2018 Subaru Outback · symptom sheet
Windshield cracks or distorts
- 264owner reports
- 25,000median miles
- $1,000median quote
- 1involved a crash
Newest report Sep 9, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
287 of the 812 complaints on this car are about the windshield and wipers. 264 of those describe windshield, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2018 Outback.
Tick what matches of 264 reports
Windshield on other Outback 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: 2014, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
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 (264 reports) and the camera recalibration (14 reports).
Recalls and investigations
One recall on the windshield and wipers covers the 2018 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
In the affected vehicles, a software issue may cause the audio display system to not initialize, resulting in the camera display remaining blank. If this occurs, the rearview image will not display while backing up the vehicle.
All 3 recalls on the 2018 Subaru Outback, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
What owners paid
28 of the 264 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $500 to $1,100.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 13,000 and 36,000 miles, from the 195 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 1 service bulletin or notice for the 2018 Subaru Outback 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.
What owners wrote
“Windshield has cracked twice with no dings. The crack starts at the top and goes down and then horizontal. The car only has 18,500 miles on it. There is currently a class action law suit against Subaru on this subject. Subaru requires a special type of glass because of the cameras that look thru the windshield. It is very expensive to replace.”
Filed Jan 6, 2022 · 18,500 miles
“Windshield cracked when flicking my finger to kill a mosquito that for in the car. This was the replacement windshield which was installed only 6 months ago!”
Filed Sep 8, 2021
“The front windshield (driver's side) cracked out of nowhere. Now there's a large crack that runs from the driver's side through the middle of the windshield. There were no visible chips on the front windshield prior to the incident.”
Filed Aug 25, 2021
“I was driving when suddenly the windshield cracked. It cracked in a Y shape. I took it to the Subaru dealer and was told that was due to a stone chip. When he is saying is a stone chip is where the the glass split into the y shape. They said that they will not cover under warranty.”
Filed Aug 23, 2021
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 1 of 264 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 Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Battery dies or the car will not start 170 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 159 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 52 reports