2015 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

I RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL FROM THE NHTSA (CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 15V502 - TRANSMISSION OIL LEAK). I CONTACTED THE SUBARU DEALER AND THEY TELL ME THERE IS NO SUCH RECALL. WHO IS RIGHT?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, A PEBBLE STRUCK THE CONTACT'S WINDSHIELD AND CREATED A TWELVE INCH CRACK. UPON ARRIVING HOME, THE CRACK EXPANDED TO APPROXIMATELY SIXTEEN INCHES IN THE SHAPE OF THE LETTER "U". THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.

OUR 2015 SUBURU OUTBACK WAS PURCHASED IN APRIL 2015. IN JULY, THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED (RIGHT UP THE MIDDLE AND THEN, BRANCHED OUT TO BOTH SIDES) RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE ZOO. NO IMPACT OF ANY DEBRIS WAS HEARD OR EVIDENT. WE HAD THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED AFTER SUBURU DETERMINED A POINT OF IMPACT FROM DEBRIS. WE DID NOT AGREE, BUT WE NEEDED A NEW WINDSHIELD, SO WE PAID FOR IT. ON OCTOBER 8, AFTER GETTING INTO CAR AT WORK PARKING LOT, ANOTHER CRACK WAS DISCOVERED AND MATCHED THE JULY'S CRACK EXACTLY. AGAIN, NO IMPACT OF DEBRIS AND THE START OF THE CRACK STARTS AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD. I VISITED SUBURU THIS MORNING FOR ROUTING MAINT AND THEY INFORMED ME OF NO RECALL AND DIDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I AM REPLACING THE WINDSHIELD, AGAIN, IN A COUPLE OF DAYS. I SUSPECT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE MANUFACTURING OR DESIGN OF THE OUTBACK.

THE SUBARU OUTBACK 2015 WAS PARKED IN A LOT AFTER A 12 MINUTE DRIVE AND BURST INTO FLAMES. IT WAS PURCHASED IN FEBRUARY 2015 AND WAS NOT YET DUE FOR SERVICING WHEN THE EVENT HAPPENED. THE SUBARU OUTBACK MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 3RD-27TH 2015 HAS BEEN RECALLED DUE TO "POSSIBILITY OF FIRE DUE TO A TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK". I BELIEVE THE SAME THING OCCURRED WITH MY CAR AND I AM CONCERNED THAT IF THE MODEL IS NOT RECALLED SOMEONE WILL GET BADLY INJURED OR KILLED DUE TO FIRE.

SLOWING TO A STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT ON A CITY STREET, MANUAL TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL, CLUTCH IN. SPEED ROUGHLY 2 KM/HR. WENT TO STOP THE CAR WITH THE BRAKES, BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO BRAKE ACTIVATION. TRIED BRAKE PEDAL AGAIN, SAME RESULT. ACTIVATED PARKING/EMERGENCY BRAKE WHICH ALSO DID NOT STOP THE CAR. CAR HIT THE BACK OF A GRAVEL TRUCK AHEAD, AND SEEMED TO CONTINUE TO PUSH INTO THE TRUCK 7-10 CM, WHICH IS FURTHER THAN I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED GIVEN THE LOW SPEED OF THE COLLISION. COLLISION DAMAGED THE HOOD OF MY CAR AND BROKE THE HEADLIGHT LENS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, NO DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK, NO INJURIES TO OCCUPANTS OF EITHER VEHICLE. TRUCK TURNED THROUGH TURNING LIGHT, I CAREFULLY MOVED THE CAR UP AND TRIED STOPPING AT THE LIGHT. BRAKES FUNCTIONED NORMALLY, SO I TRIED THE PARKING BRAKE AND IT ALSO SEEMED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. I PUSHED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE THE CAR WAS STATIONARY AND NOTICED MUCH MORE TRAVEL THAN USUAL AND A SPONGY FEEL, BUT THERE WAS RESISTANCE WHERE THERE WAS NONE PREVIOUSLY. I DECIDED THE CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE AND DROVE SLOWLY TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I LEFT IT TO BE INSPECTED.

THIS WILL BE THE SECOND WINDSHILED REPLACED SINCE I BOUGHT MY OUTBACK IN MARCH 2015. FIRST TIME IT CRACKED, FOR NO APPARENT REASON, 2 WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE. NOW ON SECOND WINDSHILED, AND SEAL IN UPPER RIGHT IS BROKEN, AND CAN'T TAKE IT OUT OF THE GARAGE BECAUSE THERE'S A DELUGE OF RAIN OUT THERE. MUST WAIT FOR FACTORY REPLACEMENT BECAUSE IT'S TOO NEW!

IN LESS THAN SIX MONTHS, TWO WINDSHIELDS HAVE CRACKED WITH NORMAL USAGE. VEHICLES HAS LESS THAN 4600 MILES. THIS IS EITHER A GLASS FAILURE ISSUES OR A DESIGN FLAW. EITHER WAY, UNSAFE.

WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE DRIVING THROUGH LAKE TAHOE AREA WITHOUT ANY DEBRIS HITTING WINDSHIELD. THE CRACK STARTED AT LOWER PASSENGER CORNER AND HAS GROWN PAST MID SECTION OF THE WINDSHIELD. THIS IS THE 2ND WINDSHIELD DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR ON THIS VEHICLE.

NOTICED A SMALL WINDSHIELD CRACK AND WAS TOLD IT COULDN'T BE REPAIRED. IT STAYED SMALL FOR A MONTH OR SO THEN SPREAD RAPIDLY WHEN WEATHER HEATED UP. I'VE HAD DINGS BEFORE IN PRIOR CARS' WINDSHIELDS, BUT NEVER A CRACK.

THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED IN THE BOTTOM CORNER OF THE PASSENGER SIDE, MERELY AS A RESULT OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER RETRACTING ONTO IT WHILE BEING WASHED. (I HAVE NEVER IN MY 30+ YEARS OF DRIVING CARS HAD A WINDSHIELD CRACK FROM THE IMPACT OF A WINDSHIELD WIPER RETRACTING ONTO IT!!!) THE CRACK HAS SINCE SPREAD ALMOST TO THE DRIVER SIDE. BASED ON MY OWN RESEARCH AND INVESTIGATION, I BELIEVE THE BUILT IN WINDSHIELD DE-ICER UNIT COMPROMISES THE INTEGRITY OF THE WINDSHIELD GLASS. IN THE EVENT AN ACCIDENT WERE TO OCCUR, THE WINDSHIELD COULD VERY WELL SHATTER AND CAUSE BODILY INJURY. A SUBARU OF AMERICA REPRESENTATIVE CONFIRMED VIA EMAIL THAT "IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS WE HAVE SEEN A HIGHER DEMAND FOR WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT THAN WE USUALLY SEE. OUR PARTS DEPARTMENT IS WORKING HARD WITH RETAILERS AND SUPPLIERS AVAILABILITY....WE HAVE ALSO UPDATED OUR PRODUCTION PROCESS TO IMPROVE THE DURABILITY OF OUR WINDSHIELDS." CLEARLY, THE SUBARU OUTBACK 2015 WINDSHIELDS HAVE A DEFECT, AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THEM TO BE REPLACED AT NO COST TO THE OWNER BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED NEXT WEEK. ONLY TIME WILL WILL TELL HOW LONG THIS WILL TAKE AND HOW MUCH IT IS GOING TO COST. IN FAIRNESS, THE SUBARU OF AMERICA REP HAS ASKED ME TO SEND A COPY OF THE REPLACEMENT RECEIPT TO SEE IF THEY CAN HELP WITH THE COST. CONSIDERING SUBARU'S REPUTATION, MY HOPE IS THEY WILL ULTIMATELY REIMBURSE ME IN FULL.