Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Subaru Outback owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH and activating the windshield washer on intermittent mode, he noticed that the windshield was significantly dry as the washer mechanism was not supplying fluid to the windshield at the nozzle. The contact stated that as the failure impaired his visibility of the road, he veered to the side of the road. Upon investigating the failure, the contact discovered a puddle of fluid underneath the driver's side fender of the vehicle and concluded there was a leak of windshield washer fluid through the windshield washer tubing. The contact manually cleaned the windshield and drove to his residence, where he noticed that the windshield washer tubing was fractured about 6 inches from the point at which it entered the cowl housing located at the base of the windshield. …
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the front windshield suddenly developed a crack which quickly extended approximately 8 inches horizontally and later extended more than 35 inches across the windshield. The contact stated that the crack began on the passenger's side and extended to the driver's side of the windshield. The contact stated that the failure had occurred approximately 15 minutes after having the original windshield replaced after the same failure. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local service center and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 71,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving at 70 MPH, a small rock might have struck the windshield causing a crack on the driver's side of the windshield. The contact was able to continue to drive the vehicle though the crack was affecting his vision of the roadway. The contact became aware that an unknown manufacturer recall was associated with the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the manufacturer partially covered the windshield replacement; however, the failure reoccurred while driving. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that she noticed that there was a crack on the passenger's side windshield after a small rock struck the windshield. The contact stated that the windshield shouldn't have cracked from such a small rock impacting the windshield. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,460.
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the front windshield cracked without impact. The vehicle was not taken to be inspected. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Around 8 am on 1/4/2022, driving the car on I85 in Durham County, NC, at a normal highway speed, the sunroof glass shattered suddenly and without warning. The sunroof was fully closed at the time, but the inside cover was open. Shards of glass were sprayed within the cabin. This was a dangerous distraction to the driver, and could have been much more serious if he had gotten glass in his eyes from looking up to see what had happened. There was no apparent impact to the sunroof glass from a rock or other object outside the car, and the sunroof was not being opened or closed at the time. We contacted Subaru of America and our local dealer. The car is no longer under warranty, and Subaru refused to cover the cost of repair (though I see online we are not the only ones to have this problem). …
The windshield spontaneously cracked at the deicer area. The windshield is available for inspection. The crack has grown and is interfering with visibility. The crack in the deicer part of the windshield is easy to see. I have called and left messages about the cracked windshield for the Subaru service manager at the dealership where we bought the car. The service manager has not returned my calls. I drove the car to the Subaru dealer and showed the crack to the substitute service manager (Brian from Kia). Brian took my name and number and said he would contact the Subaru rep for me. To date, I have not heard from the Subaru rep about the spontaneously cracked windshield. There was no warning that the windshield would crack. I was driving the car on Saturday June 5th when I heard a pop. There was no other traffic on the paved road I was driving on. …
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the sunroof glass exploded. There was no impact to the sunroof that could have caused the sunroof glass to explode. The shards of glass from the sunroof fell onto the contact, his wife, and his son; however, no injuries were sustained, and medical attention was not received. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the sunroof glass. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Subaru Outback windshield cracks again within 2 months after warranty replacement pursuant to windshield settlement agreement. The claimed enhanced windshield from Subaru is exposed to the issue reported from the windshield settlement agreement, and Subaru refused to provide warranty replacement to fix this issue. Carter Subaru replaced my windshield on 02/15/2022. The new windshield placed by Carter Subaru crack on 4/24/2022 while I stop at a restaurant and there is no obvious external influence in my windshield.
Two incidents related to the ignition/electrical system for this car happened during a second start after a short trip in cold weather. Both incidents occurred in temperatures at or below 5 degrees fahrenheit. The car started and ran normally, then after I drove for short trip (between 5 and 10 minutes long) I parked the car, turned it off and left it for about 5-10 minutes. For the first incident: the car would not start. The accessories, including the heat/fan system and radio worked, but the car would not crank. The dashboard "security immobilizer" indicator flashed as if the key was not in the ignition. After leaving the key in the "on" position for 5 minutes, all of the dashboard lights briefly illuminated and the car was able to start again. The second incident: the car started, but the accessories, including the heat/fan system would not turn on. …
Window & Wiper complaints in other Outback years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2015 Subaru Outback?
NHTSA has 142 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2015 Subaru Outback, 28% of the model year's 510 complaints. The component named most often is windshield (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2015 Subaru Outback window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof recall for the 2015 Subaru Outback, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2015 Subaru Outback window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 11,000 miles, and 70% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to windows, wipers & sunroof problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.