2017 Subaru Legacy · symptom sheet
Windshield cracks or distorts
- 33owner reports
- 36,100median miles
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Dec 10, 2025 · checked Oct 2, 2026
40 of the 119 complaints on this car are about the windshield and wipers. 33 of those describe windshield, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2017 Legacy.
Tick what matches of 33 reports
Windshield on other Legacy years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2016.
What this problem usually is
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.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the windshield (33 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the windshield and wipers covers the 2017 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
NHTSA investigations into the windshield and wipers on the Legacy
Hood latch failure. Closed oct 31, 1994.
None of these investigations covers the 2017 model year.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 30,000 and 49,618 miles, from the 21 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 3 service bulletins or notices for the 2017 Subaru Legacy that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
This bulletin provides a procedure for diagnosing and repairing customer concerns of a âpoppingâ or âsnappingâ -type sound heard when opening the sunroof.
This Service Information bulletin provides a guideline to use for placement of required or mandated windshield stickers (inside and / or outside) on vehicles equipped with EyeSight Driver Assist Technology and High Beam Assist (HBA) features.
If you encounter a customer complaint of a white residue build up on the rear door partition glass or interior molding, it may be crystallized salt.
What owners wrote
“My 2017 Legacy is on it's 3rd windshield this year. I had impact damage on July 17th, had it replaced the first week of August, and it cracked without impact damage in October. Subaru refused to replace it under warranty and it was replaced through insurance in December. The genuine Subaru replacement windshields for 2015-2019 Legacy and Outback models appear to be defective and this should be investigated.”
Filed Dec 10, 2025
“Driving on the highway all of a sudden my windshield cracked. It was due to stress nothing hit the window”
Filed Jul 16, 2022
“Crack appeared starting from below the passenger windshield wiper on the windshield out of the blue, while sitting in driveway.”
Filed Mar 13, 2022
“The original windshield cracked starting at the bottom left corner and quickly spread across the entire window. I went to Subaru and paid to replace the window. Within 2 weeks the window had cracked again and spread across the entire window.”
Filed Mar 9, 2022
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 33 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found
Other problems on this car
- Battery dies or the car will not start 25 reports