2018 Subaru Outback

2018 Subaru Outback parked in driveway. I went to get in car and windshield was cracked starting at the top of the driver's side for 10 inches. I could not continue to drive the car safely for fear that the integrity of the windshield was compromised. I called the insurance company and was told to take it to Safelite to replace the windshield and have the eyesight warning system recalibrated. This is the third time a windshield has been replaced on this car due to a crack. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to the windshield cracking!

My 2018 Subaru Outback was purchased at the end of 2017. In March of 2019 my windshield had two cracks emanating from the car frame on the left and right sides. The Subaru dealership quickly realized this was not caused by road debris and kindly replaced the windshield. In April of the same year, just a month later, another crack appeared on the windshield again emanating from the frame this time only from the left side straight across the driver's view. Subaru graciously replaced the window again calling it a courtesy at no cost to us though they proclaimed it to be from road debris. My third incident happened in December of 2019 emanating from the middle of the frame then gradually extending out towards the driver's side of the windshield. Subaru again claimed this was road debris but agreed to pay my deductible. So now I have approached my 4th incident on May 16, 2021. Again the crack started from the car frame in the middle of the windshield, same as in December, and has extended once more across the windshield in front of the driver's side creating a visibility issue for the driver. This time Subaru will not even acknowledge causality and is denying any issue regarding the design of the car. They are advising I contact my insurance company to have it repaired. Yes Subaru has been generous in the past but does not recognize that there must be an issue with this 2018 Subaru Outback model that causes such damage to the windshield - cracks that emanate from the frame and gradually extend along the horizontal plane of the windshield causing visibility issues for the driver. For Subaru to contend that all these incidents are caused by road debris would have me believe they think I live in or close to a rock quarry which I guarantee is not even remotely true. My daily commute is only 2 miles through a suburban neighborhood with an occasional road trip. This may be a great car but to have to deal with this every year is a long stretch for my patience and safety.

Since June of 2020, my 2018 Subaru Outback has now had four cracked windshields with little to no explanation. The first crack was repaired by a Subaru dealership, only to crack again within 24 hours. The same dealership refused to cover the cost of the second windshield replacement. Then in Nov 2020, it cracked again and a different Subaru dealership did cover the cost of the third windshield replacement, but only after filing a compliant with Subaru Corporate. Now in May 2021, the windshield has cracked again with little to no impact and needs to be replaced. Each time the windshield cracked, it significantly spread across the the windshield within hours, and poses a risk to driving. Please assist, as I am aware of active lawsuit for this same type of car misfunction occurring with other 2018 Subaru models, and cannot afford to have a car continue to have this issue.

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON THE INTESTATE ON A COOL OVERCAST MORNING. THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS AROUND ME AT THE TIME AND I WAS NOT NEAR ANY OVER PASSES WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD A LOUD SOUND FROM MY ROOF AND THEN THE GLASS FALLING ON THE ROOF. I WAS FREAKED OUT BY IT AND IT CAUSED ME TO SWERVE. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE LANE NEXT TO ME OR I WOULD HAVE HIT THEM. I PULLED OVER AS SOON AS I COULD AND STEPPED OUT OF THE CAR TO SEE THAT IN FACT MY SUNROOF HAD EXPLODED. THERE WAS A BIG HOLE IN THE CENTER OF IT AND THE ENTIRE THING HAD CRACKS GOING THROUGH IT. AS IT WAS ON MY MORNING COMMUTE AND I HAD TO GET TO WORK, I GOT BACK INTO MY CAR AND DROVE TO WORK. ON THE REST OF THE DRIVE I COULD HEAR MORE OF THE SUN ROOF FALLING OFF. I CONTACTED SUBARU ABOUT THIS AND THEY WANT ME TO BRING IT IN TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. THE EARLIEST THEY HAVE AVAILABLE FOR ME TO COME IN IS 11 DAYS AFTER THE INCIDENT. WHILE TALKING TO A PARTS PERSON ON THE PHONE, HE DID STATE THAT HE HAS HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING BEFORE TO OTHER CARS.