NHTSA Complaint #11187349 — 2018 SUBARU FORESTER

I PURCHASED THIS CAR 7/31/18. ON 12/21/18 (ODOMETER 3,427 MILES), THE FIRST MORNING WITH A HARD FROST, I FOUND THAT MY 2018 SUBARU FORESTER (STATIONARY AND PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY) HAD DEVELOPED A CRACK OVERNIGHT FROM THE LOWER LEFT CORNER OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE UPWARD. (NO CRACK THE DAY BEFORE) I DROVE THE CAR 3 MILES TO WORK, CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT, AND SCHEDULED A SERVICE MANAGER EVALUATION APPOINTMENT THAT MORNING. I DROVE 12 MORE MILES TO THE DEALERSHIP. IN UNDER 3 HOURS, DRIVING TOTAL 15 MILES, SINCE DISCOVERING THE CRACK AND ARRIVING AT THE DEALERSHIP, THE CRACK HAD PROGRESSED UP AND ACROSS THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE SERVICE MANAGER AGREED TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD AT NO COST TO ME, "AS A ONE-TIME GOOD WILL GESTURE". HE POINTED TO THE BASE OF THE CRACK WHICH BEGAN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BLACK AREA BORDERING THE BASE OF THE WINDSHIELD, CLAIMED HE COULD SEE A CHIP, AND DUG HIS PEN INTO THE GLASS TO ENLARGE THE CRACK. TO ME, THIS ARE LOOKED MORE A FLAW IN THE GLASS WHERE BROKEN WINDSHIELD MAY HAVE HAD A FLAW HAD FLEXED DUE TO THE FREEZING WEATHER. HE DESCRIBED THE DAMAGE AS A CHIP ON MY REPAIR TICKET, WHICH IS MISLEADING IF AN ANALYSIS IS DONE ON THE CRACK, BUT IT SUPPORTS THE TICKET'S NOTE THAT THIS WAS A 1-TIME REPAIR AT NO CHARGE, WITH NO GUARANTEE OF FUTURE SIMILAR REPAIRS. THE DEALER DELAYED THE REPAIR DUE TO CHRISTMAS, AND THE CRACK CONTINUED TO PROGRESS ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD. REPLACEMENT INSTALLATION SCHEDULED FOR 12/26/18. ARRIVING FOR MY APPOINTMENT I WAS TOLD THE WINDSHIELD WAS ORDERED BUT THE DEALER FAILED TO SCHEDULE AN INSTALLER. THEY KEPT MY CAR UNTIL THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED ON 12/28/19. THEY PROVIDED A LOANER CAR. RESEARCHING SUBARU WINDSHIELD CRACKS ONLINE, I LEARNED THAT SUBARU WINDSHIELDS HAVE A PROBLEM WITH SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKING, BEGINNING WITH A 2016 OUTBACK RECALL, BUT FORESTER OWNERS ALSO ARE REPORTING CRACKS.