Symptom explainer · every vehicle on the site
Windshield cracks or distorts
Most reported: 2019 Subaru Forester with 399 reports. Across the 421 model years on this site with at least five, owners filed 11,023.
- 11,023owner reports
- 421model years affected
- 23,161median miles
- 62involved a crash
- 32involved a fire
Many windshield complaints are about cracks owners can't explain: a line that starts at the edge of the glass, or a small chip that spreads. Nearly one in five of these complaints mentions it happening again or a second windshield.
Which cars report it most · By model · When it happens · What it is and what to do
The 25 vehicles with the most reports
Each row is one model year. The bar is its count of windshield reports; the share is how much of that car's complaint file this problem takes up. Bigger sellers draw more reports, so read the share alongside the count. Red dots mark crashes and fires in these reports; amber marks a recall on the same system.
- 139948% of its complaints9k mi
- 22019 Subaru Outback1 crash38437% of its complaints12k mi
- 32020 Subaru Outback1 crash37542% of its complaints7k mi
- 432247% of its complaints12k mi
- 530150% of its complaints6k mi
- 628517% of its complaints74k mi
- 72022 Subaru Outbackrecall27760% of its complaints6k mi
- 82018 Subaru Outback1 crashrecall26433% of its complaints25k mi
- 924810% of its complaints78k mi
- 102017 Subaru Outback1 crash22925% of its complaints37k mi
- 112015 Chevrolet Equinox1 crash1 firerecall17826% of its complaints77k mi
- 1215331% of its complaints21k mi
- 1314920% of its complaints5k mi
- 141468% of its complaints95k mi
- 152015 Subaru Outback1 fire13727% of its complaints12k mi
- 162019 Subaru Crosstrekrecall12042% of its complaints13k mi
- 171167% of its complaints95k mi
- 182020 Hyundai Palisade1 crashrecall11622% of its complaints6k mi
- 192014 Chevrolet Equinox2 crashesrecall11522% of its complaints81k mi
- 2011419% of its complaints35k mi
- 212021 Subaru Outback1 crash10535% of its complaints4k mi
- 229914% of its complaints60k mi
- 239822% of its complaints54k mi
- 248926% of its complaints55k mi
- 258927% of its complaintsfew mileages
Where it dominates the complaint file
Model years with at least 25 reports, ranked by the share of all their complaints that describe windshield. That takes most of the sales-volume effect out (small sellers still swing more).
- 12022 Subaru Outbackrecall27760% of its complaints6k mi
- 26352% of its complaints6k mi
- 330150% of its complaints6k mi
- 439948% of its complaints9k mi
- 532247% of its complaints12k mi
- 64946% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 77144% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 82019 Subaru Crosstrekrecall12042% of its complaints13k mi
- 92020 Subaru Outback1 crash37542% of its complaints7k mi
- 108642% of its complaints5k mi
By model, every year together
The 12 models with the most reports. Each chip is a model year; the darker chip is its worst year.
- Subaru Outback1,905
- Subaru Forester1,153
- Ford Explorer1,001
- Ford F-150436
- Honda HR-V356
- Honda CR-V226
- Nissan Rogue220
When it happens
5,696 of the 11,023 reports state a mileage. The middle half fall between 7,500 and 55,000 miles; the median is 23,161. Each column is a 20,000-mile band.
Reports by model year
Every report of windshield, grouped by the model year of the car. 62 involved a crash and 32 a fire. 131 people were hurt.
What owners describe
Share of the 11,023 reports that use each phrase. One report can use several.
What got replaced
Reports that name the part, across every vehicle.
What it is and what to do
This is a big group, about 11,000 complaints across the vehicles on this site, and one brand holds the top three spots: the 2019 Subaru Forester and the 2019 and 2020 Subaru Outback. Owners give a median of about 21,000 miles. About one in six mentions the crack starting at an edge, a corner or the bottom of the glass or spreading from there, and about one in seven says it cracked with no impact, on its own. One in nine mentions insurance or paying for it.
Firestone's point about any chip or crack is that it can spread, weakening the windshield and cutting visibility, and that some states treat driving with a cracked windshield as illegal. It also notes that a chip or small crack can sometimes be repaired without replacing the glass, at a much lower price than a full replacement, which is the argument for acting quickly. Insurance may cover the repair depending on your policy.
There's no code to read for this, so the evidence is the glass itself: where the crack started and whether there's any sign of an impact. A few owners here mention a camera recalibration after the glass was replaced, so ask whether your car needs one and whether it's in the quote.
A crack in your line of sight, or one that's growing, is a reason to get the glass replaced before long drives; at night and in rain it's the first thing you'll look through. Photograph the crack the day you find it, with close shots of where it starts, and again as it grows. Note the date, mileage and weather, and whether the defroster or the A/C was running.
If you think the glass itself is at fault, the dealer and then the manufacturer are the place to take it while the car is under warranty. The FTC's advice is to start with the seller, then write to the manufacturer by certified mail with a return receipt, and it says a defect reported during the warranty period must be fixed even if the warranty expires before the repair. Check NHTSA's recall lookup too. One recall in the data, 18E-107, covered aftermarket replacement windshields for some 2014 to 2018 Toyota Highlanders whose built-in wiring could let water reach the engine computer.
Sources
- Small car repairs that could save you big money (windshield fixes), Firestone Complete Auto Care
- Warranties, FTC Consumer Advice
- NHTSA recall 18E-107, aftermarket replacement windshields for Toyota Highlander
- Check for recalls, NHTSA
- Complaint counts, mileages and phrase shares: NHTSA complaint files as tallied on this site
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints on the 1,040 vehicle model years that have a page here, grouped by the word patterns described on the method page. A vehicle needs five matching reports to be counted in this ranking. Checked Sep 27, 2026. All problem explainers.