Topic: What's with Subaru windshields?

[Trainman]

Don't some Subies have a heating element in the windshield under the wipers parl position?  If so that could cause some differential heating and cracking.

My Forester has that heated windshield rest, and as noted so far no cracks.  But I get the chips fixed as quickly as I can ($26 each).

[tenpenny]

Rust underneath a windshield can crack it, usually from the edge. How old were they?

It has to be more than that.  Seriously..in all my car shopping time of a single model, I have never seen such a thing.

How old?  No more than 10 years or so.  Though one of them was a 1998.

Our Outback had a couple of stone chips, had them repaired and can't see them now.  Dunno if the glass is prone to cracking otherwise.
BTW,  if you're looking at Outbacks the 2000 and newer are nicer.

Yea..checked into a couple.  What mileage is head gaskets an issue?

Some info here:
http://users.sisna.com/ignatius/subaru/headgasket.html

Mostly though, it's the pre-2000 DOHC engines.  
Get an Outback with the 3.0 H-6, no gasket problems, nice and smooth. That or get an older car with the 2.0.

Last time I was in the dealership, I was told that my 05 2.5imay be developing a head gasket issue, I replied 'I thought Subaru had fixed that...'

[5 Wheel Drive]

I've been through 1 windshield on the Forester.  But it was hit with something on the 417.  It's been fine since.  No issues with the defroster lines in the bottom.  That's gotta be one of the handiest features for a car that has to go through a Canadian winter!

[RX7heaven]

We have a Forester and an Impreza with a few chips in the windshields. Could the Subaru low hood over the flat 4 leave the windshield more vulnerable to damage? I like this good forward visibility which I also get in my '86 RX7 with a low hoodline over a 1.3l Wankel. A hood stone guard might be a good idea for folks who do a lot of highway driving. Thinkfeeldrive!

[blur911]

During a holiday trip to NB our windshield picked up yet another starry stonechip, but the 50cm crack that formed across the bottom means it's new windshield time. 
The crack is right above the heated section and we noticed it while using the heater.

[CatsEye68]

Not to be a smartie, but isn't it possible that Subie windshields are just cheap, cheesy, thin or otherwise of substandard quality?

[rrocket]

Not to be a smartie, but isn't it possible that Subie windshields are just cheap, cheesy, thin or otherwise of substandard quality?

My thought as well.  Though I do wonder if the heated wiper thing has anything to do with it.

[Trainman]

...

Much better have a 2+ second following distance, whatever the speed is for the protection of the windshield.

All my chips have come from rocks thrown by vehicles going the other way, not from those in front.

Not to be a smartie, but isn't it possible that Subie windshields are just cheap, cheesy, thin or otherwise of substandard quality?

Probably the same source of glass as Nissan and Toyota then as based on my experiences, they have had just as many chips/cracks as my Forester.

[DriverJeff]

It's odd for sure.  I looked at dozens of Echos, dozens of IS350, IS300, Supras, NSXs, Vipers, Z06, etc.  No cracked windshields.  I look at Subarus...cracked windshields.  Very odd.

Maybe it's just the type of driving / roads being driven that plays a part here.  Something tells me there aren't a lot of Supras, NSXs Vipers and Z06s being driven as winter cars or on rural gravel roads as regularly as the Subies.  Between my brother and a number of friends with Subies (admittedly all mostly newer models), I've never heard of any issues with windshields.

[Mike]

On the topic of windshields......my g/f SX4 took an entire wiperblade off of the windshield at 120KM/H on the 403 during the X-Mas holidays.  Not damaged other then a 3 inch scratch in the glass.

After reading this thread I am afraid if it were in the Subaru, the entire windshield would have shattered