NHTSA Complaint #11316492 — 2019 SUBARU OUTBACK

ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2019, BETWEEN 3-4 PM, I WAS TAKING THE SUN REFLECTOR OUT OF MY FRONT WINDSHIELD WHEN I TAPPED THE REARVIEW MIRROR. SOON AFTER TAPPING THE MIRROR, I HEARD A LARGE POP FROM MY FRONT WINDSHIELD AND THE REARVIEW MIRROR FELL WITH A LARGE CHUNK OF GLASS COMING OUT WITH IT. THE HOLE DID NOT GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD, THE OUTERMOST LAYERS OF THE GLASS WINDOW WERE STILL THERE, BUT SEVERAL LAYERS WERE MISSING LEAVING A 2 INCH BY 2-INCH HOLE GAP ON THE INSIDE OF THE WINDOW. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ON JULY 31, 2019, SO I ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR A LITTLE OVER A MONTH. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP/SALE PERSON THAT I HAD WORKED WITH RIGHT AFTER IT HAD HAPPENED AND THEY GOT ME IN TO HAVE THE ISSUED FIXED ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2019. HE AGREED THAT WHAT OCCURRED SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED WITH THE CAR BEING PRETTY MUCH BRAND NEW. WHEN I WENT INTO THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS ISSUE, THEY SAID THEY WERE NOT AWARE AT ALL OF ANY ISSUES WITH THEIR VEHICLES' WINDSHIELDS AND THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS EVER HAPPENING BEFORE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN THIS OCCURRED. IT WAS A WARM DAY, WITH THE AIR TEMPERATURE WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED SITTING AROUND 91-93F ACCORDING TO THE KOUN WEATHER STATION. THE WARM TEMPERATURES MIGHT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROBLEM WEAKENING THE POINT OF CONTACT WITH THE GLUE AND THE WINDSHIELD. THIS IS SPECULATION THOUGH AND THE MECHANICS WITH THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT PROVIDE A SOURCE OR REASON AS TO WHY THIS COULD HAVE OCCURRED, SO THE TRUE REASON FOR THE INCIDENT IS UNKNOWN.