picked up Outback Saturday 12/20 then had small rock hit lower portion of windshield . Now I have a 12" crack. Yes it happened 1 day after I owned it but just unfortunate. Here's the deal, it was a really small rock and normally with other cars windshields this would have been no big deal. This small hit normally would not have done a thing. In fact, no starburst was showing but instead a crack occurred when cold weather hit. NO I didn't get extended warranty since I generally don't as matter of practice.
New replacement via dealer for eyesight front windshield :
-$370 windshield + $75 stripping + $170 labor
Have any of you experienced similar problem and surprised it cracked so easily?
Search is our good friend. There are already a few threads in the forum on windshield damage issues. Still, a real bummer you experienced this so soon after taking delivery. This is an insurance issue, not Subaru warranty.
Thanks for help friend...I think my initial suspicions are correct. Bob Moore did admit they had two earlier this summer with same issue. Looking at photos they are identical to mine..."no real rock hit and shocked the window cracked..."
Ty again and you might make plans with yours from my reading.
Well I joined the NEW car cracked windshield club grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr so pissed. I have had the car 2 weeks. I was barely moving getting onto a parkway and a stoned hits my windshield and adds a nice star almost at eye level.( See Pic) I'll give you a brief history on my 2009 Forester. Two windshield replacements and two chips. I believe the way they have the windshield angled on Subarus they are easily damaged by most stone strikes. I had an Acrua Tl and had a few stone strikes and they would just bounce off the windshield with no damage. It also doesnt help I'm in NY and they way they patch pot holes here is to spit in a hole and throw some wet goo rocks in it. By the next day all the rocks are all over the road cracking windshields.
Unfortunately, I have also had to replace mine before the 1st oil change. Here in Alabama, it cost me a couple dollars under $600 for the replacement (heated with eyesite). I had it done by a 3rd part glass guy who was recommended by my dealer. He did it at the dealership under their supervision.
There is a problem with the windshields or the structural design. My first crack occurred after 11 days and I replaced the windshield. The next crack happened six weeks later. I still haven't replaced it yet.
In 30 years of driving these same roads, the same way, I had a grand total on one cracked windshield. With this car, I had two in less than two months. One cracked windshield can be ascribed to bad luck, but two? C'mon.
I contacted Subaru after the second occurrence. The customer service rep was very empathetic, but insisted that it was just bad luck on my part. I encourage everyone who has experienced a broken windshield to flood Subaru with complaints.
Maybe Subaru can send over a bunch of people to pick up all the loose rocks on all the roads, to stop this from happening. That's the only fix I can see for rocks cracking "GLASS" windshields
Seems as if Subaru should look into some structural improvements, stiffening the body flex, because that probably may cause the cracking....or, ask Carlex (their third party vendor) to formulate a better windshield composition...
The way current cars are now designed is by using computer animated architecture. It's amazing to watch this in any design studio of any new model. I have seen this at Munich BMW factory, where one of my friends works as a design engineer...this, of course, is not available to public viewing due to secrecy of new model designing. Lot of people make living by publishing future model/prototype pictures...
Seems as if the old method was better, IMO. They would design and produce of a couple of prototypes and then have extensive testing done, in real life on real roads and in real weather conditions - not having everything simulated on a computer screen, how it is done nowadays.
But that is a lengthy process (sometimes over 5 years or more to spit out a new model) while competition is breathing on all car manufacturers' necks..some car manufacturers, like Honda or Toyota, spit out a new model in less than a year!
My 2015 Subaru Outback windshield cracked on the passenger side. The crack is about 10 inches long. There is no chip from a rock...the crack starts straight and then curves downward. Seems more like a stress crack...
My 2015 Subaru Outback windshield cracked on the passenger side. The crack is about 10 inches long. There is no chip from a rock...the crack starts straight and then curves downward. Seems more like a stress crack...
...caused by body flex... go easy on the speed bumps in parking lots (driving over those in an angle) or steep driveways, pulling in/going sideways....or beef up your torsion bars...
You may have a point there....you know, all manufacturers are paranoid about weight - they try to lower it as much as possible. Like some stopped offering standard spare tires...LOL
I bought my 2015 outback last Thanksgiving. I have 4,700 miles on the car and I am waiting to get my third factory windshield. I have been wondering if other customers have the same issues with the windshield. Little pebbles crack the windshield. I traded a Dodge Ram 2500 with 257K miles on it for the Subaru. I never had a ding in the trucks windshield. I drive same as I did when I had the truck. I have driven my trucks over a million miles since 1981. I have only had one other windshield crack in 34 years.
Wow, mine cracked in the first month today, from the bottom driver side up and across a third of the windscreen about 20 inches on my 4 week old 2.5i with eyesight and 1,100 miles. It looks like a small stone hit the bottom left corner and it spread quickly.
This is so disappointing for a Subaru. My 2005 Forester never had issues. That's why I'm a repeat customer - durable, safe, great driving and reliable/no issues. Subaru's are supposed to be out in nature, hardy vehicles. To have this in the first month seems suspicious and odd. I had only one windshield replacement in 49 years of driving. I must replace it because it's unsafe. I'll go in to the dealer to keep a record. Loved my new Outback, very sad at the disappointing fragility.
In my reading the only car i recall being mentioned so often for broken windshields was the Honda Element.
Probably a combo of the upright glass and body flex.
The gen 5 body is claimed to be much more rigid than the gen 4 and in my test drives it felt that way too., A tribute to computer design but there's still no substitute for real-world testing, which some of our posters seem to be doing, and getting (easily) cracked glass.
Mine's a 2013 so it's not limited the gen 5. I had to replace 2 windshields in the first 6 months of ownership, with the first being about a week in. The very small rock hits absolutely would not have cracked the windshield on any other vehicle I have owned. Not only did they crack, they ran at least 12" across the windshield within 30 minutes after cracking.
The first hit was very low in the center of the windshield, about 1" from the bottom of the windshield. The second was about 12" from the passenger windshield edge, and about 12" down from the top. Neither of the rocks was large and the hit didn't sound particularly loud; it was just a little "tick" sound at impact.
There is either a design flaw in Subaru's structural engineering, in the glass specified, or it's just bad luck for everyone and the small rocks are all hitting at exactly the right angle to crack the windshield (and I don't believe the last one!).
The crack in my 2015 Outback windshield continues to spread and is now nearly 20 inches long zig zagging across the windshield. There is nothing to suggest that anything hit the windshield; there is no chip and I don't remember anything hitting the windshield. The crack started on the passenger side, at the glue edge, about midway up from the bottom.
I'm going to the dealer today to discuss the problem and will call Subaru directly about the issue. This is my third Outback and I have never replaced a windshield until now.
Talked to my insurance. $50 for a new windshield. Now I need to wait for Safelite to get my replacement in. I was told that it is dealer only part and they need to order it from Subaru.
Yeah - right! Then, Subaru orders it from Carlex - there is no such thing as "dealer only part"... just adds another middlemen in supply chain...
Others have reported that Safelite orders the glass directly from Carlex, bypassing the dealer...LOL
My small bullseye became a crack as soon as pressure was exerted to inject repair resin. Over the last few years I've noticed windshields getting lighter and lighter?all for the sake of achieving the CAFE standard. Blame the gubmint, not the manufacturers. Compounding their problem is weight added to meet safety requirements. The fact that Ford bet the store on an aluminum F150 with a high tech engine pretty much tells the tale.
I noticed a crack on my 2015 Outback's windshield today.Quite surprising, as i never heard a rock hitting the glass in the last few days. What's usually recommended? Repairing or replacing it? Does the repair last a long time? If repairing it works, then who to go to in Portland?
I am yet to call Pemco, my insurance company. I do see a $100 deductible on the insurance policy. Will making a claim such as this increase my premium next year?
Will appreciate any inputs.
I do see other windshield cracking posts in the 2015 Surabus, so wondering if it is a Subaru problem.
Hi, I experienced a similar thing like yours today. The crack on my 2015 Outback's windshield is also on the passenger side and i have not heard anything hitting the windshield.
Does the Eyesight need to be re-calibrated. I have not heard anyone else mention that they had to have this done? My insurance company told me I would need to take it to the dealer and have it done and to not trust the system until I did it. They said to send them the bill, and I would be reimbursed, if I was charged for it. I am now waiting to hear from the glass shop on when they will have my new windshield and then I will call my dealer and setup and appointment to have this done.
I contacted safelite and they said that for Subarus with eyesight and lane assist the only option is to go to the dealer. I dont know what is involved with the calibration but will keep everyone posted.
Not sure, if you have the time, but are you going to wait at the dealer for this job? It would be interesting, if you could be there...Then, if you are close to the service dept, see, who actually replaces the windshield. I bet it will be Safelite...LOL
There are certain tools/hoists, etc. that are needed for windshield replacements and I am not quite sure that the dealer would invest into having those...but, I may be wrong...let us know...thanks!
Just got back from dropping my car off at the dealer because it would not start this morning and I asked them if I will need to get it re-calibrated and he said yes. Safelite called and said the windshield is back-ordered and they do not know when they will get it.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Subaru Outback Forums
1.9M posts
188.3K members
Since 2003
Welcome to the Subaru Outback Owners Forum, we have tons of information about your Subaru Outback, from a Subaru Outback Wiki to customer reviews.