2020 Subaru Outback

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE WINDSHIELD STARTED TO DEVELOP A CRACK ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BASE SEVEN INCHES LONG, WITHOUT AN IMPACT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO WILLIAMS SUBARU OF SAYRE (222 SPRING ST, SAYRE, PA 18840) AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED TO CONTACT HIS INSURANCE PROVIDER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 12,000.

TODAY (26 DECEMBER 2020) AS I PARKED MY 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK IN A BUSINESS PARKING LOT, FOR THE THIRD TIME IN JUST FOUR MONTHS I NOTICED MY WINDSHIELD STARTING TO CRACK FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THERE WERE NO VEHICLES, ROAD DEBRIS , OR WINDS TO CAUSE THIS. THIS IS THE THIRD CRACKED WINDSHIELD ON MY NEW SUBARU IN FOUR MONTHS FOR NO APPARENT REASON. SUBARU HAS A PROBLEM! I HAVE DRIVEN OVER 1.5 MILLION MILES IN FORTY-PLUS PLUS YEARS, AND NEVER IN ALL THE DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS AND MODELS OF VEHICLES HAVE I EVER HAD ISSUES LIKE THIS!

ON APPROX. 8/22/20 I RECEIVED AN EMAIL OR TEXT FROM SUBARU OR STARLINK, I DON'T REMEMBER, ABOUT A SOFTWARE UPDATE. I TRIED TO UPDATE THE SOFTWARE BUT THE PROCESS WOULDN'T COMPLETE FOR SOME REASON. WITHIN A FEW HOURS I RECEIVED ANOTHER EMAIL SAYING TO DISREGARD THE PREVIOUS ONE AND THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE UPDATE. THE ISSUE LEFT ME WITHOUT ANY DISPLAY. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN AND HAD TO HAVE THE WHOLE RADIO REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY.

I WENT OUT THIS MORNING 12/26/2020 AND THE CAR WON'T START AGAIN. BECAUSE OF THE PREVIOUS PROBLEM ON 12/22/20 WHICH I HAVE REPORTED. I MADE SURE EVERYTHING WAS CLOSED AND LOCKED SECURELY AND ALL LIGHTS WERE OFF. PRIOR TO THE 12/22/20 INCIDENT, I HAD 2 PREVIOUS INCIDENTS SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR. ONE PREVIOUS INCIDENT INVOLVED A BATTERY DRAIN (I DO NOT REMEMBER THE DATE) BECAUSE THE CABIN LIGHT WAS LEFT ON OVERNIGHT. THE BATTERY DRAINAGE PREVENTION FUNCTION SHOULD HAVE KEPT THAT FROM HAPPENING BUT DID NOT. ALSO, ON APPROX. 9/1/20, I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM SUBARU ABOUT A SOFTWARE UPDATE. I TRIED TO UPDATE THE SOFTWARE BUT THE PROCESS WOULDN'T COMPLETE FOR SOME REASON. WITHIN A FEW HOURS I RECEIVED ANOTHER EMAIL SAYING TO DISREGARD THE PREVIOUS ONE AND THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE UPDATE. THE ISSUE LEFT ME WITHOUT ANY DISPLAY. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN AND HAD TO HAVE THE WHOLE RADIO REPLACED.

ON TUESDAY 12/22/20 AT APPROX 3 PM I GOT IN MY CAR TO RUN AN ERRAND AND IT WOULDN'T START. I HAD MOVED IT THE EVENING BEFORE FROM THE STREET TO THE DRIVEWAY. I DID NOT OPEN ANYTHING BUT THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR AND LOCKED IT WHEN I EXITED THE VEHICLE. I HAD NOT USED THE LIFT GATE IN THE LAST FEW DAYS AND ALL DOORS WERE CLOSED. I HAD NOT TURNED ON ANY INTERIOR LIGHT EITHER OR HEADLIGHTS. I HAD IT JUMPED THE NEXT MORNING AND IT STARTED.

ON THE 21ST OF DECEMBER THE BATTERY IN MY OUTBACK WENT DEAD. I TOOK IT INTO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY RECHARGED THE BATTERY. WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR TWO DAYS LATER, THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AGAIN. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP ON THE 29TH OF DECEMBER. BOTH TIMES, THE CAR WAS STARTED 10-12 HOURS BEFORE.

MY VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED, IN A SAFE PLACE, AT MY RESIDENCE FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 DAYS. ONE MORNING, I DISCOVERED A CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD WHICH BEGAN ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, RUNS IN A SMOOTH LINE, MAKING A TURN UPWARD AND CONTINUES ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD AND STOPS CLOSE TO THE CENTER. THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN STRUCK BY A PROJECTILE OR ANYTHING THE LAST TIME I HAD DRIVEN IT. THERE IS NO "SPIDER-WEBBING" OR MARKS THAT WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH IT GETTING HIT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, A STONE HIT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD AND CRACKED THE GLASS WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TWICE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE GLASS WAS REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE 10,000.

THE BATTERY STARTED FAILING AFTER LESS THAN 8000 MILES ON THE CAR THAT IS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD. IT LEFT US STRANDED MULTIPLE TIMES AND JUMP START WAS REQUIRED. ONCE UPON JUMP STARTING THE CAR THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT FUNCTIONAL. MULTIPLE TIMES THE AIRBAG FAILURE INDICATOR STAYED ON FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP. INITIALLY IT WAS NOT CLEAR TO ME WHAT IS GOING ON AS THE WHOLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WENT HAYWIRE AND THE CAR WAS PRODUCING A CLATTERING NOISE INSTEAD OF THE USUAL STARTING NOISE. EVENTUALLY I TESTED THE BATTERY AND IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT IT FAILED. THERE ARE MANY SUCH REPORTS ON THE INTERNET AND ALSO CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS AGAINST SUBARU DUE TO THEIR FAILURE TO ADDRESS THE UNDERLYING DESIGN FLAWS OF THE CAR. I HOPE THAT THE NHTSA WILL FORCE SUBARU TO PROPERLY ANALYZE THE PROBLEM, COME UP WITH A PROPER FIX AND ISSUE A RECALL TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE WITH OBVIOUS SAFETY ASPECTS.