FaultScore

Subaru Legacy window and wiper problems

368 of the 4,165 complaints filed about the Subaru Legacy are about the glass, mirrors and wipers — 9% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2020.

368

Complaints

9%

Share of all complaints

0

Crashes

3

Fires

Windows, Mirrors & Wipers complaints by model year

1991 Legacy 6 1.6%
1992 Legacy 5 1.4%
1993 Legacy 6 1.6%
1995 Legacy 7 1.9%
1996 Legacy 4 1.1%
1997 Legacy 3 0.8%
1998 Legacy 4 1.1%
1999 Legacy 1 0.3%
2000 Legacy 3 0.8%

Median failure at 225,000 miles

2001 Legacy 5 1.4%

Median failure at 102,790 miles

2002 Legacy 2 0.5%

Median failure at 20,000 miles

2003 Legacy 2 0.5%

Median failure at 10,750 miles

2004 Legacy 1 0.3%
2005 Legacy 17 4.6%

Median failure at 96,926 miles

2006 Legacy 1 0.3%

Median failure at 1,200 miles

2007 Legacy 3 0.8%

Median failure at 73,000 miles

2008 Legacy 3 0.8%

Median failure at 70,000 miles

2009 Legacy 4 1.1%

Median failure at 76,023 miles

2010 Legacy 5 1.4%

Median failure at 66,758 miles

2011 Legacy 2 0.5%

Median failure at 118,288 miles

2012 Legacy 4 1.1%

Median failure at 52,000 miles

2013 Legacy 1 0.3%

Median failure at 52,000 miles

2014 Legacy 6 1.6%

Median failure at 19,320 miles

2015 Legacy 41 11.1%

Median failure at 9,500 miles

2016 Legacy 18 4.9%

Median failure at 40,000 miles

2017 Legacy 36 9.8%

Median failure at 33,800 miles

2018 Legacy 32 8.7%

Median failure at 29,315 miles

2019 Legacy 51 13.9%

Median failure at 6,700 miles

2020 Legacy 66 17.9%

Median failure at 5,579 miles

2021 Legacy 6 1.6%

Median failure at 1,100 miles

2022 Legacy 17 4.6%

Median failure at 2,000 miles

2023 Legacy 2 0.5%

Median failure at 2,000 miles

2024 Legacy 4 1.1%

What owners said

2019 Subaru Legacy san Ramon, CA

VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR

driver side mirror can not be adjusted to effectively see visually car in blind spot; fortunately car saw me changing lane when it was just off rear driverside fender; did not seen in mirror or in window; 70 years used visual; blind spot light inconsistent; visual is

NHTSA complaint #11736451 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2024 Subaru Legacy Columbia, MD

VISIBILITY/WIPER

When the vehicle is off the windows will come down on their own! This has occurred on 4 difference instances. One dealership indicated the "fix" the situation; however, they never replaced the parts which were required for the fix. A second dealership would not perform a diagnostic. A third dealership indicated that that cleaned and lubricated the necessary parts. Less than a week after leaving the dealership it occurred again. This is an extreme safety risk as the vehicle becomes easily accessible to others and it also allows easy access to the Homelink garage door system. This also causes extreme damage because during one of these window occasions it was also raining outside. Date provided is the 1st occurrence continuing to occur through 2/8/2026. I can provide documentation if further needed - manufacture is aware of occurrences

NHTSA complaint #11716534 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Subaru Legacy Ridgewood, NJ

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Safety Hazard: Subaru Sun Visor I own a 2022 Subaru Legacy, the first new car I've ever owned. The visor  (to protect eyes from the sun) is too short and not wide enough. The seat is raised as high as it will go. I CAN'T position myself to protect my eyes from the Sun. On 1/8/26, I left my home at 7:45 a.m. Around the corner from my home, local road, I approached an intersection with a Traffic Light. As I approached the intersection to turn left, the Sun (dead ahead) totally blinded me. It was a complete WHITE OUT.   The Visor did NOTHING to protect my eyes from the sun. IT'S TOO SMALL and useless. I used one hand to shield my eyes from the Sun. It didn't help. I was helpless. I stopped my car, prayed I wouldn't get hit When my vision returned, I maneuvered my way into my left hand turn It was the scariest thing I've ever experienced. I was BLINDED and HELPLESS. There needs to be a RECALL on Subaru visors. I could have been killed. PLEASE do a thorough and complete Subaru investigation. This issue is all over the internet and not just with Subaru car owners. Friends who own a  Subaru complain about this dangerous visor. RECALL the VISORS. Thank you. P.S. I called the dealership on 1/9/26. They have no remedy. I will drive over there and ask the manager to DO SOMETHING to fix the problem

NHTSA complaint #11710841 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 Subaru Legacy Midland, NC

VISIBILITY/WIPER

My 2017 Legacy is on it's 3rd windshield this year. I had impact damage on July 17th, had it replaced the first week of August, and it cracked without impact damage in October. Subaru refused to replace it under warranty and it was replaced through insurance in December. The genuine Subaru replacement windshields for 2015-2019 Legacy and Outback models appear to be defective and this should be investigated.

NHTSA complaint #11704141 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2020 Subaru Legacy at 29,000 miles Fort Worth, TX

VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that during inclement weather, the front driver and front passenger’s side power windows failed to automatically roll up as intended. The contact was forced to hold the power window button to slowly roll the windows up. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where the contact was informed that there was debris in the slides inside the windows, causing the windows to fail to retract. The contact stated that the driver’s side window retractor was replaced; however, the failure returned soon after the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 29,000.

NHTSA complaint #11697739 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2018 Subaru Legacy Shafter, CA

VISIBILITY/WIPER

I have been going back and forth with Subaru of America's Advocacy department for about two weeks now, I purchased my 2018 Subaru legacy back in August of 2023. My head unit in my vehicle has now completely stopped working, I have explained that now my back up camera is now freezing and going black and that it poses a safety risk, but they are not helping me, all they keep telling me was the extended warranty for that specific issue expired in July of 2023. when I checked Subaru's recall website, they have completed out that recall in July of 2025, I have never taken my car in for this issue, I was also never aware of this recall. I have all emails going back and forth with the advocacy department. the recall was for "FMVSS 111" per Subaru advocacy dept. my car has a total of two recalls that have been completed out but it shows they were completed out July 26, 2025, I have had possession of this vehicle since 2023 and was never made aware of any open recalls so I never have taken my car into get anything corrected. this vehicle's star link system is still linked to the previous owner because I can't get it to be linked to me yet.

NHTSA complaint #11691937 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2018 Subaru Legacy Syracuse, NY

VISIBILITY/WIPER

MAR 2024: 2018 Subaru Legacy, 36,000-miles. (1) Front Windshield had crack in it randomly one day. Coming up from bottom heating element. Easily able to find similar crack shape online. Find lots of windshield crack issues online for Subarus. Zero action from Subaru on this. (2) Broke again 11 months later [FEB 2025] in similar fashion, randomly one day.

NHTSA complaint #11680122 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2023 Subaru Legacy Decatur, GA

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Accorn fell on windshield. At 14,000 miles windshield cracked. Was driving approximately 35MPH

NHTSA complaint #11635400 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Subaru Legacy Homer Glen, IL

VISIBILITY/WIPER

I have the touring model with defrosters under the windshield. This is the second time I have had my windshield cracked vertically in a year. Both scenarios include a cold snap to about 20 degrees. First one broke in the parking lot after warming up the car (windshield heat and defrosters on) This time was a similar case. Warmed up my car, started driving, and two min later heard a pop and saw the windshield split at the same spot,(windshield defroster element). So basically when it gets cold I can’t use advertised features without causing damage to my car.

NHTSA complaint #11628325 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2009 Subaru Legacy New Britain, CT

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Under Subaru campaign WQK47, which supersedes an earlier campaign, 05-09 Legacy/Outback and other models are known to undergo accelerated brake line corrosion due to sub-par materials and design. Subaru of America's "fix" for this issue is to inspect the lines: if the lines are compromised, they replace them. If the lines are corroded but not yet compromised, the lines are coated with an anti-corrosion wax. This wax washes off the car and is ineffective. Subaru performed this recall work insufficiently on my vehicle, failing to identify the severity of the corrosion. They coated the lines, called it "fixed", and the brake lines later ruptured under normal driving conditions. This caused a highway near-miss at speed that could have impacted everyone on the road. Multiple Subaru dealerships in Connecticut have refused to re-inspect and repair the vehicle under the recall campaign, despite it being a known critical safety concern, and despite knowledge that the original parts and anti-corrosion application are sub-par. They insist that because the ineffective recall campaign was already "completed", they bear no further responsibility for the design compromises and sub-par materials that are the root cause of this issue. Additionally: Under Subaru bulletin 12-197-16R the dashboard of 05-09 Subaru Legacy/Outback models is known to become sticky and melt. While this might initially be considered a cosmetic issue, the melted surface is DRAMATICALLY reflective. The hump over the gauge cluster melts first, causing a huge, intense sun glare reflection in the windscreen directly ahead of the driver. I own two 05-09 Subaru Legacies; this issue is present in both. Subaru of America has rejected my replacement claims on both cars because the cutoff date for their open recall has expired. This is a major and constantly worsening safety issue that severely limits driver visibility. Because it developed slowly, it was not a safety concern until after closure of the recall.

NHTSA complaint #11611948 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2024 Subaru Legacy Columbia, MD

VISIBILITY/WIPER

The windshield is extremely fragile, I have under 3,000 miles and already 4 rock chips on the windshield. This is all from highways and paved roads, no gravel or dirt roads have been driven on. The rock chips have happened on different occasions and never was their a loud bang from a large rock which makes me think small rocks are causing the damage. Rock chips lead to cracks that will impair visibility without costly repairs

NHTSA complaint #11610286 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2016 Subaru Legacy Clinton, MD

VISIBILITY/WIPER

I went to the store with an intact and unblemished windshield. After returning to the vehicle, a crack in the passenger side of the windshield appeared with no chip or damage visible. After only a day, this cracked had tripled in length with weekly crackling sounds. This is a known issue with Subarus and the manufacturer is trying to be selective with repairs. My vehicle has the EyeSight system and will cost me $1100.00 to repair because it's $700.00 to calibrate the system after glass repair..

NHTSA complaint #11604581 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Subaru Legacy Normal, IL

VISIBILITY/WIPER

In April 2024 a small rock hit my windshield and it immediately cracked. I’ve had rocks hit the windshield on other vehicles but usually nothing is visible or worse case it was a chip. The 3-4 inch crack grew to over a foot by the next day. I had it repaired at Safelite and had to pay the $500 deductible. The cost was even greater due to the need to recalibrate the safety cameras. My son just had a similar experience yesterday with his 2021 Subaru Legacy. From researching this, it appears this is a too common occurrence with Subarus.

NHTSA complaint #11601230 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2015 Subaru Legacy at 76,000 miles Raleigh, NC

VISIBILITY

The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while the vehicle was turned off on two occasions, the contact observed three cracks in the top-middle of the windshield that led to an 'S' shape crack in the middle of the windshield. The vehicle was taken to an auto body and glass shop where it was diagnosed that the lament had pulled away from the glass and the windshield needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred three weeks later. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.

NHTSA complaint #11597183 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Subaru Legacy Reno, NV

VISIBILITY/WIPER

My windshield cracked when I wasn’t even driving, it cracked all the way up almost to the top of the windshield. I have heard of other Subaru owners having this same issue with the windshield cracking easily. This should not have cracked like this. It is cheaply made obviously and unsafe.

NHTSA complaint #11596037 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2019 Subaru Legacy Columbia, MO

VISIBILITY/WIPER

We had to replace the car’s original windshield due to a stone hitting it on the highway- just bad luck and something that happens from time to time. Since then, we’ve had TWO replacement windshields spontaneously crack without any impacts in the span of 3 weeks. Subaru has a major problem. These windshields are not supposed to be disposable, and no one has time or money enough to replace windshields on a weekly basis. There is clearly a defect in the windshields, their mounting, or something that needs to be corrected. This represents a major safety issue for drivers.

NHTSA complaint #11592264 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2024 Subaru Legacy Grand Junction, CO

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Front Windshield cracks easily. Vehicle is only 7 months old and the front windshield has been cracked four separate times due to small rock impact. I just had the windshield replaced with a new Subaru OEM front windshield and three days later it was hit by a small pebble and cracked again.

NHTSA complaint #11590788 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2019 Subaru Legacy Folsom, CA

VISIBILITY/WIPER

On 3/1/24, I had my original windshield replaced with Subaru dealership due to a crack. I paid out of pocket. On 4/21/24, the windshield cracked again for no reason. I don't recall anything hitting it. I took it to the Subaru dealership on 4/22/24, and they took no responsibility even though it was still under warranty. They claimed it was due to something hitting the windshield, but they did replace it for free because we were "loyal customers". On 4/30/24, it developed a substantial crack again. I remember some small pebble hitting the windshield but not hard enough to cause it to crack. I was DONE with Subaru so I took it to Safelite to get it replaced on 5/10/24. Again paying out of pocket. This is my third windshield replacement in less than two months. I feel that the Subaru brand windshield is defective. It cracks easily for no reason. I've never had this happen so frequently with any of my other cars I've owned.

NHTSA complaint #11589441 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2020 Subaru Legacy New Castle, PA

VISIBILITY/WIPER

I have had two spontaneous window cracks within 6 to 9 months apart. I had a full windshield replacement and the windshield has just cracked again. The second incident, the vehicle was parked overnight so it wasn't caused by a rock or from following a car.

NHTSA complaint #11588664 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Subaru Legacy Hixson, TN

VISIBILITY/WIPER

In 2022, a piece of small gravel fell off the back of a dump truck, bounced off the road, and struck the windshield of my 2022 Subaru Legacy. Based on past experience with other vehicles, this should have resulted in a round or star-shaped crack to the glass but this caused cracks that continue to grow and branch off. In 2024, I replaced the windshield at Flow Subaru in Charlottesville, VA at a cost of over $1000 and within 3-4 weeks there was a linear crack halfway across the windshield directly in front of the driver's seat, which somewhat interferes with the driver's view. Online research suggests this is a known problem with Subaru cars with their "Eyesight" system. Supposedly, Subaru has settled class-action lawsuits related to their windshields cracking. This is a safety hazard from the standpoint of driver's vision and windshield integrity. These windshields are fragile and inherently defective.

NHTSA complaint #11579646 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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