2020 Subaru Legacy 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
I have had two spontaneous window cracks within 6 to 9 months apart. I had a full windshield replacement and the windshield has just cracked again. The second incident, the vehicle was parked overnight so it wasn't caused by a rock or from following a car.
This past Sunday evening, I drove to the convenience store 4 blocks away. As I returned, I noticed a crack in the windshield starting in the middle from the left edge and was about 12 inches long. No gravel marks were found, it had cracked for no apparent reason. Sitting the next night in the garage, the crack increased about 6 more inches by the next morning. Filed claim with my insurance and was subsequently replaced by Safelite here in Knoxville Tn. This cost me $100 out of pocket and no telling how much my insurance had paid. I just found the class action today.
2020 Subaru Legacy Touring XT - Windshield cracked for no apparent reason. No stone or rock chips visible. Had same issue on previously owned 2015 Subaru Legacy. The crack starts at the base of the passenger side where heat strips are located to keep the wiper blades from freezing. The cracked windshield may cause the Subaru EyeSight safety system to malfunction, putting all passengers at risk for a potential accident. I had it inspected at a Subaru dealership. The service technician confirmed that this was a know problem. He suggested I call Subaru of America for assistance. I'm still within the 3 year warranty period but windshields are not covered. He said Subaru dealerships do not repair windshields. They will engage a 3rd party repair shop if needed. My vehicle is included in a pending class action lawsuit against Subaru for this issue. Safelite Autoglass estimated my windshield replacement at $1,035.00 (without insurance).
Windshield cracked for no apparent reason. May cause the Subaru EyeSight safety system to malfunction. Crack started at the bottom of passenger side windshield where the heat strips are located for wiper blades not to freeze.
Front Windshield has broken last year without any sign of impact. This year front windshield has broken after very light impact. Front windshield is very weak and is not reliable even after replacement.
A crack appeared in the windshield overnight while parked in the driveway with no sign of impact or other causes. This seems to be an ongoing problem with Subaru since they changed to acoustic glass for their windshields.
A very small chip in the windshield has now turned into a large crack. The chip is 1-2mm in depth. I have never seen such a small chip turn into a crack like this.
For the second time in 2 months my windshield spontaneously cracked while the car was parked.
Front windshield cracked and there was no apparent ding from rock. Crack came from side and spread quickly. I had it replaced by Subaru and 4 months later it happened again. The crack again came from the side with no reason. Two replacements out of my own pocket. My 2020 Legacy windshield must be defective
The windshield developed a crack that started at the right A Pillar center of glass and is about 18" long. There are no visible "impact" points from anything hitting the glass. There is no "star" either. I did not hear anything hit the glass. The fissure just appeared one day.
This is the 2nd time my windshield cracked for no apparent reason
This is in regard to the thin and fragile windshield subaru has decided to put into their vehicles of which there are already several civilian class action lawsuits which should have already warranted an investigation into the glass. In my particular case, the windshield is so soft whenever the slightest rock hits it, big chips come out of it. The vehicle has 5,100 miles on it and has a windshield that is worse than my 2007 subaru with 95,000 miles. Yesterday a small pebble struck the lower right corner of my windshield initially putting a chip that then cracked sitting in the garage overnight. In all my years I have had other strikes happen such as a huge rock falling off of a gravel truck (I have this on dash cam video) striking my windshield with minimal damage. Anything that touches this new 2020 subaru windshield results in a chip and or a crack compromising the rigidity of the structure, impairing visibility, and thus jeopardizing the safety of the driver. I do not feel safe driving this vehicle as I feel if a large enough rock would ever strike the windshield that it would result in catastrophic failure.
THE FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW SUDDENLY DEVELOPED A LARGE CRACK AFTER LOWERING AND RAISING THE WINDOW WHILE THE CAR WAS STATIONARY. FOUR MONTHS EARLIER THE FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR NO REASON. A SEPARATE INCIDENT WAS CREATED FOR THE WINDSHIELD.
The windshield just made a popping noise and cracked while driving.
ON 2/19/2021 UPON RETRIEVING MY CAR FROM AN INDOOR PARKING STRUCTURE I NOTICED A CRACK IN MY WINDSHIELD. I THOROUGHLY INSPECTED THE WINDSHIELD AND REALIZED THERE WAS NO POINT OF IMPACT. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND DISCOVERED THERE ARE OTHER SUBARU OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. THROUGH THIS RESEARCH I HAVE DISCOVERED USING THE WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER MAY BE THE CAUSE OF THE CRACK WHICH, WAS ALSO MENTIONED TO ME BY STAFF AT THE SUBARU SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR ON 3/8/2021. ATTACHED ARE THE DOCUMENTS/PHOTO I HAVE AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT. THANK YOU.
I have needed to replace the windshield twice in the last month. A tiny chip starts running quickly. The glass company said that the windshield felt soft and should not have run a his touch.
April 29, 2021 I went to drive my car and found my windshield cracked. I didn't hear anything hit the windshield the night before, but there was a 4 inch crack in the windshield when I went to drive to work. It continued to crack until I could get it replaced which ended up being about 10-12 inches a week later when I could finally get it replaced.
Windshield cracked for no reason while driving. Nothing hit the windshield. Car was slowly turning with no other car in front of it. There was a loud pop sound and the windshield was cracked on the driver side. Called dealership, and they said a self cracking windshield is not covered under warranty. Only 18,000 miles on the car. Will have to go through insurance until this is finally a recall.
WINDSHIELD RANDOMLY CRACKED WITH UNKNOWN REASON. VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN GARAGE.
GOT IN CAR THIS MORNING TO FIND A LARGE CRACK (OVER 12') ON MY WINDSHIELD. I HAD DRIVEN IT THE PREVIOUS DAY AND DID NOT SEE ANYTHING NOT EVEN A CHIP ON THE WINDSHIELD. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED OR WHY A 12' CRACK SUDDENLY APPEARED ON THE WINDSHIELD.
WHILE DRIVING, THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED ON THE LEFT SIDE - DRIVER SIDE, AND IT IMMEDIATELY RAN THE LENGTH OF HALF THE WINDSHIELD RIGHT IN THE DRIVER'S VIEW, AND IT IS CRACKING ALL OVER IN A CRAZY WAY. I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD.
JUST THREE MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING A NEW 2020 SUBARU LEGACY, THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED. DUE TO COVID LOCKDOWNS I HAD BARELY DRIVEN IT (BETWEEN MARCH 2020 AND JUNE 2020). MY SUBARU DEALER CLAIMED IT WAS A ROCK HIT BUT I HAD NO SUCH INCIDENT HAPPEN IN THE 1000 TOTAL MILES I HAD DRIVEN THE CAR. IN FACT, IT CRACKED WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT AT 20 MPH DOWN A SUBURBAN STREET WITH NO OTHER TRAFFIC. I HAVE BECOME AWARE OF CLASS-ACTION LEGAL FILINGS AROUND THIS ISSUE AND AM WONDERING IF MY SITUATION IS SIMILAR TO MANY OTHER SUBARU OWNERS. I WENT AHEAD AND FILED WITH INSURANCE AND PAID A $500 DEDUCTIBLE TO GET IT REPAIRED.
WINDSHIELD CRACK APPEARED WHILE CAR WAS PARKED INSIDE GARAGE OVERNIGHT
I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE NEW IN JULY 2020. TOWARD THE END OF SEPTEMBER 2020, AFTER A COLD NIGHT, I CAME OUT TO NOTICE MY CAR PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY HAD A 1 FOOT LONG CRACK IN WINDSHIELD. THERE WAS NO SIGNS OF A CHIP OR DAMAGE BEFORE THE CRACK SHOWED UP. THE CRACK JUST FORMED ON THE VERY EDGE OF THE WINDOW ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND SPREAD TOWARDS THE MIDDLE. I HAD IT REPLACED BY THE SUBARU DEALER ON 10/02/2020. NOW ON 3/15/2021, I JUST HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN WITH THE REPLACEMENT WINDOW, EXCEPT THIS TIME IT STARTED ON THE EDGE OF THE WINDOW ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. NO CHIPS OR DAMAGE ARE EVIDENT OTHER THAN THE CRACK. THERE SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE OEM WINDSHIELDS TO CAUSE THEM TO CRACK VERY EASILY. THIS IS THE FIRST CAR IN MY 15+ YEARS OF DRIVING THAT I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE A WINDOW ON, AND IM ON MY 2ND REPLACEMENT IN UNDER A YEAR OF OWNING THIS VEHICLE.
THE WINDSHIELD FORMED A SPONTANEOUS CRACK. THE WEATHER WAS BELOW FREEZING OVER NIGHT AND WHEN THE CAR, WHICH WAS PARKED IN A RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY, WAS CHECKED AT 8:00AM THE NEXT MORNING AN 6 INCH CRACK ORIGINATING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD FRAME/POST WAS IN THE WINDOW. THERE WAS NO DEBRIS ON THE VEHICLE TO HAVE CAUSED IT.
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Quick Summary
The 2020 Subaru Legacy has 50 VISIBILITY/WIPER complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.