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...
Visibility & wipers
Subaru Legacy Visibility problems by year
359 complaints filed with NHTSA about the Subaru Legacy's visibility & wipers. Windshields, wipers, defrosters, mirrors, backup cameras and glare.
Visibility complaints by model year
| Year | Visibility complaints | Crashes | Injuries | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 66 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 51 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2017 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2012 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2011 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2010 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2009 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2000 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1999 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Visibility recalls
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Legacy vehicles manufactured November 26, 2008, to June 7, 2013, and 2010-2014 Outback vehicles manufactured January 9, 2009 to June 7, 2013. Due to contamination, components within...
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2012 Outback and Legacy vehicles manufactured from April 6, 2011, through May 12, 2011. Components inside the wiper motor bottom cover may overheat.
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2012 Outback and Legacy vehicles manufactured from April 6, 2011, through May 12, 2011. The moonroof glass may come loose or detach. The amount and position of the adhesive between the glass and retainer was...
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2011 outback and legacy vehicles manufactured from august 3, 2010, through july 1, 2011. The moonroof glass may come loose or detach. The amount and position of the adhesive between the glass and retainer was...
The defroster lever pin of the defroster shutter door may become dislocated and allow the shutter to close, preventing defroster from functioning.
Latest Legacy visibility complaints
Following an engine-out service at an authorized dealer (Bill Kolb Jr. Subaru), a primary powertrain mounting bolt was left unthreaded by approximately 1 inch, creating an undetected 8,000-mile safety hazard that resulted in extensive drivetrain and suspension component failures. Subsequently, during a diagnostic inspection at another authorized dealer (All American Subaru), heavy rusted metal pliers and loose cowl trim panels were abandoned unsecured inside the wiper cowl tray beneath the windshield, posing a severe roadway projectile and steering/wiper obstruction hazard.
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
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...
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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
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...
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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
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.
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.
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...
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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.
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.
Accorn fell on windshield. At 14,000 miles windshield cracked. Was driving approximately 35MPH
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.
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...
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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.
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
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..
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.
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.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data