2015 Subaru Outback UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED IN THE BOTTOM CORNER OF THE PASSENGER SIDE, MERELY AS A RESULT OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER RETRACTING ONTO IT WHILE BEING WASHED. (I HAVE NEVER IN MY 30+ YEARS OF DRIVING CARS HAD A WINDSHIELD CRACK FROM THE IMPACT OF A WINDSHIELD WIPER RETRACTING ONTO IT!!!) THE CRACK HAS SINCE SPREAD ALMOST TO THE DRIVER SIDE. BASED ON MY OWN RESEARCH AND INVESTIGATION, I BELIEVE THE BUILT IN WINDSHIELD DE-ICER UNIT COMPROMISES THE INTEGRITY OF THE WINDSHIELD GLASS. IN THE EVENT AN ACCIDENT WERE TO OCCUR, THE WINDSHIELD COULD VERY WELL SHATTER AND CAUSE BODILY INJURY. A SUBARU OF AMERICA REPRESENTATIVE CONFIRMED VIA EMAIL THAT "IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS WE HAVE SEEN A HIGHER DEMAND FOR WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT THAN WE USUALLY SEE. OUR PARTS DEPARTMENT IS WORKING HARD WITH RETAILERS AND SUPPLIERS AVAILABILITY....WE HAVE ALSO UPDATED OUR PRODUCTION PROCESS TO IMPROVE THE DURABILITY OF OUR WINDSHIELDS." CLEARLY, THE SUBARU OUTBACK 2015 WINDSHIELDS HAVE A DEFECT, AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THEM TO BE REPLACED AT NO COST TO THE OWNER BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED NEXT WEEK. ONLY TIME WILL WILL TELL HOW LONG THIS WILL TAKE AND HOW MUCH IT IS GOING TO COST. IN FAIRNESS, THE SUBARU OF AMERICA REP HAS ASKED ME TO SEND A COPY OF THE REPLACEMENT RECEIPT TO SEE IF THEY CAN HELP WITH THE COST. CONSIDERING SUBARU'S REPUTATION, MY HOPE IS THEY WILL ULTIMATELY REIMBURSE ME IN FULL.

WAS DRIVING AND A SMALL ROCK HIT THE WINDSHIELD. I DIDN'T THINK ANY THING OF IT AT THE TIME. I PARKED CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY. WHEN I CAME OUT A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER THERE WAS A HUGE CRACK.

I HEARD A POP ON THE HIGHWAY, ALTHOUGH NOTHING HIT MY VEHICLE. SEVERAL SMALL CRACKS APPEARED-ONE QUICKLY GOT LARGER. I HAD CALLED SUBARU A FEW MONTHS BEFORE ABOUT THE POP AS MY MECHANIC SAID THE WINDSHIELD SHOULD BE REPLACED-THERE WAS NO REACTION TO THIS COMPLAINT. I HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH WIND NOISE WITH THIS VEHICLE, AND HAD THE SMALL WINDOW REPLACED AS WELL. THERE IS A GENERAL ISSUE WITH THE WINDOW SIZING AND PLACEMENT OF THE WINDOWS IN THIS MODEL, AND SUBARU NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL BEFORE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OCCURS.

THE WINDSHIELD HAS DEVELOPED A SMALL CRACK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BEHIND THE WINDSHIELD WIPER. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY CLAIM THERE IS AN IMPACT POINT AT THE ORIGIN OF THE CRACK, YET THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY DAMAGE WHATSOEVER TO THE WIPER ASSEMBLY. I WASHED THE CAR ON TUESDAY 8/11/15 AND THERE WAS NO CRACK THEN. THE CRACK WAS FIRST NOTICED BY A PASSENGER ON 8/12/15. THE CRACK SEEMS TO BE GETTING LARGER. THE SUBARU DEALER WILL NOT COVER THE REPLACEMENT UNDER THE WARRANTY, BUT I KNOW NOTHING HIT MY WINDSHIELD. THE CAR IS ALWAYS KEPT IN MY GARAGE WHEN NOT IN USE.

CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD APPEARED OVER THE WEEKEND. STARTED IN THE LOWER CORNER ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AND SPREAD ABOUT 2/3 OF THE WAY TO DRIVER'S SIDE.

NOTICED A SMALL CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD THE MORNING OF 7/23/15, I DO NOT RECALL ANYTHING HITTING MY WINDSHIELD, BY LUNCH TIME THE CRACK HAD SPREAD HALF WAY ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD. NOW TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD I'M TOLD IT IS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER AND MAY TAKE QUITE A WHILE TO GET A REPLACEMENT. SOUNDS TO ME LIKE SUBARU INSTALLED CHEEP OR DEFECTIVE GLASS WINDSHIELDS.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND HEARD A RANDOM CRACKING SOUND. I THEN HEARD IT AGAIN COUPLE MINUTES LATER. DROVE HOME AND DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THIS MORNING WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM THE GYM ON A REGULAR ROAD I HEARD THE SAME CRACKING SOUND AND THEN SAW A HUGE CRACK IN MY WINDSHIELD QUICKLY SPREADING. THE CRACK IS QUICKLY SPREADING AND IT LOOKS LIKE I WILL HAVE TO NOW REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD

THERE ARE TWO PROBLEMS. ONE HAPPENED TWICE. WHEN IN DRIVE AND FOOT ON THE BRAKE FOR A LONG TIME -ABOUT 3 OR 4 MINUTES. THE BRAKE GOES SOFT, THE ENGINE SPEEDS UP AND THE CAR TAKES OFF. IF SOMEONE OR CAR IS IN FRONT OF ME THE CRASH WHEN BE BAD. THE SECOND PROBLEM IS WHEN TURNING LEFT INTO A PARKING SPACE THE SAME THING HAPPENED ABOUT 5 TIMES. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS LOOKED FOR THE PROBLEM BUT DID NOT FIND ANYTHING. A FIELD ENGINEER HOOK UP A COMPUTER AND RODE WITH ME FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS. OF COURSE NOTING HAPPENED. ALSO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT KEPT THE CAR OVER NIGHT AND DROVE IT WITH NO PROBLEMS. AS THEY ALL HAVE TOLD ME IF NO PROBLEM HAPPENS WHEN THEY HAVE IT THEY CAN NOT FIX IT. NOW I MAY TURN THE CAR BACK IN (A LEASE CAR) AND BE OUT MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OR DRIVE WITH FEAR AND HOPE NOTHING BAD HAPPENS.

WINDSHIELD HAS FAILED TWICE WITH NO IMPACTS. LATEST CRACK STARTED AFTER I CLOSED THE DRIVER DOOR...HEARD A POP, THEN WATCHED A CRACK RUN FROM THE UPPER RIGHT ACROSS THE DRIVER'S LINE OF SIGHT OVER THE COURSE OF A FEW SECONDS. THERE WAS NO IMPACT TO THE GLASS, WHICH HAD BEEN REPLACED LESS THAN 10 DAYS EARLIER, WHICH ALSO FAILED MYSTERIOUSLY.

ON 4/19/2015 WAS DRIVING AT 40 MILES PER HOUR IN A HEAVY RAIN STORM (I-75) IN GEORGIA A CRACK DEVELOPED IN THE WINDSHIELD. WE COULD NOT IDENTIFY A SOURCE OF IMPACT TO THE WINDSHIELD. THE CRACK STARTED AT THE VERY BOTTOM CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE CRACK THEN SPLIT INTO A "Y" SHAPE AND CONTINUED OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. WE TRIED TO GET A NEW WINDSHIELD IN SARASOTA, FL OUR FIRST DESTINATION. LOCAL AUTO GLASS COMPANY RECOMMENDED BY SARASOTA SUBARU DEALER ATTEMPTED TO ORDER ONE TO REPLACE DURING OUR WEEK IN TOWN. THEN CALLED TO ADVISE US IT WOULD BE AT LEAST ANOTHER WEEK. WE WERE INFORMED THERE WAS A NATIONWIDE BACK LOG OF OVER 600 WINDSHIELDS FOR THE 2015 SUBARU OUTBACK. ON 4/27/2015 CONTACTED THE SUBARU DEALER IN SILVER SPRING, MD. FOR POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT DURING OUR SECOND STOP OF TRIP. WE WERE AGAIN ADVISED OF A BACK LOG ON THAT WINDSHIELD. THEY SUGGESTED TO CONTACT THE DEALER NEAR MY HOME. ON 4/27/15 CONTACTED INTERNATIONAL SUBARU OF TINLEY PARK, IL AND ALL STAR GLASS AS RECOMMENDED BY DEALER. WINDSHIELD ORDERED 4/27/2015 AND WAS ADVISED AGAIN OF A NATIONWIDE BACK ORDER OF 2015 SUBARU OUTBACK WINDSHIELDS BY GLASS COMPANY AND MY DEALER. AS OF 5/14/15, NO WINDSHIELD AVAILABLE, CHECK BACK IN ANOTHER WEEK. SUBARU DEALER AT HOME THINKS IT WAS CAUSED BY A SMALL STONE. INDEPENDENT MECHANICS THINK THERE IS A PRESSURE POINT ON THE VEHICLE THAT AFFECTED THE WINDSHIELD. IF THERE IS NOT A CONTRIBUTING VEHICLE PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSHIELD THEN WHY THE VERY LONG BACK LOG FOR A NEW VEHICLE WINDSHIELD? REALLY THAT MANY 2015 SUBARU OUTBACKS WITH WINDSHIELD PROBLEMS? AND, 3 DIFFERENT DEALERS IN 3 DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING THE PART. WHEN THE WINDSHIELD IS FINALLY REPLACED, WILL HAVE THAT AREA CAREFULLY INSPECTED FOR POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED HORIZONTALLY ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. NOTHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD TO CAUSE THE CRACK. IT WAS FINE WHEN I GOT HOME FROM WORK AND PARKED THE VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE; THE FOLLOWING MORNING THE CRACK WAS THERE.

TRAVELING FROM KANSAS CITY MO TO PHOENIX WINDSHIELD DEVELOPED CRACK WHILE DRIVING. WE WERE TRAVELING IN A LIGHT RAIN AND THERE WAS SOME VERY SMALL PEA GRAVEL BEING THROWN UP BY PASSING CARS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF CAR. THE CRACK CENTERED OVER THE PASSENGER WIPER ABOUT 4 INCHES UPWARD. THERE WAS NO STAR FORMATION. I TOOK IT TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP IN CHANDLER AZ. I WAS TOLD BY THE GENERAL MANAGER THAT THERE WAS A BACK ORDER ON THE GLASS BUT TO WAIT UNTIL I RETURNED TO KANSAS CITY FOR REPAIR. DURING OUR DRIVE HOME I CALLED OUR INSURANCE, SUBARU (WHERE PURCHASED) AND GLASS COMPANY. I FOUND THAT GLASS ON MY OUTBACK WAS AT LEAST 6 WEEKS OUT. AFTER 6 WEEKS I WAS AGAIN TOLD THE GLASS REMAINS ON BACKORDER. IT WAS FINALLY REPLACED BY SAFELITE ON AUGUST 25TH. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS. IS THERE SOME KIND OF DEFECT IN THE WINDSHIELD, INSTALLATION, OR FIT? THANKS

AFTER JUST PICKING UP MY NEW 2015 SUBARU OUTBACK AND DRIVING IN BRIGHT SUNLIGHT, I REALIZED THERE IS A HAZARDOUS CONDITION RELATED TO THE CAR'S INFOTAINMENT CENTER. THE AREA SURROUNDING THE DISPLAY SCREEN IS AN EXTREMELY GLOSSY BLACK MIRROR-LIKE REFLECTIVE SURFACE. WHILE DRIVING, THE SUN REFLECTS OFF OF THIS SURFACE INTO THE EYES OF THE DRIVER. THIS INTENSITY IS ENOUGH TO CAUSE EYE PAIN, AS WELL AS DISTRACT THE DRIVER. NOW WHEN DRIVING ON A SUNNY DAY, RATHER THAN KEEPING BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL, I NEED TO USE MY RIGHT HAND TO SHIELD MY EYES FROM THIS DISTRACTING REFLECTED GLARE. I ATTEMPTED TO PURCHASE AN ANTI-GLARE SHIELD, BUT THEY ONLY COVER THE DISPLAY AREA (WHICH ACTUALLY IS NOT REFLECTIVE). I NEED TO COVER THE REFLECTIVE PERIMETER TRIM AREA. SUBARU NEEDS TO PROVIDE AN ANTI-GLARE SHIELD THAT COVERS THE ENTIRE INFOTAINMENT CENTER. *TR

NEW WINDSHIELD SUFFERED A MINOR ROCK IMPACT ON THE FREEWAY. THE CRACK PROPAGATED QUICKLY. THE WINDSHIELD REQUIRES REPLACEMENT, BUT THE SUBARU DEALERS SAY THERE IS A 3 MONTH BACKLOG!

I WAS AT WORK TODAY AND WHEN I LEFT I SAT IN THE OUTBACK FOR ABOUT 10 MIN WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING ON AND MADE PHONE CALLS. WHEN I GOT READY TO TAKE OFF I HEARD A CRACK. I LOOKED AROUND AND DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING. ABOUT 30 MINUTES AGO, MY HUSBAND AND I WENT TO PICK UP THE GRANDKIDS AND MY HUSBAND SAID, "HOW DID THE WINDSHIELD GET CRACKED? HE WAS RIGHT IT WAS CRACKED RIGHT AT THE REARVIEW MIRROR. I CALL THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF THE SALES COMPANY AND THEY SAID I WILL HAVE TO COME WHEN A SUBARU REP IS IN THE STORE AND HE WILL TELL WHETHER IT WAS DEFECTIVE MATERIAL. IT HAS TO BE A DEFECT, I WAS SITTING STILL AND IT JUST CRACKED. IT WAS NOT HIT BY ANYTHING, AND THERE ARE NO INDENTS WHERE IT WAS HIT.

7/28/15 - I CAME OUT TO MY 2015 SUBARU OUTBACK AT THE END OF THE WORK DAY AND FOUND A "V" SHAPED CRACK IN MY WINDSHIELD, APPROX 9-11 INCHES IN EACH DIRECTION, ORIGINATING BELOW THE WINDSHIELD WIPER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS DEFECT IN THE GLASS SINCE THE TEMPERATURE THAT DAY WAS APPROX. 93 DEG. 7/29/15 - I WENT TO THE NEARBY DEALERSHIP AND UPON INSPECTION BY THE SERVICE DEPT. WAS TOLD "A ROCK HIT THE WINDSHIELD" WHICH CAUSED THE WINDSHIELD TO CRACK. MY RESPONSE, "HOW COULD A ROCK HIT UNDER THE WINDSHIELD WIPER WHERE THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF A ROCK HITTING IT?" THE COST TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD IS OVER $700.00, NOT COVERED BY SUBARU WARRANTY AND THE WINDSHIELDS ARE BACKLOGGED BY 4-6 WEEKS SINCE THERE NONE IN STOCK. I RETURNED HOME DISCOURAGED AND IMMEDIATELY PULLED UP NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE 2015 WINDSHIELDS CRACKING. 7/30/15 - I WENT TO THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED MY CAR, ARMED WITH 19 PAGES OF WINDSHIELD COMPLAINTS. THE SERVICE DEPT REP INSPECTED THE WINDSHIELD AND ALSO SAID "A ROCK HIT THE WINDSHIELD" BUT SAID THIS IS COMMON OCCURRENCE, WINDSHIELDS WERE IN SCARCE SUPPLY AND NOT COVERED BY SUBARU WARRANTY. HOWEVER, HE WAS ABLE TO LOCATE THE LAST WINDSHIELD THEY HAD IN STOCK AND RESERVED IT SO I NOW HAVE A REPAIR DATE IN A WEEK. I AM STILL GOING TO HAVE TO PAY THE $700.00 WHETHER IT IS COVERED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY AS COMPREHENSIVE OR CASH OUT OF POCKET. I QUESTIONED THE SERVICE REP ABOUT THIS OBVIOUS DEFECT, THICKNESS OF THE GLASS AND THE HEATING ELEMENT UNDER THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER AND OTHER VEHICLES HIT BY SMALL PEBBLES WHERE "PITTING" WOULD OCCUR BUT NOT CRACKING WHEN HIT. AS A GOOD SERVICE REP, HIS ANSWERS WERE EVASIVE BUT EMPATHETIC, WHICH LED ME TO BELIEVE THIS ISSUE IS BEING IGNORED BY SUBARU. I WAS ASSURED, THOUGH, IF IN THE FUTURE, SUBARU WERE TO HAVE A RECALL ON THE WINDSHIELD, I WOULD BE REIMBURSED.