2018 Subaru Impreza VISIBILITY/WIPER
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
While parked at a roadside rest for the night I heard a sound similar to cracking but didn’t think anything of it. The next day when the sun came up I noticed the windshield was cracking and had a few chips in it. The chips were not the cause of the cracking and came along the cracks but we’re not centrally located to the cracks meaning they were caused by the windshield cracking. The night before the defrost was on cold because it had been raining and it was warm outside. I immediately took photos. I have been unable to repair the windshield considering it costs over 1000.00 and my insurance doesn’t cover defects in the quality of parts used on the vehicle.
The windshield on my 2018 Impreza car cracked on the lower left drivers side. The crack was unexpected and was not triggered by anything. It arrived out of no where. There is no chip or indentation. Crack is about the length of 2 dollar bills. I feel this is a manufacturing defect and should be paid for by Subaru. This is absolutely faulty craftsmanship and I am extremely disappointed with the durability considering I take excellent care of my vehicle and have had it for less than 1 year! Not to mention, I do not even want to think about the lack of protection this windshield would have provided me if I were ever been in an accident. As a mother, I prefer to drive a vehicle that is safe with my 2 year old daughter in the back seat. I read that there is an ongoing lawsuit with Subaru concerning 2017-2019 vehicles with windshield defects. I am not the only individual experiencing this. Not to mention, this is not an expense I was prepared for and shouldn’t have to be, if Subaru would make a windshield that was not faulty and safe for its consumers! Subaru needs to make this right and be considerate of its consumers.
Windshield cracked for not apparent reason. Parked car, places visor up, came back to car, took visor down and immediately noticed the crack. I do not remember any rocks hitting the windshield at that spot and I did not notice it at all until this morning when returning to my car. Very unusual.
Rear view mirror fell off while driving. There was no impact or otherwise cause for this to fall off. The mirror took a chunk of glass from the front windshield with it. Very dangerous.
WINDSHIELD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED TWICE IN A SINGLE MONTH DUE TO THE FORMATION OF LARGE CRACKS DURING NORMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA. BOTH WINDSHIELDS WERE SUBARU OEM INSTALLED AT CERTIFIED SUBARU DEALERSHIPS. THE WINDSHIELD ALSO APPEARED TO HAVE AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF CHIPS CONSIDERING ITS AGE AND THE DRIVING CONDITIONS IT EXPERIENCED (PAVED HIGHWAYS)
The windshield is cracked for the 3rd time without anything hitting it. The past 2 times i have taken it to the Dealer for repair and made them aware of it. I have receipts in my possession showing the cost of replacement from my previous 2 windshields i have replaced from the dealership. Currently the windshield cracked yesterday while it was parked on 6/6/21. No damage to the vehicle was noticed prior to this time. This will be the 3rd windshield i will have to replace at my own cost. I am worried about my safety after the fact the windshield has cracked 3 times and wonder if it's going to happen while I am driving. There was no prior warning for each time it has cracked.
I have had 3 windshields crack (all in the Winter months) for no reason with this Impreza. On December 4 2021, I turned on the car and while still in park, a 5" crack started growing from the bottom of the front windshield upward. The crack was not there when I started the car and during the day it grew to 8". This repair costs $1000 each time and from what I have read, Subaru is aware that this is not an isolated incident with these windshields. I complain each time that the windshields are defective and that vehicles I have that are 10 years old have not had a windshield crack or be relaced. Even a Subaru employee joked I should trade before getting another cracked windshield this Winter. I should have heeded that advice.
IN 2019, I EXPERIENCED 2 INCIDENTS RELATED TO THE GLASS IN THIS VEHICLE. IN THE FIRST INCIDENT, I NOTICED A CHIP IN THE FRONT WINDSHIELD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THIS WAS PATCHED BY A GLASS REPAIR SERVICE. IN THE 2ND INCIDENT, I NOTICED A CHIP IN THE GLASS OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW. THIS REQUIRED REPLACING THE ENTIRE GLASS PANE, ALSO DONE BY A GLASS REPAIR SERVICE. IN BOTH OF THESE INSTANCES, THERE WAS NOT A DEFINITE EVENT I COULD IDENTIFY AS THE CAUSE OF THE DAMAGE.
Front windshield cracked for no reason.
ON DECEMBER 13, WHILE MY CAR WAS PARKED AT MY HOUSE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED. IT STARTED AT THE TOP CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD AND HAS GROWN SINCE. THERE IS NO IMPACT POINT OR REASON FOR THE CRACK.
THE FRONT WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED
WINDSHIELD CRACKED UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. CAR ONLY HAS 35K MILES ON IT.
ON THE MORNING OF FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13 2020, WE FOUND THE WINDSHIELD OF THE 2018 IMPREZA TO HAVE CRACKED OVERNIGHT WITHOUT ANY SIGN OF IMPACTS. THE CRACK ORIGINATED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE NEAR THE BOTTOM WHERE THE WIPER BLADE LOCATES, BUT HAS SPREAD QUICKLY IN LESS THAN 2 WEEKS ' NOW REACHING ACROSS TO THE DRIVER SIDE, AS SHOWN BY THE PHOTOS. WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND REQUESTED A WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT UNDER WARRANTY. WE ARE AWAITING FOR A RESOLUTION.
WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. PARKED AT WORK IN MORNING, WHEN I RETURNED IN THE AFTERNOON ABOUT A 12 INCH CRACK ACROSS PASSENGER SIDE OF WINDSHIELD. NO CHIPS OR CRACKS WERE THERE BEFORE.
DAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD WAS NOTICED THE MORNING OF JULY 12,2020 WHILE THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED OVERNIGHT FROM 6PM TO 8AM AT A RESIDENTIAL PARKING LOT. THE DAMAGE APPEARED IN A SMALL "U" SHAPE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND QUICKLY INCREASED IN SIZE WITHIN TWO WEEKS.
WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED WHILE STATIONARY IN A DRIVEWAY
I GOT IN MY CAR IN THE MORNING AND FIRST NOTICED A SMALL CRACK IN MY WINDSHIELD. NOTHING HAD HIT THE WINDSHIELD WHEN I WAS DRIVING THE DAY BEFORE TO CAUSE THE CRACK. SINCE THEN IT CONTINUES TO SPIDER WEB AND IMPAIR MY VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING.
I TURNED ON MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS WITH FLUID AND MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITHIN 5 SECONDS. I HAD JUST PULLED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, SPEEDS WHERE AT 0-5 MPH ON RESIDENTIAL STREET, NO TREES OVERHEAD, CLEAR SKIES, TEMPERATURE AT 95 DEGREES, THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED OUTSIDE UNDER NO TREES OR BRANCHES AT ALL TIMES. THERE IS NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THAT AREA, OR ANY OTHER AREA, OF MY WINDSHIELD THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSE THIS. THE CRACK STARTED FROM THE TOP MIDDLE, CAME DOWN PAST THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AND SPLIT OFF INTO MULTIPLE OTHER CRACKS. AT NO POINT IN THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS DID I EVER GETTING HIT ON THE WINDSHIELD THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED UNSEEN DAMAGE OR WEAKENED THE WINDSHIELD.
WINDSHIELD CRACKING WITH ONLY LIGHT IMPACT. HAVE SEVERAL CRACKS FROM THESE IMPACTS. DID NOT HEAR IMPACT, NOTICED CRACK AFTER BEING IN SUN FOR A FEW HOURS. HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH A WEAK WINDSHIELD.
WITH THE CALL BEING LESS THAN 2-MONTHS OLD AND UNDER 2K MI. THE WINDSCREEN WAS STRUCK WITH A SMALL ROCK JUST BELOW THE DRIVERS WIPER BLADE. I WAS PROCEEDING FROM A FULL STOP AND THE OPPOSING CAR WAS STOPPING AT AN INTERSECTION, SPEED WAS UNDER 25-MPH. THE WINDSCREEN CRACKED OVER 12-IN. FROM A VERY LOW VELOCITY IMPACT. I NOW HAVE TO PAY $500 OUT OF POCKET TO REPLACE THE GLASS (AFTERMARKET, OEM IS OVER $800) TO PASS STATE INSPECTION. THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM AS WITH OTHER SUBARUS WITH INFERIOR WINDSCREENS CRACKING.
I ENTERED MY CAR IN MY DRIVEWAY AT A RURAL HOME TO SEE THAT MY WINDSHIELD HAD A HAIRLINE CRACK STARTING AT THE TOP BY THE REARVIEW MIRROR AND CURVING TO THE LEFT (LOOKING AT THE CAR). THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN IN THE PAST TWO DAYS. THE LAST TIME THE CAR WAS DRIVEN, THERE WAS NO CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD. THE CRACK IS NOT FROM A VEHICLE ACCIDENT. IT IS POSSIBLE IT IS FROM ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, BUT THERE IS NO ENTRY POINT OF A FOREIGN OBJECT. *TR
FRONT WINDSHIELD IS CRACKED FOR NO REASON. INSURANCE COMPANY WONT COVER IT
2 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING BRAND NEW VEHICLE, THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED AFTER A SMALL PEBBLE HIT THE WINDSHIELD WHILE DRIVING.
THE WINDSHIELD OF MY BRAND-NEW SUBARU IMPREZA *SPONTANEOUSLY* DEVELOPED A CRACK. IMPLICITLY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY A FACTORY DEFECT, THE DEALER INSTALLED A NEW WINDSHIELD. UNFORTUNATELY, THE REPLACEMENT DEVELOPED A CRACK, TOO. THE DEALER ARGUED THAT IT WAS PROBABLY HIT BY SOME OBJECT WHEN, IN FACT, IT WAS NOT.
OEM WINDSHIELD CHIPS WITH NO CAUSE. AT 10,000 MILES WINDOW IS COVERED IN CHIPS EVERYWHERE. DEALER ADMITTED CHIPS/CRACKS ARE A KNOWN ISSUE WITH ALL NEW MODELS BUT NOT A WARRANTY OR RECALL CLAIM.
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Quick Summary
The 2018 Subaru Impreza has 28 VISIBILITY/WIPER complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.