What 891 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Subaru Outback Wilderness

Windshield developed a crack for no apparent reason on the lower passenger side. Car was parked. Only unusual circumstance is that was a hot day.

NHTSA ODI 11537365

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while in the driveway, the vehicle was started and while driving out of the driveway, the windshield cracked without impact. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 38,000.

NHTSA ODI 11536867

The windshield in my 2020 Subaru Outback has cracked spontaneously twice. I had 75K Bumper to Bumper Warranty, which the dealer would not honor the first time the window broke. He said that it was warranted for repair, not replacement. I argued until he gave me a 50% discount. My windshield broke again today. I had just pulled out onto the street and was traveling about 10MPH. No rocks or stone touched the windshield. The sound of the crack startled me. I thought that there had to be an issue. Consequently as I looked online, I have discovered this is a design flaw or something as the problem is widespread. Two cracks in year is not right and it is expensive.

NHTSA ODI 11534230

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while seated in the parked vehicle in the garage with the vehicle turned off, the contact watched as the passenger’s side windshield cracked without impact. The contact stated that the crack extended approximately two feet. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the front windshield had previously been replaced due to the same failure. The failure mileage was 42,000.

NHTSA ODI 11532763

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that two months after purchasing the vehicle new, the windshield cracked upon sustaining a light impact. Additionally, the contact stated that the windshield had also cracked from cold air inside the vehicle and the hot air outside the vehicle. The contact also stated that a tiny crack on the windshield would significantly expand within hours. The contact stated that the windshield had been replaced three times by the dealer, and the repair was covered by the insurance; however, the failure kept recurring. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 35,500.

NHTSA ODI 11530627

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact became aware of a crack on the center of the front windshield. The contact stated that there was no impact to the windshield to cause the crack. The vehicle was not inspected, and the windshield was not replaced. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 47,900.

NHTSA ODI 11530424

I am replacing 3rd windshield since September 2022. This was definitely caused by a rock chip but had been resin repaired. With defroster blowing on a cool morning the windshield cracked across the lower portion. The replacement windshield cracked for no reason other than it was cold during a December night and was replaced in April. That windshield cracked spontaneously while driving in the rain one month after install. A Subaru dealer took photos or I have sent photos to them of all incidents for submission to my Subaru insurance. I have now met the maximum allowed for windshield replacement. All windshields were replaced at an authorized Subaru dealer.

NHTSA ODI 11526652

Over the course of the nearly three years I have owned my vehicle, the windshield has either spontaneously cracked or cracked from a very very small chip three times. Two of these occurred while I was driving, with no debris impact with the vehicle windshield. There have been several suits filed against Subaru for similar cases, including for the 2020 Outback model. This has been three times in about two and a half years, quadruple the amount for my previous vehicle. Not only is this a vision impairment while driving and a financial burden to fix, I also worry about more catastrophic failure should anything significant impact the windshield while driving. I have had the glass repaired twice, and both times the repair technicians could not understand how such a significant crack had occurred.

NHTSA ODI 11523719

While driving on I-26, a small rock made an initially small crack in the windshield. Over time, while still driving, we watched the crack expand larger and larger, spreading with multiple new arms across the entire passenger side of the windshield. After parking at home in the garage and scheduling windshield replacement for the next day, we continued to notice the crack continuing to propagate further into the driver side. The incident happened on 5/21/23 and the windshield was replaced on 5/23/23.

NHTSA ODI 11523454

-The windshield has cracked in the same place for no apparent reason. -The cracked windshield can affect the use of the safety systems built into the windshield. -I'm not sure how this can be "reproduced" as we are talking about a broken windshield although the windshield has been fixed already once and now, the second break has occurred. -Not inspected but replaced once. It is currently broken and can be inspected again if need be. -The first one appeared in August 2022, the second in May 2023

NHTSA ODI 11523317

On May 3, 2023 (~12:30pm local time) I was driving on the highway at approximately 60mph and there was a 'pop' sound. I looked at my windshield and an L-shaped crack appeared from the base of the windshield near the wipers up to half-way on the windshield. There was no damage to the windshield to indicate a rock had hit it or the car in any way. Given the poor quality OEM windshields that Subaru has installed in past models (2015-2016) that also have had this problem, I would like to notify the NHTSA so that Subaru can be notified. When I called my dealer directly, there was not much help on the cause.

NHTSA ODI 11520846

A crack has spontaneously appeared at the base of my windshield after no apparent damage. The crack is spreading across my windshield and will affect my adaptive cruse control and automatic emergency breaking if it interferes with the Subaru eye-sight system at the top of my windshield. I have not taken the vehicle in for service but I did see this was an issue that lead to recalls on previous outback models but not currently a recall for the 2020 Subaru Outback. I do not have any current warning lamps or messages.

NHTSA ODI 11518941

I'm currently on my third windshield for this vehicle. The first windshield was replaced by Subaru due to a random crack that developed on the passenger side and traveled to the driver side. No visible damage caused this to occur. The second windshield was hit by a tiny stone driving down city streets. 3 days later the same type of crack, like the first windshield, developed and moved from from passenger to driver side. We'll see how long this third windshield lasts. I've had numerous cars without this problem. Stone chips were easily repaired without major cracking occurring. There is something very odd about how fragile the windshields on Subaru vehicles are. This is not a cheap replacement due to their driver assist technology. Subaru will not replace this once they see and sign of a stone impact.

NHTSA ODI 11518654

Purchased my 2020 Outback only about two months ago. Just this last week two separate cracks started from the edge of the window on the left and lower sides. Cracks appeared out of nowhere while parked with no contact from rocks or other debris. Over the course of the last few days has spread so much that it obstructs my vision while driving. This is a common problem with this model and is a safety hazard that needs to be recalled/fixed. Have an appointment with my dealer to see if this qualifies as a manufacturer defect. However the fact is this will most likely happen again if it’s the same glass being used.

NHTSA ODI 11517678

While driving in light rain, with no visible strike, a crack appeared on the passenger side windshield; starting below the wiper and extending upwards in an arc towards the center. This is the 3rd time a crack of significance has appeared. Coincidentally, this crack appeared less than 2 weeks after having the windshield replaced by a Subaru dealership.

NHTSA ODI 11517314

The windshield has developed a crack spontaneously and is spreading across the entire windshield. It started near the bottom of the window near the wipers and moving it's way up towards the top and spidered out towards the driver's side now. It continues to grow while I wait for an appointment to get it replaced.

NHTSA ODI 11516268

Windshield spotaneous cracking: Going to work in the morning, absolutely nothing wrong 8:05-8:15am .parked car in parking lot. industrial warehouse. No people traffic, clear weather 30-45 degrees. Then as soon as i get in the car for my break. 11:15-11:30. I notice a very long crack that appears to originate UNDERNEATH the plastic window trim at the base of the windshield. Multiple pictures and videos have been taken. ABSOLUTELY no impacts of anything. I come to discover shortly after researching THERE is a lawsuit on the this outback windshield for random large cracks. NEED recall!

NHTSA ODI 11515661

Cracked windshield, very very small pebble hit the driver corner near the pillar, I heard a little “tick” followed by seeing a massive crack form. The crack has now gone straight across to the middle and is making its way up to obstruct the “eyesight” camera

NHTSA ODI 11515028

Received a couple of rock chips on the windshield while driving on the highway. Two days later, two large cracks appeared (one on the driver’s side, one on the passenger side). Both cracks are longer than six inches.

NHTSA ODI 11510349

On March 2, 2023, I discovered a big crack in my windshield. The crack was not there in the morning. The crack was discovered at 2pm that afternoon. The crack started under the lower windshield trim and part way up windshield on the passenger side. The crack has a raise when you run your fingertip over it. The windshield was not struck by a rock. The crack randomly appeared while sitting in the parking lot at my work.

NHTSA ODI 11509990

On Friday February 10, 2023 I came out of work and saw a 12 inch crack in my front windshield. When I left for work there wasn’t any crack. There is a very small pit in the windshield how or when it happened I do not know. February 11, 2023 the crack is now about 20 inches. I can’t believe how fast it is cracking.

NHTSA ODI 11506861

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, a small pebble impacted the front windshield and caused two small cracks. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11503370

Windshield developed excessive pitting at 16,500 miles with little highway driving. When driving into any light source there are thousands of tiny pits that light up across the entire windshield. Needed to get it replaced because of the distraction.

NHTSA ODI 11503494

A crack appeared on the front windshield. The crack starts at the side of the window. The crack has tripled in size in one day.

NHTSA ODI 11502604

For one, my windshield cracked out of nowhere, I didn’t know that windshields were having issues at the time, so I had to replace it on my own without contacting the dealership. Other issues include the front windows not going up all the way from time to time. The info system crashes and shuts down from time to time too, which leads to the Eyesight to shutdown temporarily too. And from time to time, the hatch buttons lag where I have to push on the buttons multiple times to get it to close

NHTSA ODI 11501528