2022 Subaru Outback Complaint Log

A small rock at relatively low speeds (35mph) hit the windshield and caused a small chip that within a minute formed into close to a dozen foot long cracks compromising my view. I have experienced rock chips many times but I have never had one that spread so quickly or caused this much damage from such a relatively small impact. I believe that Subaru has a faulty windshield design or is using material that is not durable enough for it's intended use. Questioning other Subaru owners and the dealership collision shop this seems to be a very common occurrence and that these windshields are prone to cracks and failures. It appears newer model Subaru Outbacks are being shipped windshields that inferior at best or extremely dangerous at worst.

No impact event. Entered car in the morning and noticed a 1-2" horizontal crack in windshield, with no sign of impact. Over a few days, that 1-2" crack became a 3-foot monster. Of course, Subaru claims it was due to impact.

While a relative was driving my 2 week old 2022 subaru outback, he had a minor impact from a very small rock that left no visible damage. The next day, a large crack had appeared in the middle of the driver’s side from the edge to the rear view mirror. I could not get an appointment to get it replaced until next saturday and over the last 3 days the crack has grown significantly, including a piece that is cracked all the way around. I am worried about catastrophic failure on even a short gentle drive to work. It is extremely disappointing to think that this might be an ongoing problem with the car. In 36 years of driving many different cars nothing like this has ever happened.

On or about April 28, 2022, while traveling on route 95 North (an interstate highway) utilizing the Factory GPS system which is in the center console, the entire console went blank. I immediately grew concerned the vehicle steering or acceleration was about to fail and pulled over on the shoulder of the interstate. I turned off the vehicle and restarted it, yet the screen remained blank, which meant I could not control the heat, defroster, air conditioning, GPS, radio, the USB ports, the telephone connections, and etcetera; all were inoperable. As I continued to drive the screen remained blank or blacked out. I pulled into a rest area and waited 20 minutes with the vehicle turned off, and when I restarted the vehicle, it operated normally. On April 29, 2022, vehicle mileage 10,389, I took my 2022 Outback to Subaru, while at the dealership the dealership diagnosed the problem as follows: a new center console Cockpit Control Unit Assembly-Navigation and Display Assembly was ordered. I was told the dealership would contact me when the part arrived. I did not hear from the dealership and on June 27, 2022, vehicle mileage 16,282, I returned to Subaru for the third (3rd) time, and I informed them the problem with the center console continued. I was advised that additional testing was needed. According to the service records a miscellaneous check for the latest software was completed, issue was not resolved, the console failed to accept the updates and a new console was ordered. No warning lamps, codes or errors were noticed, the screen goes blank and the driver wonders what will occur next. In this model, 2022 Outback XT Limited, the screen is over 12 inches tall and is the predominant electrical system in the vehicle. The problem was replicated by the dealership on 5 service visits, it is available for inspection, although the concern occurs daily it is intermitent. After 6 visits the problem has not been repaired/rectified.

Windshield developed 12 inch crescent shaped crack overnight while parked under a clear sky.

I woke up one morning to find a foot long crack in my windshield that appears to have originated from the passenger edge. I see no visible impact point and there was no sound of anything impacting the windshield. After a few minutes of driving, the crack grew to cut into the path of eyesight.

I have had my car exactly a week. I have 200 miles on it and the windshield cracked for no known reason.

Windshield cracked with very little sign of impact.

I bought Subaru Outback Jan 2022 brand new. Also, I bought the extended warranty. Last April 18,2022 while I was driving along the parkway I heard a sound hitting my windshield and all of a sudden I saw a cracked on the windshield, about 7inches long. Looking at the windshield, It does not look like a large object hit my windshield. You could tell it's just a small object. I can assume its a small stone. I discovered later on about the lawsuit/complains about Subaru's problems with cracked prone windshield. Subaru dealer did not disclose anything about this problem when I was buying this car otherwise I will not buy this car. I called the dealer and they want ~$1100 for repair. This windshield is defective, poor quality and dangerous! I hope you will investigate this matter seriously. Thanks!

The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle overnight, the next morning it was discovered that the front windshield had developed a ten-inch-long crack. The contact indicated that no object had struck the windshield to cause the windshield to crack. The local dealer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 6,500. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY AND THE CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO WITHDRAW THE COMPLAINT.

Driving down the road for work, coworker noticed i had a crack in my windshield. At no time did there ever seem to be a strike to the windshield that would cause it to crack. Now a few days later this crack has grown to the length of roughly 16". The windshield seems to be very thin and brittle, which seems unsafe. They are also very expensive to fix, due to the safety system installed in the car, which seems counterintuitive since the windshields break so easy, which then causes the safety system to not work correctly.

The windshield cracked 1 week after purchasing the vehicle. This glass is too fragile.

Windshield cracked while parked overnight.

The windshield cracked 8+ inches due to a small rock that wouldn’t have cracked most other vehicle’s windshields. This happened the day after I bought it.

My windshield on my car cracked randomly overnight from the edge of the windshield coming outward. No chips or any road debris seems to have caused the problem. It just cracked at random about 2 weeks ago now my passenger side window just had the same thing happen overnight

Windshield spontaneously cracked with no impact from foreign object.

Driving on a rural road with no traffic in front of us, the Windshield cracked about 10 inches right in our line of sight. I am a retired aircraft mechanic and home auto mechanic, so I have some experience with this. I suspect that the black heating strip around the SMART windshield is the malfunctioning component. The windshield is too thin for this design flaw. Drove the 8 month old 8K mile new car to the dealership, who informed us that their mechanic would tell us whether or not a rock chip caused the crack.

In 3 months of owning this vehicle, the Auto Emergency Braking (AEB) system has spontaneously triggered with no cause at least a handful of times (multiple incidents). I am driving with no danger or risk of collision and the vehicle will slam on the brakes and make horrible noises. Not only is this incredibly frustrating, but in an urban driving environment, it is incredibly dangerous.

My 2022 Outback Limited with 4000 miles had a large spontaneous crack form in the bottom of the windshield. Without provocation by the impact of any stone or road bump or other apparent cause, the crack abruptly originated under the lower moulding near the center bottom between driver and passenger side, while at a stop light on a residential street near our home. The crack rapidly lengthened vertically about 4 inches then turned 90 degrees toward passenger side and proceeded to further rapidly lengthen by about a foot before diving vertically back down to the bottom moulding on the passenger side. I called Subaru of America and was told it would likely be a watranty repair but that I needed to take the vehicle to my local Subaru dealer for inspection and documentation of the failure. I took the vehicle immediately to the dealer where they took pictures and wrote up a fully detailed report for Subaru of America (SOA). Now it is 3 days later and I am still awaiting a call from SOA, and I am unable (unwilling actually) to drive the car because of my concern for my family’s safety in case of the windshield failing additionally while driving.

Front windshield crack, around 10-15 inches of length, located at passenger area. Inspection is not necessary since the glass has been replaced, though pictures of glass crack on first appearance has been provided for reference. It is a safety risk due to obstruction of driver’s visibility also the possibility of glass crack expansion or shutter. The incident has been reported to the dealership and 3rd party insurance. There were no symptoms or warning of the problem prior to failure. There are no visible spots or impact area that proves the damage was caused by a rock chip or any other objects hitting the glass that may have caused the crack. April 1 evening, car was checked after parking to garage and prior to entering the house and there was no cracks or any damage. Next day, April 2 morning the crack has appeared and upon checking there was no impact points or spots. From the time of first appearance until the day of it getting fixed the crack has gotten bigger adding 6-8 inches more, while the car has not been driven since the crack appearance.

My 2022 Subaru Outback is 9 month old with only 9432 miles. On 3/31/2022 the windshield suffered the spontaneous windshield breakage problem that Subaru's suffer from. The windshield cracked from the lower left corner of the glass (looking from the front of the car to the windshield). There was nothing that hit the glass. There is no marks on it other than the crack that starts from the lower left edge. The classic Subaru windshield failure issue.

Windshield cracked out of no where. I’ve only had this car 1 day and it’s brand new.

This is on my 2022 Subaru Outback Touring XT around 5500+ miles on my brand car the windshield cracked from the bottom center to the middle straight up. I bought this car in Nov 2021 and this car is always garaged and maintained well. After this incident, we are hesitant to drive hence didn't take the car out for a drive and I see the crack started to expand little by little; which is of more concern for me as this is our family car.

I purchased a brand new 2022 subaru outback. Drove for 2 weeks. Absolutely nothing but raindrops have hit this windshield and a crack began to form at the edge of the windshield and slowly grow across the entire windshield over the course of 2 days. It's right in my eye-line. I went online to see what might be happening and am seeing tons of threads on various sites about this exact problem. I do not feel its fair to pay my full $1000 deductible for damage which I believe is related to a manufacturing or corporate issue. I believe this year needs to be included in the existing recall that I am seeing for similar models.

Front windshield had to be replaced the same day it was driven off the lot. 2 weeks after replacement the windshield cracked again. Dealership and safe lite both claim it’s not their problem. Insurance stated if I continue getting the windshield replaced after every break then they are going to keep raise my rates because of frequently claiming issues. I paid almost $50,000 for this vehicle which requires 4hrs for replacement and programming because of the front facing cameras it requires for safe driving. 4 hrs …IF …no one else is already scheduled so I’m recommended to leave the car over night but no loaner vehicles will be provided. The additional film required to protect the exterior of the windshield is 300% more expensive than the windshield itself. Now every month I have to replace my windshield due to breaking and the obligatory film I and up paying approximately $500 per instance AND pay an insurance rate increase. How is this fair or legal? My car payment is already $750 per month. Monthly repairs for ONLY the windshield are equaling 80% of my already monthly expenses before any other costs. How is this fair or legal? Is there any open lawsuits I can join or any other options?

Windshield cracked on its own from bottom half edge on passengers side and approximately 14” long. Was in the driveway at my child’s daycare, went up to the door, and in that time, the windshield spontaneously cracked. Daycare checked cameras and no branch or object struck the windshield. The crack is in my line of sight part of the time, is extremely noticeable, and at times is an obstruction of view. Also, if something were to actually impact the windshield, I wouldn’t have much for protection but clearly the windshield was not much for protection to begin with. Dealership says it must’ve been a chip but i had just washed my car including the windows and I notice everything and document everything since this is my first purchase of a brand new car. There was no visible chip. I don’t go off-roading or anything of the sort. I 100% believe this is a defect that has been ongoing for Subaru. Dealer gave me a business card to a repair place. Contacted Subaru and they give me a $500 certificate to use towards a windshield replacement at a dealership BUT the dealership will not replace the windshield, most likely because this has been an ongoing issue with Subaru and if the new windshield is not installed by a Subaru dealer, it’s not covered under warranty. So, essentially I got a useless gift certificate. There should have been some sort of disclosure or better yet, some accountability for the poor quality and safety hazard the windshield presents.

a tiny rock hit my window within the first 2,000 milesand created a 8in crack, with in 6 hours it head spread to over a foot long. Subaru is known for having windshield issues.

Purchased a 2022 Subaru Outback in late October 2021. Have been driving regularly and noticed a crack in the windshield extending from the passenger side windshield edge to the center of the windshield. No impact chip is visible, or by touch. No known rock or debris impact while driving. Have been very careful with my new car and am extremely disappointed.

6 month old car with 8000 miles windshield cracked from right passenger side top down and across middle, approximately 18” long crack now with no sign of and damage or impact to the windshield.

Car windshield developed 15 in crack overnight,parked in the garage...I think the windshield is part of vehicle integrity...dealer said a stone must have caused the crack....nothing hit the windshield as far as I'm concerned..I would have heard somthing....vehicle had approx 600 miles on it...had to claim the cracked windshield with my insurance company...My insurance should not have had to cover this....subaru has defective windshields and has for years...DO SOMETHING

Found the windshield cracked starting in the middle of the ream on the passenger side. I did not feel any impact point when running my finger on the crack line. Subaru dealer already replaced the OEM windshield for me. I am filling the complaint because I think this is still a quality issue with Subaru not only on the models before 2020 but also on models in 2022. If it is still the quality issue, it will affect to the safety of the driver.

Cracked windshield causing visibility issues. Does not appear related to damage.

Have had two instances of damaged windshields in a total of eight months of ownership. First incident was a cracked windshield that occurred overnight and required a full replacement that cost over $1000. The second was a minor rock hit that required repair at $155, and is still very visible post-repair by Safelite, most likely require replacement.

Within approximately 1 month of purchasing my windshield cracked for no apparent reason. Nothing that I am aware of hit it. It was parked in an area with no tree's or rocks for less than 20 minutes and when I went back to it I saw the crack. The crack starts from the bottom of the windshield (deicer) and goes up to almost half the windshield.

No warning. At about 943 miles on my brand new 2022 Subaru Outback Limited XT the Windshield cracked from bottom center to the middle straight up approximately1 foot. After sitting in the driveway, not being driven at all, it has cracked more, from the center to each side, approximately 2 feet. Now it's a huge "T" crack.

We have a Brand New 2022 Subaru Outback premium We parked it in our indoor garage for 1 week. We left no lights on, etc. We came back and could not start the car. The dashboard lit up, a lot of flashing icons, the radio and lights came on. We called service they charged battery fully, we drove car for over an hour. Parked in garage. Today, next morning, same thing Had it towed to local dealer. They said would replace battery, no charge (of course) I checked on line and saw an article about this issue affecting Many Subaru owners, that Subaru is well aware, and has not solved the issue. So people have to replace battery fairly often. I can not rely on this car. I am going to join the Class Action Lawsuit now.

My front windshield cracked within the first month of ownership. Thankfully I purchased the windshield repair warranty program that includes about five Replacements without extra cost. About a month after I replaced the windshield it cracked again. If this continues regularly I plan on taking this to small claims court

Witnessed spontaneous crack in windshield while stationary without being hot or impacted by any object. Found numerous similar reports of the same spontaneous windshield cracking complaints on various Subaru enthusiasts web pages and blogs.

A very short time, only weeks after new purchase, a very small rock impact resulted in large crack across entire windshield. Replaced with very costly genuine branded Subaru Replacement Part. 6 Months into the new windshield, while parked and without any impact, crack formed from the edge to the center of the windshield.

The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that whenever the weather was below 15 degrees, the vehicle would fail to start up as needed. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that an unknown sensor needed to be replaced however, the part was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 9,000.

The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving approximately 1 to 2 mph on two occasions into a parking spot, the vehicle hesitated then accelerated and crashed into a pole. There were no warning lights illuminated. There were no reported injuries, air bag deployment, or fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to a collision shop. The contact called the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and had an investigator inspect the vehicle but was unable to duplicate the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 700. The VIN was not available.

Battery completely died on a nearly brand new car overnight, after being parked for less than 48h at temperatures around 5°F. Took it to a dealer who claims that the LED dome light was left on, draining the battery. However, the dome light is an LED light rated at about 100mA @ 13V, and the battery is rated over 100 Amp-hours (de-rated to 45% at ~0°F, so a single dome light by itself should take around ~450 hours to drain a fully-charged battery. It seems like even brand new Subaru Outback 2022s are affected by major parasitic drain battery issues.

While driving at approximately 55 miles per hour, a crack suddenly occurred in the lower passenger side of the front windshield. The crack extended to approximately 20 inches. There was no vehicle in front of the Subaru - no object struck the windshield. The failure mileage was 1100. When taken to the dealership, Subaru determined that the windshield was broken by "outer influences." When taken in to the Subaru dealership for repair, the new windshield had received "some shipping damage" and the repair had to be rescheduled.

Two days after purchasing my 2022 Subaru Outback, the windshield cracked after a tractor trailer kicked up a small pebble on the interstate. The crack spread half way across the windshield within a few days.

Driving on the highway when the windshield suddenly cracked on the passenger's side, lower half of the windshield. The initial crack was at least 3 inches long immediately. There was/is no obvious sign of impact. The windshield has since continued to crack. It is now approximately 2 feet long. It does not appear to be the result of an impact, just rather a random crack.

In first 5,000 miles two windshields have cracked. The first had NO obvious impact. The second was hit by a VERY SMALL pebble (<1/4”). Seems like Subaru hasn’t resolved their windshield issues.

The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, a crack suddenly occurred in the lower center of the front windshield. After parking the vehicle, the crack extended to approximately 18 inches in length. The contact described the crack as having a spider web effect. The contact indicated that no object had struck the windshield to cause the crack. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was not yet notified. The failure mileage was 3,000.

On 9 February 2022 I was driving the vehicle when a Crack appeared on the front driver's side of the windshield. No object hit the windshield before hand that had caused a chip or Crack. The Crack extends from the bottom drivers side up about 1/4 of the height of the windshield and then takes a turn towards the passenger side approximately 9 inches.

The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, he noticed there was a crack on the windshield. There was no impact to the windshield that could have caused the crack. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 2,200.

My windshield has cracked for the second time. I didn’t hear anything and there is no mark of impact, just about a 5 inch crack. It’s coming up from the bottom middle of the windshield. I’m not sure what’s causing this. But this will be the second time I have to replace the windshield on my brand new car. Something needs to be done about this.