IllustrationVEHICLES WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED WHILE STATIONARY. DURING A ROAD TRIP WITH SEVERAL PASSENGERS, WE MADE A PIT STOP AND WHEN WE GOT BACK IN THE CAR A PASSENGER NOTED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED WHEN IT HAD NOT BEEN PRIOR TO THE STOP.
2018 Subaru Outback
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Outback years
Owner complaints for the 2018 Subaru Outback are substantially higher than the model-year median of 207.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Outback years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
3130–25K
13625–50K
2850–75K
875–100K
2100–150K
1150K+
488 reports with mileage · 323 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 265 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility/wiper. Review the 233 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
27 crash reports4 fire reports10 injury reports
What owners actually said
811 reportsWINDSHIELD BROKE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY GOING ROUGHLY 30 MPH. THE CAR WAS PASSING KICKED UP A SMALL ROCK WHICH HIT MY WINDSHIELD CAUSING THE OUTER LAYER OF GLASS TO GET CHIPPED AND CRACK. THE ORIGINAL CRACK WAS 7 INCHES LONG BUT THE AFTERNOON IN THE SUN CAUSED THE CRACK TO PROPAGATED ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD SPANNING 3/4 …
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WINDSHIELD BROKE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY GOING ROUGHLY 30 MPH. THE CAR WAS PASSING KICKED UP A SMALL ROCK WHICH HIT MY WINDSHIELD CAUSING THE OUTER LAYER OF GLASS TO GET CHIPPED AND CRACK. THE ORIGINAL CRACK WAS 7 INCHES LONG BUT THE AFTERNOON IN THE SUN CAUSED THE CRACK TO PROPAGATED ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD SPANNING 3/4 OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE GLASS ENDED UP COSTING 1200 TO BE REPLACED AND HAVE THE EYESIGHT RE CALIBRATED. THE CAR WAS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD AND HAD LESS THAN 12000 MILES ON IT WHEN THE WINDSHIELD BROKE.
THE HEAD UNIT IN THE SOUND SYSTEM/ELECTRICAL SYSTEM BROKE RESULTING IN NO BACKUP CAMERA/ MUSIC/ APPLE CAR PLAY/ ETC. FOR OVER 2 MONTHS. THE CAR WAS LESS THAN 6 MONTHS OLD AND THE UNIT WAS BACKORDERED AT THE TIME RESULTING NO USE OF THE HEAD UNIT FOR 2 MONTHS.
WINDSHIELD ON MY 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK CRACKED WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT IN MY GARAGE.
A SMALL CRACK APPEARED ON THE WINDSHIELD WHILE DRIVING AND RAPIDLY EVOLVED INTO A VERY LARGE CRACK THAT COULD NOT BE REPAIRED.
MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED FOR SEEMINGLY NO REASON, WHILE DRIVING ON CLEAN AND CLEAR HIGHWAY. I DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD, BUT A HUGE CRACK APPEARED. I'M REPORTING THIS BECAUSE I'VE READ THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE ON 2017 - 2019 SUBARU OUTBACKS, AND I WANTED YOU TO BE AWARE OF MINE.
DRIVING ON HIGHWAY ONE DAY HEARD A CRACK. PARKED THE CAR AND AFTER A FEW HOURS NOTICED A SMALL HAIRLINE CRACK. THAT STARTED FROM THE MIDDLE PASSENGER SIDE. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF OF ROCK HITTING THE WINDSHIELD.
I WAS DRIVING AND HIT A POTHOLE WITH THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. I HEARD A LOUD POP OR CRACK AND THOUGHT SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED TO THE TIRE OR WHEEL BECAUSE IT WAS A VERY LOUD. BUT AFTER CONTINUING TO DRIVE SLOWLY FOR ANOTHER BLOCK, IT WAS APPARENT THE TIRE WASN'T DAMAGED NOR DID THE CAR SYSTEMS INDICATE ANY PROBLEMS. I WAS DRIVING…
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I WAS DRIVING AND HIT A POTHOLE WITH THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. I HEARD A LOUD POP OR CRACK AND THOUGHT SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED TO THE TIRE OR WHEEL BECAUSE IT WAS A VERY LOUD. BUT AFTER CONTINUING TO DRIVE SLOWLY FOR ANOTHER BLOCK, IT WAS APPARENT THE TIRE WASN'T DAMAGED NOR DID THE CAR SYSTEMS INDICATE ANY PROBLEMS. I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AT APPROXIMATELY 35MPH WHEN I HIT THE POTHOLE. I CONTINUED DRIVING AND COMPLETED MY ERRANDS. I DID LOOK AT THE TIRE WHEN I PARKED FOR MY ERRAND BUT DIDN'T SEE ANY VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE TIRE, WHEEL OR BODY. I THEN DROVE HOME AND PARKED THE CAR IN OUR GARAGE AS USUAL. I DID NOT HAVE ANY OTHER ISSUES, PROBLEMS OR HEAR ANY NOISES. THE DAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD WAS READILY VISIBLE THE NEXT MORNING WHEN I CAME OUT TO DRIVE THE CAR. THE CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD HAD STARTED UNDER THE SEAL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND HAD TRAVELED UP APPROXIMATELY 8-12 INCHES. IT HAS CONTINUED TO GROW AND IS NOW ALMOST BOTTOM TO TOP ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AT THE TIME OUR CAR HAD JUST PASSED THE 12 MONTH WARRANTY PERIOD. HOWEVER, I DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH THE DEALER WHERE WE LEASED THE CAR WHEN DOING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THIS DISCUSSION TOOK PLACE OVER SEVERAL MONTHS AS I TRIED TO WORK WITH THEM ABOUT THE WINDSHIELD POTENTIALLY BEING DEFECTIVE SINCE IT WAS JUST THE ACTION OF DRIVING THROUGH THE POTHOLE THAT CAUSED THE WINDSHIELD TO CRACK. THEY AGREED TO LOOK INTO THE ISSUE BUT ULTIMATELY DENIED THE POSSIBILITY OF A DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD. THE TIME BETWEEN THE EVENT AND NOW WAS DUE TO ONGOING DISCUSSIONS WITH THE DEALER. THE WINDSHIELD IS STILL NOT FIXED BUT I WAS JUST GETTING READY TO HAVE IT REPAIRED AFTER THIS LAST ROUND OF DISCUSSIONS WITH THE DEALER.
WINDSHIELD CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED 2 TIMES IN FIRST 20 MONTHS WE OWNED IT. WINDSHIELD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND DRIVER-ASSIST (EYESIGHT) SYSTEM RECALIBRATED TO OPERATE SAFELY. HAPPENED IN JANUARY 2018, AND MAY 2019
WINDSHIELD JUST CRACKS DRIVING 64MPH FOR NO APPARENT REASON. JUST SPIDER CRACKED.
Official recalls
321V587000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump
Jul 29, 2021
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.
18V935000 · Visibility:rearview Mirrors/devices
Dec 31, 2018
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Legacy, Outback, and BRZ vehicles. In the affected vehicles, a software issue may cause the audio display system to not initialize, resulting in the camera display remaining blank. If this occurs, the rearview image will not display while backing up the vehicle. As a result, the vehicles fail to comply with requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Failure to display the rearview image while backing up increases the risk of crash.
Remedy: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will reprogram the audio system display software, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTZ-85.
18V773000 · Electrical System:software; Fuel System, Gasoline
Nov 1, 2018
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the combination meter software, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTW-82.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Electrical System:software
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.
Consequence: The inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the combination meter software, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTW-82.
Fuel System, Gasoline
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.
Consequence: The inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the combination meter software, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTW-82.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.