2018 Subaru Outback

ENTIRE CENTER RADIO CLUSTER HAS FAILED. CAR WAS PARKED IN A GARAGE AND GOT INTO THE CAR AND STARTED CAR AND ENTIRE UNIT WAS BLACK. THIS IMPACTS RADIO, HANDS FREE CELLULAR PHONE USE, NAVIGATION, BACK UP CAMERA AND WARNING SYSTEM, VEHICLE NOTIFICATIONS, STAR LINK PROGRAM. THIS MAY SOUND JUST LIKE A MINOR THING BUT THIS HAS SIGNIFICANT SAFE OPERATION IMPACTS IN REGARDS TO TRAFFIC AND DRIVING, CELL PHONE USE AND NAVIGATION OF THE VEHICLE.

2 WINDSHIELD CRACKS IN LOWER PORTION OF WINDSHIELD DURING 1ST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP. BOTH CRACKS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING AROUND TOWN ~35 MPH, ONCE DURING A 100 DEGF SUMMER DAY, AND THE OTHER DURING A 40 DEGF RAINY WINTER MORNING. INSPECTION OF CRACK AFTER STOPPING SHOWED POSSIBLE ORIGINATION FROM ~1MM CHIPS. DURING THE SUMMER, THE FIRST CHIP, LOCATED IN THE DE-ICER AREA, GREW RAPIDLY TO A CRACK ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD WITH A LOUD 'POP' SOUND AFTER THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS TURNED ON HIGH USING DEFROSTER AIR MODE. SUBARU OF AMERICA (NOT THE DEALER) REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD AND RECALIBRATED THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM AS A 'GOODWILL' REPAIR. DURING THE WINTER, ANOTHER CHIP BETWEEN THE VIN# DISPLAY WINDOW AND THE PERIMETER OF THE LOWER WINDSHIELD EXPLOSIVELY GREW TO A CRACK WHEN HEATED DEFROSTER AIR WAS ACTIVATED. REPAIR PENDING. MAIN CONCERN IS THE FRAGILE NATURE AND TEMPERATURE DEPENDANCE OF THIS GLASS TEMPER, ESPECIALLY NEAR WINDOW BOUNDARY CONDITIONS AND WHERE DEFROSTER AIR IS THE STRONGEST. OVER 20 YEARS OF DRIVING OTHER VEHICLES ON THE SAME ROUTE HAVE CAUSED LITTLE CHIPS ON OTHER WINDSHIELDS, BUT NEVER HAS A CHIP GROWN INTO A CRACK, WITH OR WITHOUT HOT OR COLD DEFROSTER AIR HITTING IT. I SUSPECT THAT THE THICKNESS AND TEMPER OF THE LATEST GENERATION OF OUTBACK CARLEX WINDSHIELDS WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE ISSUES SIMILAR TO TSB# 12-192-15R.

MY WINDSHIELD IS CRACKED FOR THE 2ND TIME NOW IN ITS FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP. THE FIRST TIME IT CRACKED IT WAS BECAUSE OF A PEBBLE STRIKE FROM THE ROAD. EXTREMELY SMALL FRAGMENT STRUCK THE GLASS, MADE A POCK MARK, AND THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED. TODAY, LESS THAN A MONTH LATER A NEW CRACK APPEARED WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT ANY STRIKE FROM AN OBJECT. SUBARU DEALER CLAIMS IT WAS STRUCK BUT FIND A CRACK ONLY WITHOUT ANY POINT ALONG IT OF AN IMPACT MAKES ME VERY VERY SUSPICIOUS. NOW I HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE INSURANCE COMPANY TO SETTLE ON CHARGES AND SEND A CHECK BEFORE THE NEXT WINDSHIELD CAN BE APPLIED. MY WIFE AND I WERE CALMLY DRIVING ON COMPLETELY PAVED ROADS WHEN WE BOTH WATCHED THE CRACK APPEAR AND GROW DURING OUR DRIVE. :-( I HAVE DRIVEN FOR 50+ YEARS, AND OWNED 20+ CARS. I'VE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER. THE DEALER (BRIGGS SUBARU OF TOPEKA, 3115 S KANSAS AVE, TOPEKA, KS 66611, (785) 581-0138) PREVIOUSLY REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD. THE RECENT FAILURE WAS REPAIRED BY SAFELIGHT. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,092.

RAN OUT OF GAS WHEN GAUGE SHOWED 40 MILES LEFT - CAR LOCKED UP ON A 70MPH FREEWAY - REPORTED TO SUBARU ALMOST A YEAR AGO AND RECENTLY SAW WHERE A RECALL HAD BEEN INITIATED BUT CALLED SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THIS WILL BE RESOLVED EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE KNOW ABOUT IT FOR A YEAR - WHY IS THIS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE THAT THE NHTSA IS FORCING THEM TO FIX