. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AS IT WILL CAUSE ACCIDENTS IF DRIVERS ARE BLINDED BY THE LIGHT THAT BOUNCES BACK.

NHTSA ODI 10692735

NOTE: NO ACCIDENT - REPORTING SAFETY ISSUE!!! INCIDENT DATE = DATE ISSUE IDENTIFIED: AS THE DRIVER, I AM SEEING LIGHT UNDER THE HOOD IN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE EDGE OF THE DASHBOARD AND THE OPENING UNDER THE HOOD. OUTSIDE LIGHT AND ROAD IMAGES ARE VISIBLE THROUGH THE OPENING FOR THE DRIVERS WIPER, DUE TO THE WIDE GAP BETWEEN THE DRIVERS FRONT FENDER AND HOOD. I FOUND THIS SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE WHEN I ADJUSTED MY SEAT TO THE POSITION MOST COMFORTABLE FOR DRIVING. THIS WAS REPORTED TO MY DEALER AND SUBARU. IN ADDITION, I PRESENTED A VIDEO AND PICTURES THAT SHOWS FROM THE DRIVERS SEAT, INSIDE THE VEHICLE, I CAN CLEARLY SEE OUTSIDE LIGHT AND IMAGES WHICH IS DISTRACTING WHEN I DRIVE AND TO ME A SAFETY ISSUE. PLEASE REVIEW VIDEO AND PICTURES LINKS FOR FULL DETAILS: VIDEO: HTTP://YOUTU.BE/6EHUCZNJW2U STANDARD FORMAT VERSION (LOWERCASE ALL CHARACTERS EXPECT FOLLOWING /----CZN--2U) HD PICTURES: HTTPS://DRIVE.GOOGLE.COM/OPEN?ID=0BY5M44GNHDECFLLFADM0VMRNTM9PNS1KBEZIBEJ6EWSYCVJLEXRLSUFVTHNIWUPQRXHKR1K&AUTHUSER=0

NHTSA ODI 10683270

WINDSHIELD DEVELOPED A CRACK WITH NO NOTICEABLE IMPACT FROM DEBRIS. FIRST INCIDENT DECEMBER 1, 2014, WINDSHIELD REPLACED WITH IDENTICAL MODEL BY CARLEX (MINUS THE SUBARU OEM STICKER). THE REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELD HAS EXHIBITED THE SAME SYMPTOMS (DEVELOPED A CRACK WITH NO NOTICEABLE IMPACT) ON JANUARY 15, 2015. THIS SEEMS LIKE A SAFETY ISSUE FOR STRUCTURAL AND VISIBILITY REASONS. BOTH CRACKS BEGAN IN THE WINDSHIELD WIPER HEATER AREA. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10682194

THIS CAR HAS SUFFERED FROM, AS HAVE MANY OTHER 2015 SUBARU OUTBACKS FROM EXCESSIVE WIND NOISE. THE CAR HAS HAD 2 FIXES SO FAR AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. *JS

NHTSA ODI 10681876

NOTICED AN 18 INCH CRACK IN MY 2015 SUBARU OUTBACK WINDSHIELD STARTING AT THE TOP UNDER THE HEATING ELEMENT TWO MONTHS AGO. WAS NOT HIT BY A ROCK AND NO IMPACT SPOT FOUND. HAD THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED THREE WEEKS AGO. WHILE DRIVING YESTERDAY, HEARD A CRACKING SOUND AND NOTICED A 12 INCH CRACK APPEAR IN THE LOWER LEFT (AGAIN, STARTING WHERE THE HEATING ELEMENT IS AND AGAIN, NO ROCK SOUND OR IMPACT SPOT). MY SISTER HAS THE EXACT SAME CAR WITH A CRACK IN THE *EXACT* SAME SPOT THAT DEVELOPED LAST WEEK OUT OF THE BLUE (I HAVE PHOTOS OF BOTH OF OUR CRACKS FOR COMPARISON). FROM DOING RESEARCH, IT SEEMS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SUBARU WINDSHIELDS (WWW.SUBARUOUTBACK.ORG HAS SEVERAL FORUM THREADS DETAILING SIMILAR REPORTS). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10680025

THIS CAR HAS A SCREEN IN THE DASHBOARD THAT CONTROLS THE STEREO, PHONE, AND OTHER FUNCTIONS. IT HAS A VERY REFLECTIVE GLASSY FINISH. THE SCREEN IS NOT SURROUNDED BY A HOOD OF ANY SORT AND IT IS TITLED AT ABOUT A 50-DEGREE ANGLE. ON OTHER OCCASIONS, I HAVE NOTICED THAT THIS SCREEN REFLECTS A LOT OF SUNLIGHT, BUT IT WAS MORE OF AN ANNOYANCE THAN ANYTHING. ON THIS OCCASION, I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AT ABOUT 1:30 IN THE AFTERNOON, GOING EAST ON A HIGHWAY. THE DASHBOARD SCREEN WAS REFLECTING THE SUN INTO MY EYES SO DIRECTLY THAT IT WAS PAINFUL. IT WAS ALSO DISTRACTING. THE LIGHT WAS SO BRIGHT AND SO CONSISTENT THAT I HAD TO DRIVE WHILE HOLDING MY RIGHT HAND IN FRONT OF THE SCREEN TO BLOCK THE LIGHT. I HAD TO DRIVE THAT WAY FOR PROBABLY HALF AN HOUR. I DID NOT HAVE ANY SORT OF "ACCIDENT." HOWEVER, I CAN FORESEE THAT UNDER THE WRONG CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CAR COULD BLIND OR DISTRACT A DRIVER FROM SEEING OTHER TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC SIGNALS, ETC. AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. IT COULD ALSO CAUSE SOMEONE TO KEEP ONE HAND OFF THE WHEEL AND MAYBE CAUSE AN ACCIDENT THAT WAY. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THIS CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CAR SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10663557

BLINDING DASHBOARD GLARE AT CERTAIN AUTOMOBILE/SUN ANGLES. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10661002

THERE IS A GLOSS FINISHED PLASTIC TOUCH PAD KIND OF COVER THAT COVERS THE ENTIRE NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THIS IS APPROXIMATELY 6"X8". IT IS NOT ONLY THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM, BUT THE RADIO, FUEL INFORMATION, ETC. IT IS SLANTED AS PART OF THE FRONT DASHBOARD, AND WHEN THE SUN HITS IT, IT BOUNCES DIRECTLY INTO THE DRIVERS EYES. THIS NAVIGATION SYSTEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECESSED INTO THE DASH, OR AT A MINIMUM, A MATTE FINISH INSTEAD OF A GLASSY FINISH ON THE PLASTIC. IT IS DEFINITELY A HAZARD TO THE DRIVER, AS IT IS BLINDING. IF YOU ARE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY, WITH THE SUN AT AN ANGLE, THE REFLECTION OF LIGHT IN YOUR EYES IS AS BLINDING AS SOMEONE HOLDING A FLASHLIGHT STEADILY INTO YOUR EYES. I HAVE PICTURES THAT I TOOK OF THE SCREEN. IT MUST BE RECALLED SOON, WITH EITHER SOME TYPE OF REPLACEMENT COVER THAT IS A MATTE FINISH, OR AN ATTACHMENT THAT GOES AROUND THE SCREEN SO IT WOULD APPEAR RECESSED. I PAID THOUSANDS EXTRA FOR NAVIGATION, AND NOT ONLY IS IT BLINDING, BUT I CANNOT EVEN SEE THE NAVIGATION SCREEN ANYWAY. BEFORE I CAUSE AN ACCIDENT THAT INJURES MYSELF OR OTHERS, OR SOMEONE ELSE DOES, PLEASE CONSIDER RECALLING THIS. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THE PHOTOGRAPHS TO SHOW THE REFLECTION. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10638384