Subaru Outback visibility and wiper problems, 2018–2027

1,484 of the 3,793 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the Subaru Outback 2018–2027 name the wipers, glass and mirrors (NHTSA’s “Visibility/Wiper” heading — windshields, wipers, washers, mirrors and defrosters). The loudest years: 2019 (390), 2020 (384), 2022 (281). Filed under the same heading across these years: 2 recall campaigns. Every figure is a linked federal record; none is a failure rate, none a repair cost, and none a verdict on one car.

1,484 complaints, 10 model years 39% of everything filed about the Outback typically at 11k miles

Subaru Outback visibility and wiper problems by model year

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

One row per model year on file, newest first. A year marked in depth has its own page: the complaints, the owners’ words and every document under this heading for that year.

Model year	Complaints naming the wipers, glass and mirrors	Share of the year’s	Typically at	On file under the heading
2027	0	—	—	—	the year →
2026	0	—	—	—	the year →
2025	6	7%	—	—	the year →
2024	22	22%	—	—	the year →
2023	19	21%	—	—	the year →
2022 in depth	281	61%	7k	1 recall	the record →
2021	107	36%	3k	—	the year →
2020	384	43%	6k	—	the year →
2019	390	38%	11k	—	the year →
2018 in depth	275	34%	24k	1 recall	the record →

Two things the counts carry that are not the car: how many of each year were sold, and how long each has been on the road — an older year out-counts a newer one before anything is wrong with it. The share column is the honest comparison across years: what part of that year’s complaints named the wipers, glass and mirrors. Nothing here is a rate.

When the visibility and wiper complaints were filed, and at what mileage

Source: NHTSA complaint database

1,484complaints name the wipers, glass and mirrors, all years

Filed per calendar year, every model year together: 2017: 1 · 2018: 14 · 2019: 145 · 2020: 363 · 2021: 331 · 2022: 290 · 2023: 186 · 2024: 107 · 2025: 34 · 2026: 13

11kmiles, typically

Across the model years, half of the 742 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the visibility and wiper problem between 5,000 and 25,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.

In owners’ own words

Source: NHTSA complaint database

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the wipers, glass and mirrors, from the model years with the most to say. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.

I had parked try 2019 Outback for work on a public street. When I got in after work and closed my door, the rear glass shattered and about 1/4 of it fell into the back of the car. I inspected the interior of the car and the outside area where it was parked, looking for some sign that maybe someone had tried to break in or vandalized it.

Visibility/Wiper at 12,000 miles May 3, 2019 NHTSA owner report

Warm sunny day. Left work, driving home, heard a pop and there is a 12" crack in the windshield that starts at the top and goes down from there. No stone/rock hit

Visibility/Wiper at 8,900 miles Apr 25, 2019 NHTSA owner report

Four weeks after purchasing the new vehicle, I noticed a small crack appeared in the bottom of the windshield on the passenger side of the vehicle. It continued to crack for about 6 more inches. I have now ordered a new windshield to replace the broken one. The vehicle was stationary when I noticed the crack initially

Visibility/Wiper at 2,500 miles Feb 23, 2020 NHTSA owner report

While driving down the highway, my windshield spontaneously cracked from the top of the windshield down past the rear view mirror. I was hit by no rocks or any debris

Visibility/Wiper at 6,300 miles Feb 22, 2020 NHTSA owner report

Front windshield had a spontaneous crack form from some point out of sight under the bottom seal, just right of the center of the windshield. The windshield had no chips, and the car is four months old. This took place in early morning, before sunrise, with an outside temp. of 20 degrees F showing on the car thermometer

Visibility/Wiper Jan 3, 2022 NHTSA owner report

What is on file about the wipers, glass and mirrors, across the years

Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

Recall campaigns filed under this heading, any model year

22V712000 High
Sep 22, 2022 · 42 vehicles
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2022 Impreza and Outback vehicles. The incorrect paint clearcoat may have been applied, which can cause the windshield to be insufficiently bonded to the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 212, "Windshield Mounting."
18V935000 Moderate
Dec 31, 2018 · 71,190 vehicles
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."

Other systems with a record on the Subaru Outback

Source: the same files

Every system, every model year: Subaru Outback problems by year →

From here

Every 2027 model on file, by price Compare two vehicles, trim vs trim See what a VIN was priced at See what owners reported

Common questions

Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communications

Which Subaru Outback years have the most visibility and wiper complaints?

2019, 390; 2020, 384; 2022, 281. Raw counts, and an older year has had longer to collect them; by share of each year's own complaints the loudest is the 2022 (61%).

Is there a recall for the wipers, glass and mirrors on the Subaru Outback?

Yes — 2 campaigns are filed under this heading across these model years: 22V712000 (2022), 18V935000 (2018). A recall is matched by VIN, and applies to specific years; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

When do visibility and wiper problems show up on the Subaru Outback?

Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 10,900 miles across the model years; half of them between 5,000 and 25,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.

What does NHTSA's "Visibility/Wiper" heading cover?

Windshields, wipers, washers, mirrors and defrosters. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.