[1stNewOutback]

Omg. This really is a thing isn’t it?

I search the site a couple of times and like other people I woke up and found a hairline crack.

Parallel to the ground on the driver side and then turning up after four or 5 inches. Starts at the very edge by the rubber so I’m calling to dealership this morning cause I don’t want to put this against my insurance.

The car isn’t even two months old.

I love it I’ve been in some really bad weather recently and it’s been great.

I wonder if it’s the cold we’ve been through some freeze wet cycles in the last week multiple.

And because of the cracked glass threads, I really made sure to use the defroster to melt the front and the back and then just peel it off.

wow. They’ve got to know they’ve got a thing.

(Depending on how the conversation goes I may have them test the battery too LOL)

you can see the hairline crack goes all the way to the edge of the black border because of the moisture.

 

[Rotsen]

Omg. This really is a thing isn’t it?

I search the site a couple of times and like other people I woke up and found a hairline crack.

Parallel to the ground on the driver side and then turning up after four or 5 inches. Starts at the very edge by the rubber so I’m calling to dealership this morning cause I don’t want to put this against my insurance.

The car isn’t even two months old.

I love it I’ve been in some really bad weather recently and it’s been great.

I wonder if it’s the cold we’ve been through some freeze wet cycles in the last week multiple.

And because of the cracked glass threads, I really made sure to use the defroster to melt the front and the back and then just peel it off.

wow. They’ve got to know they’ve got a thing.

(Depending on how the conversation goes I may have them test the battery too LOL)

you can see the hairline crack goes all the way to the edge of the black border because of the moisture.

View attachment 504335


View attachment 504337

 

[Rotsen]

Please keep us readers posted. I am getrting a little nervous about this experience of yours as I just bought my 2021 Outback Limited less than 2 months ago.

I hope the dealer/manufacturer will replace this for free and should provide you something of value like free 3 oil changes for the trouble it caused you. When my new MB ML had issue with the power steering oil leak and had to be towed and repaired in just a day, I was given 2 free oil chnages during its life time.

Good luck.

 

[1stNewOutback]

I called the dealership I bought it from. The first person I spoke to in the service department said cracked glass usually has to go through insurance and she said that a couple of times. I told her I was going to go through all the process, first the dealership, then Subaru of America (SOA) and my insurance last . I asked to speak to a supervisor. When I spoke with him he said he hadn’t seen a stress crack on the windshield before but if I came by or had photos he would look at them. I’ve got good photos but I’m gonna go drive by because I’m actually off today and face-to-face is different.

Will update when I can.

 

[Rotsen]

To my mind, if this is a factory defect the dealer/manufacturer should bear the responsibility. Why claim with the insurance when it is not their fault? Good you will give them the chance to personally look at the issue.

Your next move to bring this up with SOA is the proper step.

 

[1stNewOutback]

They took some pictures and video of the crack and they’re going to submit it to Subaru and see what they say is what they claim. By Monday I should know.

He said one of the tricks they use to see if it’s a stress crack or a debris crack is to run a pen across the crack see see if it catches anywhere. It didn’t catch anywhere.

fingers crossed. I was really polite said I’m just gonna go through the process and depending on what they say either we get it fixed or I reach out to Subaru of America directly to see if I can motivate them before reaching out to the insurance.

told me not to worry about it blowing in on my face because it’s laminated.

 

[Foolish]

I would recommend also filing a complaint. There are several with windshield and moon roof issues.

2021 SUBARU OUTBACK SUV AWD

 

[1stNewOutback]

There’s a thought. Never occurred to me. But I might. I do want to see how they handle the issue, but at the same time, I have never had to replace a windshield before and the first time it happens it’s with a model where there seems to be a high incidence.

In the NHTSA link, majority of those complaints in different categories are windshield related.

yea, I probably will...

 

[zachavm]

This seems to be an epidemic for all Subaru vehicles. Does anyone know what the reason is? Are they using a special type of glass that cracks easily? Is it related to the Eyesight cameras?

 

[SilverOnyx]

This may not be relevant but one Gen6 owner had their cracked Carlex brand OEM windshield replaced with Fuyao glass and he thought that it was better and stronger. Just anecdotal. Fuyao is also an OEM Subaru glass supplier, but not for the Windshield.

In cases where there's no evidence of impact damage Subaru should take care of it under warranty and they have done just that for several other owners. Glass can be nicked at the edge during manufacturing storage or installation at the factory, making it susceptible to stress fractures.

 

[SilverOnyx]

This seems to be an epidemic for all Subaru vehicles. Does anyone know what the reason is? Are they using a special type of glass that cracks easily? Is it related to the Eyesight cameras?

It's an epidemic for most modern cars for several reasons:

They are using thinner lighter glass for fuel economy.

The windshields are larger and more raked so there's more surface area to either take strike damage or to suffer from stress. Also the larger a piece of glass is, the more internal stress it can have.

Old-school windshields were not only thicker and smaller, but they were installed in a rubber grommet. Today's windshields are literally glued directly to the car with no rubber grommet and are considered a "stressed member" of the car for crash protection purposes.

The same glass suppliers (Fuyao, Carlex, etc) are used across many brands of cars, and within Subaru they use different brands for different windshields on various vehicles, so it's not confined to just one brand of glass either.

 

[1stNewOutback]

I’ll say this much, and it is completely subjective and I chalked it up to how clear it looked (and before I joined the forum)

it “felt” like was the thinnest windshield I had ever “seen”

but now I wonder...

edit: looks like @SilverOnyx just confirmed that impression...

 

[Danver]

I'm a few days short of four years with my 2017 Outback and the original windshield has held up just fine. Most durable glass I have ever seen.

(I figured I better get my anecdotal evidence in as well.)

 

[1stNewOutback]

I'm a few days short of four years with my 2017 Outback and the original windshield has held up just fine. Most durable glass I have ever seen.

(I figured I better get my anecdotal evidence in as well.)

Truth be told, we always need to hear the other side since most people who have problems will post and the others wont. But it does seem to repeat.. even if ppl who join forums for their cars are the stark minority of consumers. Same time, we are the most likely to fuss and notice patterns no one else is saying out loud!

 

[SilverOnyx]

Right - the moment someone has a problem is when they rush to a forum and join up with others who also joined the forum because of a problem.

I haven't had any of my 4 Subarus crack a windshield but my 2009 Honda Fit had one crack from an obvious rock strike. Replaced under insurance by Safelite Mobile and good as new.

Windshield replacements aren't terribly difficult or complicated but with Subaru Eyesight the other issue is whether or not you need calibration.

The official factory service manual procedure is to remove the Eyesight module prior to replacing the windshield, and then re-installing and re-calibrating Eyesight after. I doubt anyone removes the Eyesight module when changing glass, but if they do, I can see why it would need re-calibration.

In theory the variations in windshield curvature - individual distortions can vary due to manufacturing methods, so even if the module wasn't removed and replaced, it may be necessary to re-calibrate Eyesight however several members state that they had no eyesight issues after windshield replacement without doing the calibration. My insurance covers calibration but I think some people's didn't.

 

[EgregiousBlunder]

I'm going to continue to echo this until SOA makes good on the crappy Carlex glass they use on these cars. Contact SOA and provide pictures and a very clear explanation of the situation, they know they have a glass issue that has been going on for a while now. This is an engineering oversight both with the vehicle design and the quality of the glass provided. There are threads up on threads on many Subaru forums about this issue. There was even a class action suit for it as well, but of course they moved to dismiss them claiming "it's not our problem". Talk to SOA!

 

[SilverOnyx]

If your glass breaks due to internal stress and not a rock strike, it is a good idea to register it with the NHSTA where these reports are captured and made available for statistical analysis.

It's an open question whether the problem is glass itself, or something about the way Subaru designs their A pillars that they attach to, or it could even be the "glass holders" that Subaru uses for assembly, or the way they store glass waiting for installation.

Looking at NHSTA complaints will give you an informal idea whether or not the incidence is higher in Subarus in general or certain models in particular, or if this is a trend common to other manufacturers Vehicle Detail Search

There is speculation that adding a strut tower bar might either increase, or decrease stress on the windshield. Personally I think it will decrease it, but an argument can be made that stiffening a structure in one spot will move the stress to another spot. Makes sense. Would have to use a supercomputer to figure it out though.

 

[1stNewOutback]

It’s an interesting question, and shifting stress might just cost more depending on what gets stressed. They use urethane, not a gasket, to hold it in place.

right now however, I am still officially waiting on a determination from the dealer who said they will submit to SOA. Hopefully he adds the bit where I said if they say no I will go to them directly.

but I will be adding to the list. All the complaints there are new glass.

if it was a strike, it’s bad luck. I can’t find a strike mark.

hopefully, they decide the same and the SOA customer first rep gets a boost. Every car/device will have issues. How they are handled makes the difference.

 

[SilverOnyx]

I'm torn about issues like this. As the owner of a Gen6 Outback I certainly want Subaru to recognize if there is an issue with the car. Subaru has issued numerous running changes, software updates, parts improvements already, so Subaru has a track record of proactively seeking to improve their products. I wouldn't expect Subaru to try to pretend there's no problem and none of the improvements they've already made to the car were done under the pressure of a class action lawsuit. If they find a problem they fix it.

But historically they have responded to pressure on things like the CVT by extending the warranty to 10/100 for CVT transmissions made until 2018. The 2019-20-21 do not have the extended CVT warranty.

I trust Subaru to do the right thing but us owners can do our part by providing data for them to act on, whether it's via NHSTA or calling SOA or simply having the dealer look at the problem. I don't want there to be hysteria or generate additional fear uncertainty and doubt about Subaru, but at the same time I don't want things to be swept under the rug. They are what they are. If you have a problem let Subaru know, NHSTA if it rises to that level, e.g. spontaneously cracking glass.

In manufacturing complex devices, things can go wrong and I totally agree that what differentiates one brand from another is not whether a defect is discovered, but what they do about it if one exists.

Someone else created a thread about their singular experience and when you look at the landscape that particular issue happens with Porsche, BMW, Toyota, Honda, etc. There isn't a single vehicle made that is perfect and never needs repair, even if it's a million dollars, made by NASA, Boeing, SpaceX, Tesla, Ferrari, etc.

 

[Rotsen]

I'm torn about issues like this. As the owner of a Gen6 Outback I certainly want Subaru to recognize if there is an issue with the car. Subaru has issued numerous running changes, software updates, parts improvements already, so Subaru has a track record of proactively seeking to improve their products. I wouldn't expect Subaru to try to pretend there's no problem and none of the improvements they've already made to the car were done under the pressure of a class action lawsuit. If they find a problem they fix it.

But historically they have responded to pressure on things like the CVT by extending the warranty to 10/100 for CVT transmissions made until 2018. The 2019-20-21 do not have the extended CVT warranty.

I trust Subaru to do the right thing but us owners can do our part by providing data for them to act on, whether it's via NHSTA or calling SOA or simply having the dealer look at the problem. I don't want there to be hysteria or generate additional fear uncertainty and doubt about Subaru, but at the same time I don't want things to be swept under the rug. They are what they are. If you have a problem let Subaru know, NHSTA if it rises to that level, e.g. spontaneously cracking glass.

In manufacturing complex devices, things can go wrong and I totally agree that what differentiates one brand from another is not whether a defect is discovered, but what they do about it if one exists.

Someone else created a thread about their singular experience and when you look at the landscape that particular issue happens with Porsche, BMW, Toyota, Honda, etc. There isn't a single vehicle made that is perfect and never needs repair, even if it's a million dollars, made by NASA, Boeing, SpaceX, Tesla, Ferrari, etc.

I am one of those who recently purchased one and I am having jitters reading the postings. Hopefully SOA will come out with a sound and assuring statement related to this issue as it will diminish their reputation.
Had I known this before the purchase, I would have seriously considered the other Japanese brands. Keeping my finger crossed this will not happen to my 2021 Limited Outback.