Home · 2017 Subaru Outback Wilderness · Complaints

What 917 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Subaru Outback Wilderness

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (917)Crash / fire / injury (37)Electrical system (391)Visibility & wipers (233)Transmission & drivetrain (47)Engine (43)Speed control (28)Body & structure (26)Brakes (24)Driver assistance (23)Steering (23)Airbags (16)

233 of 917 complaints match · Visibility & wipers · clear filters · page 4 of 10

Jan 8, 2021Visibility & wipers

I GOT IN MY PARKED CAR AND NOTICED A "T" SHAPED CRACK RIGHT IN THE CENTER.

NHTSA ODI 11387230

Jan 7, 2021Visibility & wipers

WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE LOWER LEFT UP TO THE RIGHT. NO KNOWN IMPACT. DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THERE WAS AN IMPACT FROM THE OUTSIDE.

NHTSA ODI 11387012

Jan 5, 2021Body & structureVisibility & wipers

WINDSHIELD IS CRACKING WITHOUT ANY CAUSE. IT CRACKED NEAR THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER WHILE IT WAS SITTING IN A PARKING GARAGE UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. I HAD THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED TODAY, WEATHER WAS PERFECT (SUNNY, 65 DEGREES F), AND IT CRACKED AGAIN, WHILE PARKED, ONLY HOURS AFTER THE REPLACEMENT IN ALMOST THE SAME SPOT..

NHTSA ODI 11386725

Jan 4, 2021Visibility & wipers

THERE WAS A HOT DAY AND MY CAR WAS EXPOSED TO THE SUN ON THE PARKING SPOT. WHEN I LEFT MY CAR THERE WAS NO ANY CRACK. WHEN I CAME BACK I FOUND THE CRACK ON THE WINDSHIELD

NHTSA ODI 11386447

Jan 4, 2021Visibility & wipers

WAS DRIVING AND HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THEN NOTICED A CHIP IN MY WINDSHIELD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE

NHTSA ODI 11386472

Jan 2, 2021Visibility & wipers

WINDSHIELD HAS A CRACK IN IT ON LOWER PART PF DRIVERS SIDE OUT OF NOWHERE

NHTSA ODI 11386163

Dec 22, 2020Visibility & wipers

WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR NO UNDERLYING REASON. NO OBJECTS HIT IT; NOR EXTREME TEMPS.

NHTSA ODI 11384528

Dec 21, 2020Visibility & wipers

WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE WITH NO VEHICLE NEAR ME AT THE TIME, TALKED TO DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM NEW, THEY SAID NO RECALLS FOR BAD WINDSHIELD SO I WAS ON MY OWN TO REPLACE.

NHTSA ODI 11384479

Dec 15, 2020Visibility & wipers

HAD TO REPLACE WINDSHIELD IN MY WIFE'S 2017 OUTBACK 2 TIMES. BOTH TIMES THE SAME SITUATION: SMALL PEBBLE CHIPS WINDOW AND A LONG AND EVENTUALLY GROWING CRACK EXTENDS ACROSS WINDOW.

NHTSA ODI 11383519

Dec 10, 2020Visibility & wipers

THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED UNEXPECTEDLY YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION.

NHTSA ODI 11382872

Dec 10, 2020Visibility & wipersDriver assistance

VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A HIGHWAY WHEN THE DRIVER HEARD THE WINDSHIELD CRACK. DRIVER NEVER SAW ANY ITEM STRIKE THE WINDSHIELD. BECAUSE EYESIGHT SENSORS HAVE TO BE RECALIBRATED AFTER A WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT, THIS INCIDENT COST ALMOST $1000 TO REPAIR.

NHTSA ODI 11382942

Dec 7, 2020Visibility & wipers

FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITHOUT IMPACT FROM ROAD DEBRIS. CAR WAS TRAVELING AT 55 MPH ON A RURAL ROAD. WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED ON 9/16/20 BY SAFELITE AUTO. AMERICAN FAMILY INSURANCE PROVIDED PARTIAL COVERAGE.

NHTSA ODI 11378256

Dec 7, 2020Visibility & wipers

WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED THREE TIMES IN FOUR YEARS, REQUIRING REPLACEMENT EACH TIME. THE FIRST TWO TIMES STARTED WITH A SMALL ROCK CHIP ON THE DRIVERS SIDE THAT SPREAD ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD WITHIN A FEW DAYS. THE LATEST ONE CRACKED FROM DRIVERS SIDE ROOF DOWNWARD WITH NOT APPARENT DAMAGE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING IDLE IN THE GARAGE. IN 35 YEARS OF DRIVING, I HAVE ONLY REPLACED A FEW WINDSHIELDS DUE TO CRACKS CAUSED BY LARGE STONES HITTING THE WINDSHIELD ON THE HIGHWAY. I VIEW THE CRACKING WINDSHIELD ON THE SUBARU AS VERY UNUSUAL.

NHTSA ODI 11378283

Dec 7, 2020Visibility & wipers

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, WITHOUT WARNING OR IMPACT, THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE WINDSHIELD WAS INSPECTED AND REPLACED. NEITHER THE MANUFACTURER NOR AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WERE CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000.

NHTSA ODI 11378348

Dec 6, 2020Visibility & wipersDriver assistance

MY VEHICLE DEVELOPED A CRACK THAT HAS TRANSVERSED THE ENTIRETY OF THE WINDSHIELD, NECESSITATING ITS REPLACEMENT. THE CRACK BEGAN ON THE LOWER LEFT (DRIVER'S) SIDE AND MOVED ACROSS TO THE RIGHT (PASSENGER'S) SIDE BEFORE CURVING BACK AND UPWARD TOWARD THE LOCATION OF THE REARVIEW MIRROR. THIS HAS OBSCURED THE EYE SIGHT CAMERAS AND IMPAIRED THE SAFETY MECHANISMS IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN THE CRACK BEGAN WITH NO PRECIPITATING DAMAGE OBSERVED TO THE WINDSHIELD. THE CRACK CONTINUED TO GROW OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL DAYS. ~`````````````

NHTSA ODI 11378126

Dec 3, 2020Visibility & wipers

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55-60 MPH, THE DRIVER HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND NOTICED THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD HAD CRACKED WITHOUT IMPACT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BYERS DUBLIN SUBARU (2455 BILLINGSLEY RD, COLUMBUS, OH 43235, (614) 792-2455) AND INSPECTED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT A ROCK HAD STRUCK THE WINDSHIELD CAUSING THE CRACK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.

NHTSA ODI 11377769

Dec 3, 2020Visibility & wipers

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY THAT WASN'T VERY BUSY (AROUND 12:30 PM) AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEAR A SLIGHT CRACK NOISE. I LOOK AROUND AND I SEE A CRACK APPEARED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY WINDSHIELD. WHILE DRIVING, IT WAS GROWING LONGER. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW OR WHERE IT CAME FROM BUT I AM SCARED THAT IT IS GOING TO GET LARGER AS THE DAY AND WEEK CONTINUES. NO DEBRIS NOR LARGE DUMP TRUCK WAS NEAR ME. THIS CRACK HAPPENED TOO EASILY AND HAS ME QUESTIONABLE ABOUT MY WINDSHEILD. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW SOMETHING SO LITTLE IS TURNING INTO SOMETHING SO LARGE AND CAN POTENTIALLY BECOME DANGEROUS.

NHTSA ODI 11377817

Nov 28, 2020Visibility & wipers

AS I WAS DRIVING ON A 2 LANE ROAD A TINY PEDDLE OFF A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME HIT THE WINDSHIELD CREATING A VERY SUBTLE CRACK. THE NEXT MORNING THERE WAS A HUGE CRACK ALONG THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD AFFECTING DRIVER VISIBILITY. I CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE PICTURES BECAUSE IT HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED BY THE SUBARU DEALER. THE TOTAL COST WAS OVER $1,000 TO REPLACE. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS VEHICLE COMPLAINT WEBSITE AT THE TIME.

NHTSA ODI 11376786

Nov 28, 2020Visibility & wipers

THE WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED WITH NO CHIPS VISIBLE.

NHTSA ODI 11376800

Nov 28, 2020Visibility & wipersDriver assistanceLane Departure

PASSENGER SIDE ON WINDSHIELD GOT CRACKS ABOUT 2 FEETS WHEN WE ARE DRIVING ON I5 NEAR SACRAMENTO CITY 6/26/2020 DRIVING TOWARD LA

NHTSA ODI 11376809

Nov 28, 2020Visibility & wipersDriver assistance

I HAD A CRACK REPAIRED, IT ISN'T GOOD THOUGH.

NHTSA ODI 11376817

Nov 28, 2020Visibility & wipers

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY A PEBBLE HIT THE WINDSHIELD MONTHS BEFORE SEPTEMBER. THERE WAS A CHIP BUT NO CRACKS, COME SEPTEMBER THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM THE SPOT WHERE THE PEBBLE HIT. PICTURES ARE SHOWN BELOW. THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME WAS ONLY 4-5 MONTHS OLD AND IN SEPTEMBER 8 MONTHS OLD WHEN THE CRACKING STARTED. I HAD THE WINDSHIELD CHANGED THROUGH MY INSURANCE AND SATELLITE. THE WINDSHIELD HAS HAD PEBBLES HIT IT WHILE I HAVE BEEN DRIVING AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO CRACKS OR CHIPS.

NHTSA ODI 11376832

Nov 28, 2020Visibility & wipers

THE REAR VIEW MIRROR FELL OFF BECAUSE THE GLASS SEPARATED WHERE THE MIRROR ATTACHES TO THE WINDSHIELD.

NHTSA ODI 11376908

Nov 27, 2020Visibility & wipers

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, HE HEARD A SMALL POPPING SOUND. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN HORIZONTAL CRACK ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT OVER SEVERAL HOURS, THE CRACK EXPANDED ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD TOWARD THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SAFELIGHT AUTO-GLASS REPAIR AND THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPAIRED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,500.

NHTSA ODI 11376530

Nov 27, 2020Visibility & wipers

WINDSHIELD CRACKS AND PITS VERY EASY AND LOOKS LIKE IT WILL CRACK WITHOUT MUCH FORCE

NHTSA ODI 11376545

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Working with the data? Download all 917 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2017 Subaru Outback Wilderness verdict →