2020 Subaru Outback Visibility & Wipers Problems
Owners filed 383 Visibility & Wipers complaints for the 2020 Subaru Outback, 43% of all complaints that year. Nearly all describe windshields cracking spontaneously with no impact, often at low mileage (median 6,000 miles). No related recall exists.
- Visibility & Wipers complaints
- 383
- 43% of 897
- Crashes reported
- 1
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 0
- Median mileage
- 6,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 0
Typical visibility and wiper symptoms owners report
- Windshields crack spontaneously with no rock strike, chip, or collision, often noticed after the car had been parked overnight.
- Cracks typically start at the lower edge of the windshield near the wiper blades and spread upward toward the rearview mirror.
- Some owners report the crack forming while driving, including one case where it spread across the glass on the highway.
- Cracking has been reported at very low mileage, in some cases within the first 1,000 to 6,300 miles after purchase.
- One complaint links a spontaneous windshield crack to a related crash after the vehicle reportedly slowed unexpectedly before impact.
- Dealers in some cases declined to cover the cracked windshield under warranty.
When 2020 Subaru Outback visibility and wiper complaints were filed
First complaint Dec 6, 2019, latest May 8, 2025.
Visibility & Wipers recalls for the 2020 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 many Visibility & Wipers complaints does the 2020 Subaru Outback have?
- NHTSA lists 383 Visibility & Wipers complaints for the 2020 Outback, which is 43% of all 897 complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for the 2020 Outback windshield?
- No related recall is listed in NHTSA data for this Visibility & Wipers issue.
- At what mileage do windshields crack on the 2020 Outback?
- The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA is 6,000 miles, with several owners reporting cracks well under that.
- Did the windshield cracking cause any crashes or injuries?
- NHTSA data shows 1 crash and 0 fires or injuries tied to this complaint category for the 2020 Outback.
- How does 2020 compare to other Outback years for this issue?
- The 2020 Outback's 43% share of complaints in this area is higher than most other model years, though 2022 reports an even higher 60% share.