2021 Subaru Outback Complaint Log

We were literally sitting in the car, parked, and the lower left driver side windshield cracked! No visible chips. We will contact Subaru if America and out local dealership as well.

Upon entering my car I noticed a 7-8” crack on the driver side of my windshield. There was no evidence of anything chipping or causing the crack. It seems to be spontaneous. If the crack continues to spread it will affect visibility and the windshield cannot be replaced on site due to the forward facing camera and anti collision system. I will have to drive over and hour to get it repaired. Also need wait for a new windshield to be in stock. I have submitted pictures to my insurance company.

Front Windshield crack so easily that I have to replace it two times already. The first time the windshield crack from using the defrost in the snow, and the second time was a small rock while I was driving on the highway. I've driven many cars in the past and have had rocks strike my windshield all the time and never experienced anything like this. I'm surprised the windshield recall isn't extended to the 2021 model Outback yet.

While driving down the interstate, no other vehicles in sight, heard a pop and immediately a crack formed in the windshield (at the bottom in the exact middle of the glass) which spread vertically and has since branched out horizontally. A matter of seconds before this happened, I engaged the defrost button. This is the SECOND windshield to crack spontaneously since I purchased the vehicle in December 2020. The first replacement was proven to not installed properly and Subaru paid for the replacement. As the crack continues to grow, I feel my safety could be affected if the EyeSight features fail as a result of this issue not being addressed.

The passenger air bag alert on the dashboard indicates the air bag is off when my wife who is elderly and weighs approximately 95 pounds is seated in the front passenger seat .Sometimes it changes to " air bag on" during our journey but other times it remains off .I am concerned the air bag won't deploy in the event of a crash potentially causing serious injury .I have e mailed sales representative who sold us the car at Maple Hill Auto Group Kalamazoo ,MI in March 2021 who responded that seat sensor was designed to alert "off " at 65 pounds or less .Two subsequent e mails to Subaru Customer Service about this issue have not been acknowledged or generated any response which concerns me . At this point car has not been tested by technician as my wife is frail and not in position to go to dealer for demo . Not sure what next steps to take since Subaru Customer Service is not responding to my concerns .

The Subaru Eyesight system malfunctioned while I was driving. All Eyesight components were enabled at the time of the incident, including pre collision braking and forward collision warning. I had been stopped at a red light at a four way intersection. I was the first car waiting at the red light, with other cars behind me and to each side. The intersection had multiple lanes in each direction. There were four lanes going the direction I was driving, and I was in the second from the right. When the traffic light turned green, I took my foot off the brake and onto the gas to begin accelerating. I accelerated through the large intersection reaching approximately 20 miles per hour. The speed limit is 25 or 30 there so I was continuing to accelerate to that speed and was just about through the intersection when the pre collision braking suddenly engaged with no warning at all. My foot was still on the gas trying to accelerate when this happened. All of the lights that show on the windshield seemed to light up red, and it showed that the pre collision braking had engaged on the dashboard screen behind the steering wheel. The car came to an immediate stop in the middle of the road and would not move forward. I took my foot off the gas and my car would still not move. My dashboard said something along the lines of “firmly press brake to hold stop.” I hit the brake, then everything returned to normal and I could move forward. I moved forward, safely switched to the right lane and pulled into the nearest driveway to get off the road and park. I then disabled all Eyesight features and called my Subaru dealership who said they will “diagnose and recalibrate” the system on 1/14/2022. My car and windshield were clean and my windshield is the same from the factory with no defects. No cars were in front of my- the road ahead was wide open, clear, flat, and straight. No one turned in front of me or anything. Fortunately I was not rear ended but it was very scary and dangerous.

The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that there was a crack on the windshield. There was no impact to the windshield that could have caused the crack. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that a rock chipped the windshield. The dealer informed the contact that the windshield crack was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but denied the claim for the windshield replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH approaching a traffic light, the contact heard an abnormal cracking sound coming from the front windshield. The contact noticed a small crack on the driver’s side of the windshield that spread to the middle of the windshield. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who stated that the failure was related to a thinner OEM breakable glass on the vehicle that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,400.

The component that has failed twice is the windshield. They current windshield is available for inspection but not the first. In fact, I am taking it my Subaru dealer tomorrow so they can look at it. This is the second windshield in 13 months that has failed. The first one became heavily pitted across the entire windshield. This one has a crack starting from the passenger side, 2/3 of the way up and then continues 1/3 of the way towards the driver. I do not recall any impact on the windshield prior to the crack occurring. I am concerned about the frequency of this model's windshield issues and whether it can stay intact. As noted above, this problem has happened twice for me. I posted my concerns on Reddit to see if other owners of this vehicle are having issues and I have received numerous responses that others are also having quality issues and those issues are similar to mine. There was no warning prior to the issues with my windshield. It is interesting to note that Subaru had a class action lawsuit against them just a few years ago related to this very same issue with the windshields. I am concerned that the windshield issues have not been adequately addressed.

on January 3, 2022 my windshield cracked and spread right away. I took it to get it fixed. On May 4, 2022 my windshield cracked again and spread immediately. Both times it started from the edge and went inwards. I consider this as a safety hazard for the windshield to crack and spread so easily. This is the second time and we are only covered for 2 replacements on the warranty in a year. This expense can add up quickly

Cracked windshield from no sign of impact. This is clearly an issue, as there have been class action law suits regarding these windshields covering 2015-2020 outbacks. They've done nothing to fix the issue and deny that it's a problem, instead falsely claiming that there was a chip.

The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that on three separate occasions the windshield cracked without impact. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer after each failure and was informed each time that a rock chip might have caused the failure. The contact purchased a carbon steel film after which he was informed would prevent the windshield from breaking in the event of another cracked windshield, with the purchase of this protective film, he could have a total of 4 windshield replacements free of charge. The contact stated that each failure obstructed his vision while driving. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.

The front windshield on the passenger side cracked for not apparent reason. The vehicle had been parked in my carport all was fine. Next morning upon entering the vehicle I noticed the crack. Within 2 days the longest crack had grown from about 2 inches towards the drivers side to about 10 inches. I called Subaru of America customer service with a complaint. They suggested taking it to the dealer for inspection and a determination if it’s covered under the new car warranty. I have had the vehicle for about a year and it has less than 15000 miles on the odometer.

Passenger lower side windshield cracked while driving, it started as a tiny crack but the next morning the crack line was 16 inches long. I contacted Subaru because the car is under warranty but they said they will not cover it. The whole windshield had to be replaced.

Fragile windshield. I’m just under a year of ownership and I replaced the windshield twice so far so I’m on my third one. First time was about a month in, no visible strike mark. Started on the Driver side halfway up and spread daily horizontally towards the passenger side and within a day or two was half the windshield. Second one was nine or 10 months out. Tiny strike basically did the same spread. In traffic a tiny rock got tossed up at low speed and I have a Starbust right now. Hopefully it won’t spread overnight before I can get it epoxied because then I will be on my fourth windshield before one year of ownership. Decades of other models and cars and same driving locations and I’ve never had to replace a windshield or repair one. Currently at 16K miles.

Car won't start. Battery drained after in garage overnight. The lights weren't left on and keys far from car. This same thing happened after leaving car with blinkers on for a very short period.

Battery dead after leaving in garage for a day. Happened three times and I brought it to dealer, and they charged battery and said it passed Subaru test procedure and that nothing they can do. No lights on and key is in house closet area. Battery still drains if left in garage for a day without driving. I bought a portable charger for $150.

Several times, at random, the infotainment system goes blank. Screen goes black and can NOT adjust any of the ADAS controls! After 10 to 20 seconds the system seems to reboot and slowly returns to normal operations.

The sunroof on my 2021 Subaru Outback exploded for no apparent reason while I was driving. There was no impact by any object, and the glass shattered into innumerable pieces, suggesting it was definitively tempered, not laminated, glass. The weather was sunny and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. I happened to have my sunroof shade closed - if I hadn’t, I would have gotten glass in my hair and possibly in my eyes while driving my car.

In February 2021 my windshield was cracked in the lower left corner for an unknown reason. Windshield was inspected by manufacturer service center and thought to be result of an impact and was then replaced. December 2021 the windshield was again cracked in the lower left corner and again needs to be replaced. Appears to also be the result of an impact but will need to be determined by insurance. Both instances the windshield cracked in the bottom left corner and the crack began to quickly grow across the drivers side to the top center of the windshield.

Windshield developed a large crack for no apparent reason. There is no sign of an impact from an object. Vehicle was parked outside when outside temperature dropped overnight. Crack over 6” long appeared the next morning.

I have owned my 2021 Outback since April of 2021. I currently have just under 15,000 miles on it and am now looking to replace my second windshield. I have taken the car on 5 road trips over 200 miles and this is the second time where I instantly have a 6-8 inch long crack appear. There was evidence of a very small impact but the instant spreading seems to be an issue with many other Outback owners as I have seen on social media groups that some people have gone through 5+ windshields in the first year of ownership. I believe it is clear at this point that there is an issue with the glass itself and this could be a serious safety concern as I am fearful what would happen if a normal size rock were to hit it how it would respond to the impact.

We purchased a new 2021 Outback Subaru 2 months ago. Three days ago, on 11/12/21, a crack appeared on the windshield overnight, while the car was parked on our driveway. Nothing hit our car while we were driving and there's nothing that stands above the car that could have fallen on it while parked at our house. The crack is linear and started on the very left side right above the driver's sight. It started at about 5 inches long and the next day was already extending almost halfway through the windshield length. We are highly suspicious that the crack is a result of a defective windshield specially after learning that Subaru has several lawsuits regarding this same issue. We had to stop driving the car in fear that the windshield may completely break at any time. My husband contacted Subaru twice and the representatives told him someone would soon contact him about the incident. Nobody contacted us for the next two days. My husband then called Subaru and they said it would cost $1,500 to fix it.

Front window crack without being struck by rock or any other object in the second month of ownership.

My windshield cracked within a few months and few thousand miles of purchasing my vehicle for no real apparent reason.

When I bought my new 2021 Subaru on Sep. 27, 2021. It was twilight and the sales lady said it had a small rock chip in the windshield but they were going to fix it. Driving home, I saw the windshield had a spider web of cracks all over it. I took it back on Sep. 30 and they replaced the windshield. On Oct 31, I drove 660 miles. When I looked at the Subaru in the motel parking lot the next morning, the new 5-week old windshield had cracks. There was a rock chip where the cracks crossed. They were not spread all over but covered an area about 14" wide and 8" high. I didn't want to drive it but I had to get it back to the dealer. Later I saw the State of New Jersey had filed lawsuits against Subaru for cracked windshields on 2.5M vehicles. I felt sick and didn't know what to do. I found a "Service Bulletin" No. 12-192-12R dated 10/26/15. It was only for 2015-2016MY Legacy and Outback models and MY's but it described the crack issue and illustrated it. It was very limited. It just offered an extended warranty and one repair on specific models. I believe this is a serious Safety Defect because it is spread over a large population of vehicles and Subaru is not admitting any defect or safety problem. If this occurs on a trip, it's likely the driver will continue to drive to their destination with a dangerously compromised windshield. FMVSS 205 states that Glazing in Auto windows is to reduce injuries resulting from impact to glazing surfaces, to maintain transparency for visibility and minimize the chance occupants are ejected from the vehicle in a collision. It also appears the windshields do not meet Fracture Test 7 in SAE Z26 for tempered glass and multiple glazed units. The size of fragments observed in the spider-web patterns are 1" to 3" and more and likely weigh more than the 4.25 grams in the Fracture Test. In my 65 years of driving, I’ve never had a windshield crack like the two windshields cracked on my Outback in the period of five weeks.

The vehicle on board computer system periodically goes completely black (i.e., completely shuts down) disabling all of the operator controls (heater/fan/defrost controls, seat heater controls, temp controls, navigation, radio and other dash monitoring and informational controls, etc.). I am not sure of all features/functions that are lost because it happens when I am driving and I cannot investigate to see what all functions/indications I have lost. It remains out of service for a short period (the times of the shut down seem to have varied) of time and then comes on and reboots itself. Sometimes it comes back to where/when it shut down, and sometimes it just comes back to the initial ignition/start screen. This requires action by the driver (which is a safety concern because it requires the driver's attention and is distracting) to reset control settings. Navigation sometimes requires resetting an address because the computer lost its destination. This is dangerous. I just had the vehicle serviced for this issue and had a Subaru "FIX" installed - that apparently did not work. The problem still exists.

Windshield spontaneously cracked on passenger side at eye level after 5 months, 5,700 miles

The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the home screen on the center console would go blank without warning. Once while driving 65 MPH with the cruise control activated, the center console went blank and the cruise control deactivated with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that vehicle abruptly slowed down due to the failure and the 360-camera feature failed to operate as needed. The dealer was notified and acknowledged the failure; however, they informed the contact that there was no remedy for the defect. An independent mechanic was also notified and provided the contact similar information as the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 11,000.

Purchased vehicle 1/2021. Currently has 8500 miles. For the past few months the dash/navigation system intermittently shuts down. Lose everything including speed/cruise/gps/radio. After a few seconds will reboot. I have called the dealer twice regarding this issue - was told to press "defrost" button 5 times and bring to the service department. This was done and they sent the info to Subaru - have not heard anything from Subaru regarding this complaint which was done over 2 months ago

A small object struck the windshield on the lower driver side, it created a horizontal crack about 1.5 ft long within a minute.

I am on my third cracked windshield in FOUR MONTHS! First crack in July 2021, second in August 2021, third in early October 2021. Haven’t replaced the latest as I’m concerned about insurance rate increases. Each time the crack appears in the bottom of the drivers side and spreads to more than 12 inches in minutes. Summer in Utah is typically not problematic for cracked windshields. All windshields have been replaced with Subaru product as aftermarket products don’t exist.

Infotainment system suddenly shuts down while driving blank screen often triggered while using GPS. Radio will turn on spontaneously at full blast creating a startle effect, often unable to turn off. Had to pull over and turn car off. Daily event has been escalating. Apparently dealerships aware Subaru has been non-responsive. Telling dealerships there is a software fix issue, finally communicating to me there is no current fix. Multiple communications have led to no response. Despite near miss of an accident due to these issues. Almost daily over last 2-3 months

Bought this new Subaru in December and the battery died twice after a week and a half of not driving. The first time I had to get the battery replaced. If I don't start the car every few days (and during COVID I don't) then the electricity completely drains the battery dead.

The Auto-start feature, which stops the engine at a light, then restarts, is very dangerous. It cannot be permanently turned off - always on by default. 1 if the steering wheel is not perfectly straight, it jerks out of your hand when the engine restarts. 2 the car jerks forward when the engine restarts. This has already put me in danger of a crash several times - and this 'feature' must be actively disengaged each and every time the car is started. It should be able to be permanently turned off - not always on by default.

This is my second experience with a cracked windshield in the 6 months I have owned this vehicle. The first time the windshield cracked I was driving on the interstate and the windshield simply cracked. No debris impact, no bumps, just a long crack running from the top center of the glass down apx 8 inches. Subaru replaced under warranty. The second time the glass cracked I was driving on the interstate and was hit by a small piece of debris. So small it took a moment to find the point of impact. The crack immediately started to spread and after a few hours was apx 12 inches long. After apx 2 weeks the crack has run and is apx 2.5 feet. Insurance claim has been filed, but due to a shortage of glass the repair has not been completed.

Windshield suddenly cracked, starting from bottom center of the window, crack moved up about 6" and then turned 90 degrees towards passenger side and went another 6". No object hit the window or car; it just spontaneously cracked from bottom then moved upwards.

Bought a new 2021 Subaru Outback in July 2021. In the first 1600 miles of driving the battery has died three times. Twice I found it wouldn't start after having parked it for a few days and once it wouldn't start the next day after driving it (it was driven the previous day at 6pm and wouldn't start at 9am the next day). There seems to be something that drains the battery when the vehicle is off. One time it may have been my fault for leaving an interior light on, but how could an interior light drain the battery in just a few hours? I've had roadside assistance jump start the car each time it wouldn't start and each time the technician said anecdotally that Subaru Outbacks and Foresters were the most common car he is seeing get jumped. That last time it wouldn't start, I double checked to make sure I had not left any interior lights on and I had not. This is definitely an issue with the car - some system draining the battery.

I am having battery drainage issue with my vehicle. If it sets more than 4 days the car will not start. I see there is a class action law suit on Outback vehicles. This car has 9,000 miles on it and this has happened 3 times.

The emergency braking forward collision system has deployed several times when it should not. In some circumstance the braking could result in the person behind me rear ending me. The main problem is that if the car detects another car directly in front of you, the system will sometimes deploy even if the vehicle is not in the same lane as you. I've had the emergency brakes deployed incorrectly in the following situations. I am driving in the left lane of a 2 lane road with a speed limit of 45 mph and the road is banking sharply to the left. Because of the sharp bank, a car was directly in front of me but in the right lane, so this is a normal non dangerous situation but the brakes deployed. I exited a parkway, the exit ramp banks sharply to the right as most exit ramps do. Directly ahead of me but off the road is a disabled vehicle. There is no danger to me as it is safely off the road, but the brakes were deployed. In both instances there was no one following close behind me but if there was, either situation could have resulted in them rear ending me. I have taken to disabling the emergency braking feature because I no longer feel safe using it. Unfortunately this takes 7 key presses to accomplish and it resets every time you turn the car on. I contacted Subaru customer service to complain, but got ridiculous suggestions, like just turn off the emergency braking when you expect to be driving with a lot of cross traffic. If not rectified, sooner or later that's going to cause an accident.

Battery drain and car won't start. Called roadside service for a Jumpstart and on 5 other occasions, even after driving for 1.5 hours, the car won't start. Sometimes after driving and turning car off for 1/2 hour to visit a store, it won't start. Othertimes it will. Car only has 6000 miles on it. I have had to buy a battery jump starter so I can at least get rolling again. I have a call into Subaru service but they could not get me in for over a week. So I have to deal with the possibility of being stranded until Subaru can diagnose. I live in the country so bring stranded will be a big deal. I should have bought the Volvo.

Drove car and parked for 15 minutes. When I tried to start it again it would not turn over. Battery was completely dead and could not be jump started. Car is a 2021 model with only 11K miles on it. There was no prior warning of a low battery. It left me stuck in an isolated parking lot. Probably not a major safety issue but apparently a known issue for late model Subaru Outback’s so I wanted to add the 2021 model to the affected list.

Windshield spontaneously cracked. No warning.

As I was getting into my vehicle to drive to work the morning of Monday August 30th,I noticed a large crack in the windshield starting at the passenger side to the middle of the windshield. Vehicle was parked in driveway over the weekend and no damage was seen on the outside of the winshield.

On 3 Occasions the Eyesight automatic braking activated with no apparent reason. The first was at highway speeds, second at 45mph and the third at about 30/35mph. In the first case a car entered the lane but there was considerable distance. In the second a car made a right turn into my lane and was slow but there was about 1/4 mile or more space and the last one occurred as, my wife, followed the curve of the road to the right. There were no vehicles near by only a median. In each case there was no gradual slow down only a full force application of the brakes. This led to the car lunging forward. Fortunately in all cases there was no one behind us or we would have been rear ended. The associated red heads-up lights activated at the very same time as the brakes did. I have called the dealer for an appointment to bring it in. No one else has inspected the vehicle.

My wife has purchased Subaru 2021 Outback on May 2021. The windshield got cracked while it was parked in a driveway. It looks there was no sign of impact on the crack. The windshield of the Outback looks very susceptible to crack.

Cracked windshield while parked in the garage

Windshield cracked on a new 2021 car, while driving in the city in clear weather and light traffic.The crack runs horizontally for about 10 inches and then turn vertical for the same height. I do not think it was hit by anything. Dealer inspection will be taken up soon.

Don't buy I regret buying it. Water leaks into the vehicle passenger side door. I got a loaner and the same issue water leaks into the vehicle

The glass on my 2021 subaru outback that I purchased less than 2 months ago has started cracking from the bottom next to vin number and spread all the way to the center of the glass within 3 hours.