2018 Subaru Outback

IN THE FIRST 1.5 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD TWICE. IT CRACKED THE FIRST TIME WHILE STATIONARY IN OUR DRIVEWAY IN THE COLD AND WAS REPLACED A FEW MONTHS LATER. ONE WEEK AFTER IT WAS REPLACED IT CRACKED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE WITH NO VEHICLES WITHIN 500 FEET OF THE CAR. I'VE READ AND HEARD FROM OTHER OWNERS THIS PROBLEM IS ONE THAT IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE OUTBACKS OF THIS MODEL YEAR.

I WENT OUT TO MY CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY THIS MORNING AND THE WINDSHIELD HAD A 6 INCH "T" SHAPED CRACK STARTING WITH A SINGLE CRACK EMANATING FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, HORIZONTALLY ABOUT 6 INCHES TOWARD THE DRIVER SIDE, THEN PERPENDICULAR IN A T FORMATION 3 INCHES UP AND DOWN . THE PREVIOUS NIGHT I HAD DRIVEN THE VEHICLE AND THE WINDSHIELD WAS FINE. I FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF AN IMPACT STRIKE ON THE WINDSHIELD. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY WHEN I FOUND THE CRACK. IT HAAD BEEN DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 12 HOURS EARLIER.

2018 SUBARU OUTBACK DEVEOLPED A CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD THAT ORIGINATED ON THE LOWER LEFT CORNER IN THE DE-ICER REGION. THE CURIOUS LOCATION OF THIS CRACK LED ME TO SEEK OUT WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. I FOUND A SERVICE BULLETIN FROM SUBARU IN 2015 SUBARUS THAT SPECIFICALLY STATE "THESE TYPES OF DAMAGE WOULD ONLY BE COVERED BY THIS WARRANTY EXTENSION IF THE WINDSHIELD IS IDENTIFIED AS HAVING THE ABOVE OUTLINED CONDITION AND THE DAMAGE ORIGINATES IN THE AFFECTED WIPER DEICER AREA. OTHER FORUMS AGAIN AND AGAIN MENTION RECURRING PROBLEMS ORIGINATING IN THIS DE-ICER AREA AND QUICKLY PROPAGATING THE REST OF THE WINDSHIELD. CRACKS IN SUBARU WINDSHIELDS OFTEN RENDER EYESIGHT UNUSABLE. ADDITIONALLY THE COST TO REPLACE THESE WINDSHIELDS IS VERY HIGH AS YOU HAVE TO FACTOR IN RECALIBRATING THE EYESIGHT EQUIPMENT. I SPOKE TO SUBARU OF AMERICA AND THEY STATED THAT "THIS WAS FROM OUTSIDE INFLUENCES/IMPACT AND THERE ARE OTHER IMPACT AREAS ON OTHER SPOTS ON THE WINDSHIELD." THE REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THIS SERVICE BULLETIN/NUMEROUS OTHER SUBAR OWNERS FORUMS/UNUSUAL ARE FOR A ROCK TO HIT OR CRACK TO FORM. ALSO, THE VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT THIS SAFETY HAZARD AS OCCURRED AND SUBARU NOT ONLY REFUSES TO AUTHORIZE REPLACEMENT, BUT THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSHIELDS CRACKING.

THE WINDSHIELD MYSTERIOUSLY CRACKED ON THE LOWER THIRD OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AND IMMEDIATELY SPIDERED OUT IN ALL DIRECTIONS LIKE A STARBURST EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING BY ITSELF IN BROAD DAYLIGHT IN A LOWE'S PARKING LOT. THERE ARE NO CHIPS/GOUGES ON THE GLASS SURFACE ON EITHER THE INTERIOR OR THE EXTERIOR OF THE WINDSHIELD (WHICH MIGHT SUGGEST AN IMPACT). THE GLASS APPEARS TO HAVE CRACKED ON THE INSIDE OF THE DOUBLE PANE WINDSHIELD FOR NO APPARENT REASON OTHER THAN MANUFACTURING OR DESIGN DEFECT.

WINDSHIELD SEEMED TO SPONTANEOUSLY CRACK FROM THE TOP PASSENGER SIDE WHILE PARKED. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY KIND OF IMPACT. THE CRACK PROGRESSED OVER A PERIOD OF SEVERAL HOURS, INCREASING WHILE DRIVING OR WITH TEMPERATURE CHANGES. THIS IS THE SECOND WINDSHIELD IN 2 YEARS DUE TO SPONTANEOUS CRACKING, AND IT IS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD.

SIX MONTHS AFTER BUYING MY 2018 OUTBACK THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED DOWN BY THE DEFROSTER. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF AN IMPACT. I REPLACED IT WITH SUBARU GLASS BECAUSE OF THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM. COST WAS $1000. ONE YEAR LATER ANOTHER CRACK APPEARED AT THE TOP MIDDLE PART OF THE WINDSHIELD. THERE IS EVIDENCE OF A SMALL DING. THE WINDSHIELD SEEMS PARTICULARLY FRAGILE AND I UNDERSTAND OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE REPLACE THREE OR FOUR WINDSHIELD IN 40 YEARS OF DRIVING OTHER CARS BUT NOW HAVE TWO IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS ON THIS CAR. CAR IS OTHERWISE GREAT BUT CLEARLY THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSHIELD.

THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED SPONTANEOUSLY ONE DAY WHILE DRIVING. NO OTHER CARS WERE AROUND. TOOK INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD US IT WAS A ROCK CHIP THAT HAD CRACKED THE WINDSHIELD BUT THE CRACK STARTED AT THE TOP OF THE WINDOW AND WENT DOWN. NO IMPACT POINT IS VISIBLE. WE HAVE ALSO HAS ANOTHER SUBARU WHICH DID THE SAME THING BUT WHILE SITTING IN GARAGE.