2017 Subaru Outback Visibility & Wipers Problems
Visibility & Wipers issues account for 233 complaints on the 2017 Subaru Outback, 25% of its 917 total complaints. The dominant patterns are spontaneous windshield cracking and sunroof shattering, with a median failure mileage of 36,000 and no related recall on file.
- Visibility & Wipers complaints
- 233
- 25% of 917
- Crashes reported
- 2
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 1
- Median mileage
- 36,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 0
Typical visibility and wiper symptoms owners report
- Windshields develop cracks with no impact, often starting near the base or edge and spreading over time until the driver's view is obstructed.
- Sunroofs shatter or explode while driving at highway speed, producing a loud pop and scattering glass without any collision.
- Glare from the center infotainment or navigation display reflects onto the windshield and distracts the driver, especially in bright sun.
- Visibility drops sharply in rain when the wipers are running, with headlight or streetlight reflections making the road hard to see.
- Some owners report the cracking pattern matches earlier 2015 and 2016 Outback models that had prior windshield recalls, though no recall covers the 2017 model.
When 2017 Subaru Outback visibility and wiper complaints were filed
First complaint Jan 4, 2017, latest Dec 10, 2025.
Visibility & Wipers recalls for the 2017 Subaru Outback
No safety recalls on record for this model year.
Visibility & Wipers complaints by Outback model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How common are visibility and wiper complaints on the 2017 Subaru Outback?
- NHTSA lists 233 complaints in this category for the 2017 Outback, which is 25% of the 917 total complaints filed for the year.
- Is there a recall for the 2017 Subaru Outback windshield or sunroof?
- No related recall is listed for the 2017 Outback, even though owners describe cracking patterns similar to the 2015 and 2016 models, which did have prior recalls.
- What is the most common visibility problem reported?
- The most frequent pattern is windshields cracking without any impact, often starting near an edge and spreading; sunroof shattering at speed is also reported.
- At what mileage do these visibility issues typically show up?
- NHTSA data shows a median mileage at failure of 36,000 miles for Visibility & Wipers complaints on this model year, though some cases were reported with far fewer miles.
- Have these visibility problems caused crashes or injuries?
- NHTSA records 2 crashes and 1 injury tied to Visibility & Wipers complaints for the 2017 Outback, with no fires reported.