2021 Subaru Outback Visibility/wiper Problems
Owners have filed 97 complaints with NHTSA about visibility/wiper problems on the 2021 Subaru Outback, 33% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 3,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “windshield cracked” (24% of reports).
- 97visibility/wiper complaints
- 3,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 62%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 23 of 97 complaints (24%)
- Inch crack: mentioned in 7 of 97 complaints (7%)
- Parked garage: mentioned in 6 of 97 complaints (6%)
- Point impact: mentioned in 5 of 97 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do visibility/wiper problems happen?
Based on 19 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 97 complaints, 1 mention a crash.
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 2021 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.
I was driving when I heard a loud explosion sound. I first thought a rock or gunshot hit my car and pulled over to examine my car. I checked all around the car and didn't notice any damage on the side of my car but then I noticed that my sunroof was shattered. The glass was pushed outward which…
Since owning this vehicle, we have replaced the windshield at least once a year. The first due to a 1/16th inch chip that evolved into a 10 inch crack over the course of a day. The second was a crack from driver side pillar that appeared overnight, no chips prior. Third was a 8" crack from…
Driving home on a farm road, a truck passed by, picking up a pebble that hit my windshield. On my other vehicles, that same impact would leave a chip on the windshield but due to its light thickness, it immediately formed a long crack that is continually growing in size as it is currently my daily…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2021 Subaru Outbacks have visibility/wiper problems?
No. NHTSA has 97 owner complaints about visibility/wiper for the 2021 Subaru Outback (33% of the 297 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 2021 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 3,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about visibility/wiper problems on the 2021 Subaru Outback?
The most frequent phrase is “windshield cracked”, in 23 of 97 complaints, followed by “inch crack” (7).
Other 2021 Subaru Outback problems
See all 2021 Subaru Outback problems or visibility/wiper problems across all Outback years.