2018 Subaru Outback · symptom sheet

Windshield cracks or distorts

263owner reports
25,000median miles
$1,000median quote
1involved a crash

Newest report Mar 26, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026

284 of the 807 complaints on this car are about the windshield and wipers. 263 of those describe windshield, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2018 Outback.

Tick what matches of 263 reports

cracked with no impact

a crack spread from the edge

distortion or a wavy view

replaced more than once

insurance or I paid

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the windshield (263 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.

18V-935Dec 31, 2018

Visibility:Rearview Mirrors/Devices

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Legacy, Outback, and BRZ vehicles. 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. As a result, the vehicles fail to comply with requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."

Risk and remedy

Risk: Failure to display the rearview image while backing up increases the risk of crash.
Remedy: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will reprogram the audio system display software, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTZ-85.

What owners paid

28 of the 263 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $500 to $1,100.

$500$1,000$1,100

$0k$2k$4k$6k$8k

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 13,000 and 36,000 miles, from the 195 reports that gave a mileage.

718

6419

8920

6521

1822

1023

524

425

126

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 263 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.