2017 Subaru Outback Visibility/wiper Problems
Owners have filed 205 complaints with NHTSA about visibility/wiper problems on the 2017 Subaru Outback, 22% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 33,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “windshield cracked” (32% of reports).
- 205visibility/wiper complaints
- 33,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,050typical repair cost reported by owners
- 68%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Windshield cracked: mentioned in 65 of 205 complaints (32%)
- Large crack: mentioned in 16 of 205 complaints (8%)
- Apparent reason: mentioned in 12 of 205 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical visibility/wiper repair on the 2017 Subaru Outback at $1,050, and half of them between $770 and $1,300.
Based on 9 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2017–2023), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do visibility/wiper problems happen?
Based on 149 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 205 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Subaru Outback visibility/wiper complaints by model year
| Model year | Visibility/wiper complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Outback | 5 | 6% | — |
| 2024 Outback | 22 | 21% | — |
| 2023 Outback | 16 | 18% | — |
| 2022 Outback | 255 | 55% | — |
| 2021 Outback | 97 | 33% | 3,000 |
| 2020 Outback | 313 | 35% | 5,000 |
| 2019 Outback | 326 | 31% | 10,000 |
| 2018 Outback | 234 | 29% | 21,775 |
| 2017 Outback | 205 | 22% | 33,000 |
| 2016 Outback | 83 | 13% | 38,000 |
| 2015 Outback | 130 | 25% | 9,000 |
| 2014 Outback | 8 | 4% | 38,000 |
| 2013 Outback | 11 | 4% | 45,000 |
| 2012 Outback | 5 | 2% | 79,500 |
| 2011 Outback | 18 | 3% | 99,351 |
| 2010 Outback | 5 | 1% | 60,219 |
| 2009 Outback | 8 | 8% | 94,500 |
| 2008 Outback | 8 | 4% | 83,000 |
| 2007 Outback | 1 | 1% | 64,200 |
| 2006 Outback | 4 | 1% | 123,500 |
| 2005 Outback | 6 | 2% | 98,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists visibility/wiper for the 2017 Subaru Outback. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My Outback has been through 5 genuine Subaru windshields this year, and 7 since 2019. Only one was impact damage, the rest developed cracks after installation. One only lasted 3 days after being replaced. Others have lasted 3 months. There is something defective with the current Subaru replacement…
My windshield (which has had multiple class action lawsuits) cracked spontaneously sitting in my driveway. I contacted Subaru of America and they denied any responsibility and claimed there is no assistance they can provide. This crack has gone from about half of my windshield to nearly the entire…
Ongoing problem with Subaru. Spontaneous windshield crack. 74 degrees, parked in shade, no chips. Came out and has the crack completely across windshield just above drivers eyeline. This is has happened to many Subaru owners and Subaru does nothing. Now I want Safelite to do repair, but Subaru will…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2017 Subaru Outbacks have visibility/wiper problems?
No. NHTSA has 205 owner complaints about visibility/wiper for the 2017 Subaru Outback (22% of the 918 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2017 Subaru Outback visibility/wiper?
No recall currently lists visibility/wiper for this vehicle.
At what mileage do visibility/wiper problems start?
The median reported mileage is 33,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix visibility/wiper problems on the 2017 Subaru Outback?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,050 (half paid between $770 and $1,300), from 9 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about visibility/wiper problems on the 2017 Subaru Outback?
The most frequent phrase is “windshield cracked”, in 65 of 205 complaints, followed by “large crack” (16).
Other 2017 Subaru Outback problems
See all 2017 Subaru Outback problems or visibility/wiper problems across all Outback years.