2014 Subaru Outback Visibility Problems

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY WINDSHIELD CRACKED IN AN ARC PATTERN STARTING FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE TO PASSENGER SIDE RESULTING IN A PERFECT SYMMETRICAL PATTERN. IT WAS AROUND 10 DEGREES OUTSIDE AND THE VEHICLES DEFROST AND HEAT WERE ON HIGH. NO OBJECT HIT WINDSHIELD BEFORE CRACK FORMED. VERY LOUD CRACKING NOISE AND SLOW FROM LEFT TO RIGHT FORMATION. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT WHAT CAUSED CRACK AND THEY SAID "MUST HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A ROCK". AT THAT TIME THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A CHIP IN WINDSHIELD, JUST THE CRACK. LATER IN THE YEAR I AGAIN WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE OF THE TECHNICAL BULLETIN ABOUT CRACKS HAPPENING IN THIS LOCATION ON THE WINDSHIELD AND WHILE USING DEFROSTER. THEIR RESPONSE WAS NOT OCCURRING WITH 2014 OUTBACKS. IN JUNE I WENT TO LOU FUSZ DEALERSHIP TO DISCUSS THIS PROBLEM. BY NOW MORE THAN 6 MONTHS SINCE OCCURRENCE, THERE ARE ROCK CHIPS IN WINDSHIELD THEREFORE THEY SAID CAUSED BY ROCK. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED DUE TO THE DEFROST MECHANISM LOCATION AND THE INTEGRITY OF THE WINDSHIELD GLASS.

NHTSA ID

11291766

Incident

Feb 1, 2019

Mileage

58,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 65 MILES/HOUR ON HIGHWAY 17 NEAR APALACHIN, NY, WHEN A DEER JUMPED FROM THE RIGHT SIDE AND HIT THE FRONT OF MY CAR. BOTH FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. IMMEDIATELY, THE GAS RELEASED FROM THE AIRBAGS COMPLETELY FOGGED THE WINDSHIELD REDUCING VISIBILITY ZERO, SO I COULD NOT SEE WHERE I WAS GOING DURING THE BRAKING PERIOD. FORTUNATELY, I ONLY SHIFTED TO THE OTHER LINE AND THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS AROUND. THE GAS DEPOSIT REMAINED ON THE WINDSHIELD AND I HAD TO USE A CLOTH TO CLEAN IT. IN MY OPINION, THE FOGGED WINDSHIELD RESULTING FROM THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT WAS A MUCH HIGHER SAFETY HAZARD THAN THE COLLISION WITH THE DEER ITSELF. AN UNRELATED COMPLAINT IS THAT AFTER THE CAR STOPPED, THE DOORS WERE BLOCKED (WOULD NOT OPEN) FOR HALF A MINUTE OR SO.

NHTSA ID

11255919

Incident

Aug 8, 2019

Mileage

54,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU OUTBACK. DURING A RAINSTORM, WATER ENTERED THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE SUN ROOF AND DRENCHED THE CABIN. THE FAILURE CAUSED $1,769 WORTH OF DAMAGE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED BECAUSE A DRAIN TUBE ON THE SUN ROOF BECAME CLOGGED AND CAUSED THE WATER TO BACK UP AND ENTER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CHATHAM PARKWAY SUBARU (7 PARK OF COMMERCE WAY, SAVANNAH, GA 31405, (888) 430-0231) WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE DRAINS WERE CLOGGED. THE DEALER CLEANED THE DRAINS, REPLACED THE CARPET, AND REPLACED THE AMPLIFIER AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS MISSED DURING AN EARLIER SERVICE VISIT WITH THE DEALER THAT COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,904.

NHTSA ID

11245404

Incident

Aug 5, 2019

Mileage

89,904 mi

SUNROOF DRAINS CLOG CAUSING WATER TO LEAK INTO CAR. THIS OCCURS WHEN RAINING OR WASHING CAR. INTERIOR WINDOWS BECOME VERY FOGGY AND OFTEN TIMES IT IS NECESSARY TO WIPE THEM DOWN WITH A CLOTH. DEALER WAS WILLING TO REMOVE STANDING WATER FROM CAR AND SEATS AS A "ONE TIME COURTESY" AND INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD CLEAR DRAINS DURING EACH CAR SERVICE PERFORMED BY THEM. RECENTLY HAD THE DRAINS CLEANED, WE HAVE HAD 4 FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS SINCE THEN AND WATER CONTINUES TO LEAK INTO THE INTERIOR (BOTH WHEN DRIVING OR STATIONARY). THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM TO SUBARU BUT I HAVE YET TO SEE A RECALL. THIS IS CERTAINLY BOTH A SAFETY AND HEALTH ISSUE (VISIBILITY/MOLD/MILDEW). LEAKING HAS OCCURRED DURING THE PAST 3 YEARS, PERHAPS A BIT MORE. WE HAVE A 2006 VOLVO THAT HAS A SUNROOF AND NO LEAKS!

NHTSA ID

11216994

Incident

Jan 1, 2016

SPONTANEOUS CRACK IN WINDSHIELD, BEGINNING AT THE BOTTOM CENTER, WHILE CAR WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT.

NHTSA ID

11210595

Incident

May 27, 2019

Mileage

22,000 mi

BACKUP CAMERA ALLOWS WATER TO SEEP IN AND FRY THE CAMERA WHICH PRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD WHEN BACKING UP (SMALL CHILDREN, PETS, ETC YOU COULDN'T SEE OTHERWISE IF DIRECTLY BEHIND -IN THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE). SUBARU IS AWARE OF THIS DEFECT BUT HAS NOT CORRECTED IT, SO IF YOU HAVE THEM INSTALL A NEW CAMERA FOR APPROXIMATELY $350.00) YOU'RE GETTING ANOTHER LEAKY CAMERA THAT IS DOOMED TO FAIL. THE DEALER SAID REPLACEMENT CAMERA IS THE SAME ONE AS ORIGINAL.

NHTSA ID

11180651

Incident

Mar 10, 2018

Mileage

38,000 mi

I BOUGHT OUTBACK FROM DEALER ON 9/26/2018, AND WHEN WEATHER TURNED COOL, WINDSHIELD CRACKED. I HAD SAFELITE/LIBERTY REPLACE ON 10/22/2018, AND DIDN'T DRIVE UNTIL WEDNESDAY, 10/24/2018 WHEN I DROVE ON I81. TRUCK THREW STONE AND I CALLED TO REPAIR, BUT THEY COULDN'T FIX IN AFTERNOON. THURSDAY AT 8 A.M. THE WINDSHIELD WAS ALREADY CRACKED BEYOND REPAIR. HAD TO CALL INSURANCE COMPANY AND REPLACE AGAIN ON 10/25/2018. SEEMS WINDSHIELDS ARE DEFECTIVE ONLY ON HIGHWAY TWICE, CRACKED TWICE! I HAD MY PREVIOUS CAR 17 YEARS AND NEVER CHANGED WINDSHIELD. I HAVE ONLY PUT APPROXIMATELY 500 MILES ON CAR AND HAVE TO CHANGE TWICE. AFRAID TO GO ON HIGHWAY. THANK YOU

NHTSA ID

11143356

Incident

Oct 25, 2018

Mileage

48,350 mi

2014 SUBARU OUTBACK. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO SUNROOF DRAINS BEING CLOGGED WHICH CAUSED WATER TO LEAK INTO VEHICLE WHEN RAINING. *LD *JS

NHTSA ID

11089369

Incident

Apr 19, 2018

THE INTERIOR WINDOWS WILL SUDDENLY GET COVERED WITH FOG. THIS HAS HAPPENED OVER TWENTY FIVE TIMES TO MY CAR. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE WEATHER, OR OUTSIDE TEMP IS. THIS, CAUSES A SERIOUS PROBLEM TRYING TO SEE OUT OF THE CAR. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I CALED THE DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD TO RUN THE AC. IT CAN HAPPEN EVEN WHEN THE AC , IS ALREADY ON. I'VE HAD IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP FIVE TIMES IN THE 14 MONTHS I'VE HAD THE CAR. THEY CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. I'VE TAKEN CLEAR PHOTOGRAPHS 3 TIMES SHOWING CLEAR IMAGES OF HOW BAD THE INTERIOR FOGGING GETS. DEALERSHIP TOLD ME TO CONTACT SUBARU AMERICA ASK FOR RPLACMENT. I HAVE SPOKEN TO THREE PEOPLE AT SUBARU, PROVIDED ALL PHOTOS. THEY REFUSE TO REPLACE. THIS IS GOING TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. MUNN 16 2015 IT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS ON INTERSTATE I-205 AND IT MADE SEEING OUT OF THE CAR ALMOST IMPOSSABLE. I HAD TO CAREFULLY PULL OF TO ROAD SIDE WIPE WINDSHIELD AND ALL INTERIOR WINDOWS OFF. I HAVE TO CARRY TOWELS WITH ME AT ALL TIMES. PROBLEM HAPPENS WITHOUT ANY INDACATION, IT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN. I'M DISABLED VETERAN AND REQUIRE A LOT OF MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS AT THE VA MEDICAL CENTER. I LIVE ALONE SO I'M TAKING A CHANCE JUST TRYING TO GET TO THE VA. AT SOME POINT THIS IS GOING TO CAUSE AN ACCADENT. SUBARU SHOWED LITTLE CONCERN, EVEN IF THERE ARE OTHERS WITH THE SAME OR SIMILE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

10731625

Incident

May 26, 2014

Mileage

500 mi

THE WINDSHIELD POPPED AND CRACKED ACROSS THE BOTTOM FROM THE HEAT OF THE DEFROST FUNCTION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10584654

Incident

Apr 13, 2014

Mileage

3,600 mi