2016 SUBARU OUTBACK Visibilitywiper Problems

CAR WAS STATIONARY AND HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN IN SEVERAL HOURS AND THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM THE TOP CENTER DOWN ABOUT SIX INCHES ACROSS BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FIELD OF VIEW. THERE WAS NO PREVIOUS DAMAGE, MAJOR OR MINOR, FROM THE POINT WHERE THE CRACK APPEARED TO START FROM.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE ONTO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN AT SUBARU OF AMERICA CUSTOMER SERVICE. 2016 OUTBACK 3.6R BULLETIN NUMBER: 12-192-15R; NHTSA ID:10093903; REVISED: 11/19/15 UPDATE BULLETIN NUMBER: 12-192-15R; NHTSA ID:10093903; REVISED: 03/06/17 ISSUE: SPONTANEOUS CRACKED WINDSHIELD HELLO, I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF MENTIONED VEHICLE, 2016 OUTBACK 3.6R EQUIPPED WITH THE ALL-WEATHER PACKAGE AND EYESIGHT. ON FEBRUARY 28, 2019 A SMALL VISIBLE RUNNING CRACK ONE INCH IN LENGTH APPEARED JUST IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT WINDSHIELD. WITH INSPECTION THE CRACK ACTUALLY STARTED AT THE LOWER PORTION OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD IN THE DEICER/DEFROSTER AREA. SINCE THEN THE CRACKS HAVE INCREASED DAILY IN LENGTH AND IN NUMBER. ONE RUNNING CRACK HAS NOW SPREAD ACROSS THE ENTIRE LOWER HALF OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD TOWARDS THE PASSENGER SIDE. ANOTHER VISIBLE RUNNING CRACK ONE INCH IN LENGTH NOW HEADING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF FRONT WINDSHIELD. IT...

OUR WINDSHIELD HAS HAD 3 CHIPS/CRACKS IN IT SINCE NEW. THE FIRST ONE WAS A CHIP THAT WAS REPAIRED BY SAFELIGHT. THE SECOND WAS A CRACK/CHIP WHERE THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED BY SAFELIGHT. BOTH OF THESE HAPPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS ON-HIGHWAY. BOTH WERE IN DIFFERENT SPOTS, BUT WERE LOCATED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. THE THIRD ONE WAS A LARGE CRACK ON THE DRIVER SIDE WE NOTICED YESTERDAY (12/26/18) WITH NO APPARENT CHIP ASSOCIATED. WE'RE NOT SURE IF THIS HAPPENED WHILE VEHICLE WAS MOVING OR STATIONARY. DATES FOR THE INITIAL CRACKS ARE ESTIMATES, BUT FIRST ONE WE ESTIMATE TO BE 8/2017. THE SECOND ONE WHERE THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED IS ESTIMATED MAY 2018. WE NOTICED OTHERS WERE HAVING SIMILAR ISSUES AFTER DOING A SEARCH 12/26/18. IT ALSO APPEARS THAT SUBARU HAD ACKNOWLEDGED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH SOME 2015 AND 2016 MODELS, BUT OUR VEHICLE VIN DID NOT SHOW...

3 MONTHS AFTER GETTING MY OUTBACK THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED AT THE BASE AND WENT UP AND OVER. I REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD AT A COST OF $500. MY WINDSHIELD RECENTLY CRACKED AGAIN AND WHEN I TAKE TO THEM AT THE SERVICE COUNTER THEY SAID IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BUY A WINDSHIELD EVERY YEAR FOR A BRAND NEW CAR. FOR A CAR THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE 5+ STAR SAFETY RATED I SHOULD HAVE AN INTACT WINDSHIELD. THE CRACKS ALSO APPEARED OVERNIGHT. THEY WERE NOT THERE WHEN I PARKED THE CAR, BUT WHEN I GOT IN IT THE NEXT MORNING. ALSO - NO CHIPPING OR STARING WAS FOUND WHERE THE CRACK STARED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD.

SPONTANEOUS CRACKS ON WINDSHIELD AND THEIR EXTENSION DURING HOT, SUNNY DAY. FOR THE SAFETY ISSUE, IT HAD TO BE REPLACED.

DRIVING ON A 4 LANE HIGHWAY IN A RURAL AREA AT 7:30 IN THE MORNING, NO OTHER TRAFFIC AROUND. I HEARD A SOUND LIKE A SMALL STICK BEING BROKEN. IT GOT MY ATTENTION AND I WONDERED WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS THAT. ABOUT 10 MILES LATER I NOTICED A CRACK COMING UP FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY FACE. IT DEVELOPED INTO 2 CIRCLE CRACKS IN MY VIEWING AREA. DEALER SAID IT WAS A OLD CHIPPED PLACE OR A NEW CHIP THAT CAUSES IT. NEVER NOTICE A CHIP BEFORE OR AFTER I HEARD THE SNAP.

WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED TWICE IN 16 MONTHS. THE 1ST CRACK HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY WITH NO ONE AROUND ME- HEARD A POP AND HAD AN L SHAPED CRACK APPEARED ON MY WINDHIELD. THE WINDSHIELD WAS NOT STRUCK BY ANYTHING. AFTER MUCH NEGOTIATION WITH THE DEALER (THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY WITH ABOUT 10,000 MILES), SUBURU REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD. THE SECOND CRACK APPEARED WHILE STATIONARY IN MY DRIVEWAY AFTER TURNING ON THE VEHICLE. I LITERALLY WATCHED AS AN L SHAPED CRACK APPEARED ON THE WINDSHIELD. I HAVE NOT REPAIRED THAT YET. I DID NOT REPAIR IT BECAUSE IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN IN A FEW MONTHS. THE CRACK HAS SINCE SPIDERED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD. TO DATE, I HAVE RECEIVED NO NOTIFICATION FROM SUBURU. I AM NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO ANOTHER FIGHT WITH SUBURU.

WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED. I HAVE DASHCAM FOOTAGE SHOWING BEFORE AND AFTER THE FORMATION OF THE CRACK. THERE WAS NO IMPACT OF ANY OBJECT TO CAUSE THE CRACK OVER ANY PERIOD OF TIME.

SUDDEN 6" CRACK IN WINDSHIELD ORIGINATING ON THE LOWER EDGE UNDER THE WIPERS. I HAD DRIVEN THE CAR HOME FOR LUNCH AND BACK TO WORK AT 1:15PM AND THE CRACK WAS NOT THERE. WHEN I GOT OFF WORK AT 4PM THE CRACK WAS THERE. DROVE CAR HOME AND PUT IT IN THE GARAGE. THE NEXT MORNING AT 7AM THE CRACK WAS APPROXIMATELY 12" LONG RUNNING AT A DIAGONAL TOWARDS THE OUTER EDGE OF THE WINDSHIELD.

ON NOVEMBER 18 WE WERE DRIVING ALONG INTERSTATE 10 WHEN A CRACK APPEARED IN THE WINDSHIELD. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF A ROCK HITTING ALTHOUGH WE CAN'T SAY DEFINITELY WHETHER IT DID OR DID NOT

DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY EARLY IN THE MORNING, NO OTHER CARS AROUND, HEARD A LOUD POP FOLLOWED BY A LARGE UPSIDE DOWN "L" CRACK COMING FROM THE BOTTOM.

I HAD DIFFICULTY SEVERAL TIMES REMOVING THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED, I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY, BUT THE CAR DIED. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY GAVE ME THE LOCAL TOWING COMPANY. NAPLETON SUBARU KEPT THE CAR FOR TWO DAYS AND COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. I HAVE BEEN AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY, OR GO TOO FAR FROM HOME.

THE WINDSHIELD DEVELOPED A CRACK WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE FROM THE ROAD OR OTHER SOURCES. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED BY DOZENS OF OWNERS OF SUBARU OUTBACKS, ESPECIALLY ONES WITH THE SUBARU EYESIGHT SAFETY SYSTEM, WHICH MY VEHICLE HAS.

THE WINDSHIELD DEVELOPED A FISSURE OVER 2 FEET LONG WITH NO KNOWN (VISIBLE OR AUDIBLE IMPACT) I SIMPLY NOTICED IT AS I WAS DRIVING HOME AND IT WAS NOT THERE WHEN I LEFT HOME. IT STARTS IN THE LOWER PASSENGER SIDE UNDER THE BLACK PORTION AND RUNS HALF WAY ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD.

FRONT WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED FROM TOP OF DRIVER SIDE DOWN BOTH SIDES WHILE SITTING IN HOME DRIVEWAY FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS ON CLEAR, 90 DEGREE DAY. NO IMPACTS NOTED WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 25 MILES EARLIER IN THE DAY, AND NO CHIP IN WINDSHIELD AT APPARENT IMPACT POINT. NOTHING FELL ON THE VEHICLE IN THE DRIVEWAY OR EXERTED PRESSURE ON THE GLASS.

WHILE DRIVING DOWN AN OPEN ROAD GOING ABOUT 45MPH WITH NO TREES AND NO OTHER VEHICLES AROUND US, OUR SUNROOF EXPLODED. I SAY EXPLODED BECAUSE WE THOUGHT WE HAD BEEN SHOT. IT WAS A VERY LOUD POP AND THEN WE WERE INSTANTLY COVERED IN GLASS. LIKE ALMOST THE ENTIRE SUNROOF WAS NOW IN PIECES AND INSIDE THE CAR. I ACTUALLY GOOGLED "EXPLODING SUNROOF" BECAUSE WE KNEW WE DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING. THERE ARE LITERALLY PAGES OF ACCOUNTS OF THIS HAPPENING AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS MANUFACTURERS LISTED AS HAVING THIS PROBLEM. ANYWAY, SUBARU DID REPLACE IT AND WE DID NOT HAVE TO FILE A CLAIM WITH OUR INSURANCE BUT WE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED IF WE WERE GOING ANY FASTER. THE PREVAILING THEORY IS THAT IN ORDER THE SAVE WEIGHT ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES, THE FRAME OF THE SUNROOF ISN'T RIGID ENOUGH ALLOWING THE GLASS TO MOVE TOO MUCH WHICH CAUSES...

WINDSHIELD CRACK APPEARED SUDDENLY ORIGINATING NEAR THE HEATING ELEMENT AT THE BOTTOM .DO NOT SEE ANY VISIBLE ROCK HIT MARKS . DEALERSHIP DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ANY MANUFACTURING DEFECTS AND I HAVE TO GET IT REPAIRED USING MY INSURANCE .

WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE DRIVING ON I-684. THERE WAS NO OBJECT THAT HIT THE GLASS OR SOUND OF ANYTHING HITTING. JUST A CRACK ORIGINATING FROM THE DEICER AREA OF THE WINDSHIELD TOWARDS THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND UP AND TO THE RIGHT THAT APPEARED SUDDENLY. THERE WAS NO ADVERSE WEATHER AND THE CAR WAS OPERATING AS NORMAL. THE DEFROSTER WAS ON AT THE TIME.

REAR VIEW MIRROR BROKE LOOSE FROM WINDSHIELD WHILE BEING ADJUSTED. VEHICLE STATIONARY, VEHICLE OFF, PREPARING TO DRIVE AFTER BEING PARKED DURING THE WORK DAY. A CHUNK OF GLASS REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE BASE OF THE MIRROR. VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 600 MILES ON IT AND THE MIRROR HAD NOT BEEN SUBJECTED TO ANY ABNORMAL FORCES. BALL SOCKETS ON MIRROR SUPPORT SEEM VERY TIGHT.

WINDSHIELD CRACK ON A 2016 SUBARU OUTBACK LIMITED WITH EYESIGHT, PURCHASED NEW IN APRIL 2016 AND CURRENTLY HAS 2,200 MILES ON IT. WENT TO RUN A QUICK ERRAND, DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL. ON THE WAY HOME WHILE DRIVING IN A RAINSTORM, I NOTICED A 6" CRACK ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD. THE CRACK RUNS FROM THE EDGE OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE, ABOUT 1/3 UP FROM THE BOTTOM AND ABOUT 4' IN TOWARD THE CENTER. THE CRACK HAS GROWN TO ABOUT 18 INCHES OVERNIGHT. THERE IS EVIDENCE OF A SMALL CHIP IN THE GLASS, BUT NOTHING I WOULD EXPECT TO CAUSE A CRACK AND I DON'T RECALL ANYTHING IMPACTING THE WINDSHIELD. THIS CRACK ONLY AFFECTS THE OUTER GLASS AND DOES NOT PROPAGATE THROUGH THE LAMINATION INTO THE INNER GLASS. THERE IS EVIDENCE OF DELAMINATION OF THE GLASS IN THE AREA ADJACENT TO THE CRACK. THIS IS A WIDE CRACK. I...

CAR HAD 2578 MILES ON IT. WHILE PARKED OVERNIGHT WINDSHIELD CRACKED STARTING AT PASSENGER SIDE AND EXTENDING APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES TOWARD DRIVER SIDE. WENT IMMEDIATELY TO THE LOCAL SUBARU SERVICE DEPT AND THEY DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO NO EVIDENCE OF A STRIKE CAUSING IT. WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED WITH SUBARU BRANDED PART 6 DAYS LATER THROUGH SUBARU BUT BY THEN THE CRACK HAD GROWN TO APPROX. 18INCHS.

SECOND WINDSHIELD CRACK IN 10 DAYS. WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE IN THE RAIN, I TURNED ON THE FRONT DE-FOGGER. APPROX 20 SECONDS LATER THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM THE CENTER BOTTOM UP AND TOWARD THE DRIVERS SIDE. CRACK CURRENTLY EXTENDS UP ABOUT 8 INCHES. AS BEFORE, THERE WAS NO STRIKE THAT CAUSED THIS AND PAVEMENT WAS CLEAN AND SMOOTH. THIS WAS A NEW SUBARU BRANDED WINDSHIELD THAT WAS INSTALLED LITERALLY 4 DAYS AGO. GOING BACK IN TO THE SERVICE DEPT FOR REPAIR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

VEHICLE PURCHASED NEW 2/25/2016. 1990 MILEAGE. CRACKS DEVELOPED WHILE DRIVING AT 70MPH. NO SOUNDS OF STONES HITTING GLASS AT ANY TIME DURING DRIVE. STOPPED TO WASH WINDSHIELD AT GAS STOP. DID NOT NOTICE CRACKS UNTIL LATER IN DRIVE. AC WAS TURNED ON & OFF DURING DRIVE, IF THAT MADE A DIFFERENCE. DRIVEN 500 MILES IN MODESTLY WARM SUNNY WEATHER IN 8 HRS THAT DAY,4/24/2016. CRACK PROGRESSED TO DRIVERS LINE OF SITE WITHIN ONE HOURS TIME. WAS INFORMED BY SUBARU DEALER NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. REPAIR IS MY EXPENSE.

WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE SITTING IN A PARKING AREA. THERE WAS A SMALL CHIP IN THE DEICER AREA WHERE THE CRACK BEGAN. HOWEVER, IT APPEARS THE STRIKE WAS MINOR AND WOULD HAVE BEEN EASILY REPAIRED BEFORE SPREADING. ALREADY HAD ONE CHIP REPAIRED FOR ANOTHER MINOR STRIKE. WINDSHIELD APPEARS TO BE EXCESSIVELY FRAGILE WHICH COULD RESULT IN A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM. DEALER IS WILLING TO REPAIR, BUT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE QUALITY OF GLASS BEING USED IN THE SUBARU.

WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITHIN FIRST 150 MILES/48 HOURS OF OWNERSHIP OF THE NEW CAR. A VERY SMALL PIECE OF GRAVEL HIT THE WINDSHIELD NEAR THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER BLADE. IT BARELY MADE ANY NOISE. ON ANY OTHER CAR I'VE OWNED, IT LIKELY WOULD NOT HAVE DAMAGED THE WINDSHIELD AT ALL. IT LEFT A STAR ON THE OUTBACK, WHICH TURNED INTO A FOOT LONG CRACK WITHIN 30 SECONDS. SITTING OVERNIGHT THE CRACK DOUBLED IN SIZE. A WINDSHIELD WHICH FAILS UNDER TYPICAL DAY-TO-DAY CONDITIONS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.

I BOUGHT A 2016 SUBARU OUTBACK ON MARCH 5TH, 2016. AFTER TWO WEEKS I TOOK A TRIP DOWN TO ATLANTA AND BACK TO KNOXVILLE, TN. I WAS DRIVING ON I-75 AND GOING 70MPH. I HEARD NO SOUND NOR DID I SEE A ROCK OR DEBRIS HIT MY WINDSHIELD, BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN I SAW A CRACK APPEAR. WITHIN AN HOUR OF HOME THIS CRACK GREW FROM ABOUT 3 INCHES TO 5 INCHES. I CALLED SUBARU OF AMERICA AND ALL THEY TOLD ME WAS 'CRACKS HAPPEN.'

THE DAY AFTER DRIVING THE NEW CAR HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP, A CRACK APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES IN LENGTH APPEARED IN THE WINDSHIELD. THE CRACK WAS NOT NOTICED UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND HAD NOT MOVED FOR ABOUT 24 HOURS. THE CRACK STARTED AT THE EXTREME EDGE OF THE WINDSHIELD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE TOWARD THE TOP AND CURVED DOWN.

WHEN DRIVING ABOUT 60MPH ON A SMOOTH FLAT HIGHWAY, A SMALL CLICK WAS HEARD. DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT AT FIRST. AFTER ABOUT 10 MORE MINUTES OF DRIVING I HEARD A LOUD POP. A 8 INCH VERTICAL CRACK STARTED ON THE WINDSHIELD. IT STARTED LOW, BY THE WIPERS, AROUND THE MID-LINE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE CRACK HAS CONTINUALLY GROWN AND IS NOW RUNNING HORIZONTALLY ACROSS THE DRIVER-SIDE.

WHILE THE CAR WAS GARAGED WITH THE GARAGE DOOR CLOSED, IT DEVELOPED AT ROUGHLY 12" CRACK RUNNING FROM THE RIGHT (PASSENGER SIDE) PILLAR. THERE IS NO ROCK STRIKE OR OTHER IMPACT, NOR HAD THERE BEEN ONE PRIOR TO IT BEING GARAGED. IT DEVELOPED OVERNIGHT.

DURING A RECENT TRIP TO FLORIDA, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD ON MY NEW 2016 SUBARU OUTBACK DEVELOPED OVER HALF A DOZEN SMALL PITS IN THE EXTERIOR GLASS SURFACE FROM CONTACT WITH VERY TINY PEBBLES. THE TINY PEBBLE STRIKES SHOULD NOT HAVE CAUSED SUCH PITS BASED ON MY EXTENSIVE DRIVING EXPERIENCE. I BELIEVE THERE TO BE A DEFECT IN THE GLASS ITSELF, MAKING IT UNUSUALLY BRITTLE. THE PEBBLE STRIKES OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS ON HIGHWAY OFF RAMPS. THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE DURING THE PEBBLE STRIKES, WHICH TOOK PLACE OVER SEVERAL DAYS OF DRIVING, RANGED FROM 60 TO 85 DEGREES F. THE DEALER EXAMINED THE WINDSHIELD AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING INFERIOR ABOUT IT.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND HEARD THE WINDOW CRACK (POSSIBLY A SMALL PEBBLE, BUT NOT A ROCK SOUND) AND SAW A CRACK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW THAT EXTENDED TO NEAR THE LANE DEPARTURE SYSTEM. I DISABLE THE LANE DEPARTURE SYSTEM OUT OF CAUTION. WHEN I STOPPED I FOUND A TINY PIT LIKELY FROM A SMALL ROCK/PEBBLE NEAR THE EDGE OF THE WINDSHIELD. IT SEEMS LIKE IT FORMED A CRACK VERY EASILY WITH NO NOTICEABLE IMPACT..

NON COLLISION OR OTHER VEHICLE DAMAGE CRACK IN WINDSHIELD. A CRACK APPEARED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. ACCORDING TO OWNER WEBSITE THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM OF WHICH SUBARU IS AWARE FOR THE 2015 AND 2016 MODEL YEARS. THEY OCCASIONALLY COVER THE REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY CLAIMING THEY DO SO AS A "COURTESY" CAR WAS STATIONARY, PARKED IN GARAGE ENGINE OFF. WINDSHIELD JUST CRACKED

I JUST PURCHASED A 2016 OB 2.5I PREMIUM. I HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR A WEEK AND A HALF. ON FRIDAY I DECIDED TO WASH MY CAR FOR THE FIRST TIME. I STARTED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, RAISED THE DRIVERS SIDE WIPER, WENT AROUND THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND RAISED THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER. I THEN WASHED AROUND THE CAR. WHEN I WENT TO PUT THE DRIVERS SIDE WIPER DOWN IT HIT THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER AND SLAPPED IT DOWN ONTO THE WINDSHIELD. AN HOUR LATER I NOTICED A CRACK COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE. I DID THE "PEN TEST" AND FOUND A SMALL DEPRESSION UNDER THE WIPER. NO ROCK HIT MY WINDSHIELD, IT WOULD HAVE HAD TO PASS THROUGH THE WIPER. THATS IMPOSSIBLE. BECAUSE I WAS JUST FREAKING AMAZED THAT IT COULD OF HAPPENED I RAISED THE PASSENGER WIPER AND LET IT COME DOWN ON THE WINDSHIELD TO...