2016 Subaru Crosstrek Wipers & Visibility Problems

The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that the windshield had cracked without impact. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 72,885.

Windshield spontaneously cracked

THE GLASS OF MY SUNROOF EXPLODED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. I WAS NOT CLOSE BEHIND ANY CAR AND I WAS NOT GOING UNDER AN OVERPASS. LUCKILY THE INSIDE OF THE SUNROOF WAS CLOSED SO THE EXPLODING CLASS DID NOT HIT ME.

EXCESSIVE CONDENSATION ON THE FRONT WINDOW WHILE THE CAR IS PARKED DURING COLD WEATHER. THE CAR IS PARKED OUTSIDE, AND INSIDE OF THE DRIVERS WINDOW WILL BE COVERED WITH MOISTURE. THERE ARE NO "WET" ITEMS IN THE CAR, AND THE AIR CONDITIONER AND DEFROSTER ARE USED WHEN THE CAR IS IN USE. IT BLOCKS THE OCCUPANTS VISION, AND THE WORK AROUND IS HAVING A TOWEL TO DRY THE WINDOW. IF THE TEMPERATURE IS BELOW FREEZING, THE INSIDE OF THE WINDOW IS COVERED IN ICE. ALL OTHER WINDOWS IN THE CAR DO NOT HAVE CONDENSATION. WE USED THE CAR AFTER IT WAS PARKED FOR A WEEK, AND HERE IS AN IMAGE OF THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE FRONT WINDOW. THIS IS MY DAUGHTERS CAR AND SHE HAS COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS, BUT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I WITNESSED THE CONDITION.

WHEN DRIVING TO WORK THIS MORNING ON THE HIGHWAY, TRAVELING ABOUT 50 MPH (APPROX 10 MILE DRIVE, MOSTLY HIGHWAY) I HEARD AND FELT A LOUD CRACK ON MY ROOF, AS IF SOMETHING HEAVY HAD HIT THE ROOF AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED BEHIND ME TO SEE IF THE CARS NEARBY HAD BEEN AFFECTED, BUT DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING UNUSUAL. WHEN I ARRIVED AT WORK APPROX 3 MINUTES LATER I DISCOVERED MY SUNROOF WINDOW WAS SHATTERED, WITH PIECES OF GLASS SCATTERED ACROSS THE ROOF OF MY CAR AND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SHARDS COLLECTED ON THE SUNROOF FABRIC COVER. I ASSUMED IT WAS A ROCK THROWN FROM ABOVE BUT COULD NOT SEE WHERE IT HAD LANDED OR BOUNCED ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE ROOF OF MY CAR, ESPECIALLY AS THERE WAS ONLY THE ONE LOUD BANG AND NO OTHER REACTION FROM CARS IN TRAFFIC. THE POLICE HAD NO RECORD OF ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT ROCKS BEING THROWN FROM THE HILL ABOVE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I DISCOVERED SEVERAL CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ABOUT SUBARU SUN AND MOONROOFS EXPLODING FROM THE INSIDE DUE TO FLUCTUATIONS IN TEMPERATURE, AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER CAR MANUFACTURERS INVOLVED IN CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS FOR THIS SAME ISSUE. IT WAS APPROX. 30 DEGREES THIS MORNING AND I HAD THE DEFROST/FOOT HEAT SELECTION ON, SET TO LOW. WHEN I RETURNED TO MY CAR TO INVESTIGATE I NOTICED THAT THE GLASS IS BOWED OUT ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, CONSISTENT WITH AN INTERNAL EXPLOSION. THE GLASS IS EXTREMELY FRAGILE AND CRUMBLES UPON TOUCH.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU CROSSTREK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THE REAR WINDOW SHATTERED AS THE DEFROSTER WAS ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED RECENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000. ...UPDATED 03/13/17 *BF *CN