10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
29,760 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2017 Subaru Outback:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #120

Oct 072020

Outback

  • 42,000 miles
2017 Subaru Outback limited with eyesite safety cameras/driver assist. Windshield cracked overnight just sitting in my driveway nosed up to the garage. No crack when I left work to head home. Nothing hit windshield on the way home. If you've had a rock or pebble hit you're windshield, believe me, you know it! scares the crap out you. Nothing like that at all happened. Next morning I get in car to head to work and there's a long crack coming up from the very bottom to about eye height and then turns inward toward the center of the glass on the passenger side. There was absolutely nothing around or on the car. There are no kids in the neighborhood either. My garage is about 200' from the street where the car was parked. Small town residential road to a dead end, very, very little traffic. I have a 2011 Subaru Outback with 103K miles, and that has had no issues with cracks in the windshield. Still has its original glass.

- Princeton,, IA, USA

problem #119

Sep 252020

Outback

  • 27,500 miles
Crack in windshield

- West Hills, CA, USA

problem #118

Oct 052020

Outback

  • 33,400 miles
Vehicle was driven on 10/05/2020 and parked with no cracks in windshield, upon returning to vehicle there was a large crack crossing windshield. No rocks or debris have struck vehicles windshield.

- Mebane, NC, USA

problem #117

Aug 142020

Outback

  • miles
The windshield cracked after a collision to a dear. The crack has been progressively getting worse

- Auburn, NE, USA

problem #116

Sep 172020

Outback

  • 75,600 miles
While driving my normal work commute down a straight stretch of road at 47mph'no rocks seen or other cars present'my windshield suddenly cracked 12 inches, for no apparent reason. Last week'in a completely different spot'the windshield got a large chip in it from a tiny pebble flung up by a truck. I just bought this car from Subaru dealership 1 month ago. It seems highly likely that I will he injured from the faulty windshield in an accident, from a rock, or for no apparent reason. Subaru denied there was in issue despite a class action suit in New Jersey, and tons of other complaints. Despite research, I had no idea this was an issue with my model or I would not have purchased.

- Brewer, ME, USA

problem #115

Jun 202020

Outback

  • 43,000 miles
Windshield crack on 2017 Subaru Outback requiring thousands in repair. The repair windshield contains the same defect. There was no indication of a rock or anything hitting the windshield.

- Woodinville, WA, USA

problem #114

Sep 012017

Outback

  • 342 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at 35 mph, the vehicle in front of him had kicked up a rock that hit his passenger windshield. Due to the rock hitting the windshield, a crack formed on the passenger side windshield. Within 3 days, the crack spread throughout the entire windshield. The contact stated that the windshield glass was poorly designed and that the size of the rock that hit his windshield should not have caused that severe of damage. The contact also stated that the crack that formed over the windshield had obstructed his vision while driving. The contact called the manufacturer who directed to a windshield supplier for assistance. The contact had to wait about 4 months to have his windshield replaced. The vehicle had been repaired. The failure mileage was 342.

- Granite Falls, WA, USA

problem #113

Aug 282020

Outback

  • 27,300 miles
8/28/20-while pulling out of my garage, I noticed a reflection of a small pinpoint "chip" in my windshield, about 4 inches from the a pillar. Overnight the "chip" grew into a large horizontal, vertical and then horizontal crack that interferes with the driver's line-of-sight. The windshield had cracked previously on 1/2/20 and was replaced at a Subaru dealership for over $1000. See NHTSA id number 11297463 filed on 1/6/20.. this is the 2nd cracked windshield in less than 9 months!

- Fremont, CA, USA

problem #112

May 122020

Outback

  • 20,000 miles
The windshield just cracked by itself while not moving. I got in the car to start it and heard a crack. It started at the bottom of the windshield behind the trim and went up the windshield about 10 inches. Sense then it has spread.

- Mill Creek, WA, USA

problem #111

Jul 162020

Outback

  • 33,000 miles
I purchased my 2017 Outback brand new from the dealership in 2017 and in the three years of owning it, I have had to replace the windshield 3 times. I have never had a car where the windshield appears to crack for no reason or by the slightest touch of loose gravel. Each time the windshield cracks I have been in motion, on a highway going speeds of about 60mph. The crack will start small and then spread very rapidly within a matter of minutes, thus making it impossible to get the crack filled before it spreads.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #110

Jul 162020

Outback 4-cyl

  • miles
Two chips in the windshield appeared for no apparent reason about ~10 days after purchase of vehicle. Chip # 1 is above the steering wheel and around~ 5 mm size. Chip #2 is in front of passenger seat with a clear crack on the outside and inside of vehicle about the size of ~ 1 cm. There is a concern for these chips to continue cracking and destroying the windshield. No rockfall witnessed/no stones hitting windshield witnessed. See attached pictures. Also noticed a few other little chips that have potential for cracking. Aware of Subaru windshield lawsuit, sadly was unaware of it before purchase of vehicle otherwise would have inspected windshield prior to purchase.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #109

Apr 132018

Outback 4-cyl

  • 14,811 miles
I PURCHASED MY 2017 SUBARU OUTBACK IN MAY 2017. ON OR AROUND 13 APRIL 2018 MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED AS I WAS DRIVING. NOTHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD INSIDE OR OUT. I DID HAVE THE WINDSHIELD DEFROST HEATER ON AND THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS WELL ABOVE FREEZING (SF BAY AREA COLD - WHICH REALLY ISN'T COLD AT ALL). I RESEARCHED AND FOUND OTHERS WITH THE SAME TYPICAL LOW CENTER CRACK WHICH PROGRESSED UP THE GLASS OVER SEVERAL DAYS. THE DEALERSHIP DECLINED MY CLAIM. I INITIATED A CLAIM THROUGH MY OWN INSURANCE. (STATE FARM). I CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA WHO SAID THEY WOULD COMPENSATE ME THE DIFFERENCE AFTER THE REPAIR. I GOT THE WORK DONE AT THE DEALERSHIP AFTER A LENGTHY FIGHT OVER THE PHONE WITH A GROUP SUB CONTRACTED TO HANDLE THE CLAIM FOR STATE FARM. THEY TRIED TO GIVE ME CHEAP (NON-OEM GLASS) I HAD TO FIGHT FOR OEM GLASS, STATING OVER AND OVER THAT I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FOR THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM WHICH THE MANUFACTURER MANDATES OEM GLASS (WHAT A HEADACHE !!!) I GOT THE WORK DONE - FINALLY, WITH OEM GLASS. DONE AT THE DEALERSHIP (BY YET ANOTHER SUB-CONTRACTOR). THE DEALERSHIP THEN RE-CALIBRATED THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM. SOFA REIMBURSED ME THE DIFFERENCE. (SHOUT OUT TO [XXX]WHO LISTENED WITH EMPATHY THEN REIMBURSED MY DEDUCTIBLE - THANK YOU) THE WHOLE AFFAIR WAS A REAL HEADACHE - I WAS TREATED LIKE I WAS NEGLIGENT OR TRYING TO GET OVER. (I AM SUPER TENACIOUS - GOD HELP ANYONE WHO IS LESS SO, OR CANNOT BE PERSUASIVE -PUSHY). AND NOW I AM LEFT WITH A SOUR TASTE AND FINGERS CROSSED THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. I AM NOT CONFIDENT WITH MY VEHICLE ANYMORE. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- San Lorenzo, CA, USA

problem #108

Jun 232020

Outback 6-cyl

  • 33,000 miles
Windshield cracked for no apparent reason. I arrived home and parked my car. The next day when I got in the car I had a huge crack starting at passenger side going toward drivers side.

- Springfield, IL, USA

problem #107

Jun 232020

Outback 4-cyl

  • 45,800 miles
The windshield has cracked for no apparent reason twice in the last year. The first time was in June of 2019. Today I was driving down the interstate, and I noticed a small crack coming from the middle of the bottom and began increasing in size and started curving. The first time it happened in June of 2019, I noticed a small crack just behind my rear view mirror coming downward. Over a few days time, it increased in size, curved and spider webbed. I had that window replaced by a company who replaces windows recommended by the local Subaru dealership where I bought my car. They used a Subaru windshield when they replaced the cracked windshield in June of 2019.

- Columbia, MO, USA

problem #106

Jun 082020

Outback 4-cyl

  • 41,000 miles
There was a crack in the windshield. The windshield was replaced at the Subaru dealership. About 10 days later after the repair, there was another crack in the windshield in the same exact place as the previous one. It appeared randomly overnight for no apparent reason.

- Speedway, IN, USA

problem #105

Jun 012020

Outback

  • 42,000 miles
My windshield has cracked now three times under circumstances that are unclear. Each crack has appeared in the lower center zone of the car and each has reached a diameter greater than 6 inches.

- Middletown, NY, USA

problem #104

Jun 192020

Outback

  • 32,464 miles
Windshield cracked without warning or impact. We woke up to find approximately a 12 inch L shaped crack in the windshield starting below the bottom edge of the windshield.

- Peculiar, MO, USA

problem #103

Jun 162020

Outback 4-cyl

  • 27,327 miles
My wife and I were traveling on I-26 East bound, just North of its intersection with I-95 in SC, when we heard a pop and noticed that the windshield had cracked. It was not a result of any road debris because there were no vehicles in our immediate vicinity.

- Daytona Beach Shores, FL, USA

problem #102

May 282020

Outback 4-cyl

  • 63,000 miles
I have had two brand new Subaru Outbacks. My first was a 2015 and my second is a 2017 Outback. My 2015 had 4 broken windshields in less than 2 years. My 2017 has had 3 broken windshields in 3 years. All together I have had 7 broken windshields in 5 years. Some happen when the car is not in motion and some have happened when the car is in motion. All the breaks begin somewhere around the perimeter of the windshield (up to about 3-4" from the edge. I can't tell what is causing the cracks to happen because there is either no indication of anything striking the windshield or there is a tiny "flick" crack sound as if a speck of sand hit the windshield. I have reported this problem to you before when I owned the 2015 Outback. I see that there are now 2 class action suits pertaining to this. Hope this can be remedied.

- Brenham,, TX, USA

problem #101

Jan 072020

Outback 4-cyl

  • 48,000 miles
Windshield cracked all the way across after being exposed to extreme heat and cold.

- Tumwater, WA, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »