Verified government source

NHTSA complaint #11568674

This page summarizes an official U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration owner complaint. Use the verification links below to confirm the record directly with NHTSA.

Vehicle

2020 SUBARU OUTBACK

Manufacturer

Subaru of America, Inc.

Components

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Dates

Incident: 01/15/2024
Filed: 01/29/2024

Owner complaint summary

- Driver and Passenger window stuck down (won't close) in extreme cold temperatures - I feel my safety is at risk because I had to drive my car miles in frigid temperatures with my window stuck open. - My dealership acknowledged the problem, but were not able to reproduce it as it was 59 degrees when I took it in. - My vehicle was not inspected by anyone other than the dealer - I had no warning of the problem I have a 2020 Subaru Outback Limited. Since I bought the car, there have been multiple incidents where the driver or passenger window got stuck open after being rolled down on very cold days. Several years ago ,shortly after I bought it, my Subaru dealer explained to me this was happening because Subaru changed the rubber content in the window gaskets to a harder rubber. Then, when there is dirt on the insides of the gasket, the gasket drags on the window and the actuator opens the window because it thinks it detected it was closing on something it was not supposed to close on. The fix to be able to close my window was to take a screwdriver and a T-shirt or thin towel to clean the insides of the gasket that touches the window. Subaru knows about this problem. As this is a safety hazard and dangerous in cold weather, I do not understand why there has not been a recall. I took my car to the dealer today. I was told that it should not happen again if I keep the gaskets clean. As a Subaru is supposed to be made for offroading and extreme weather conditions, I would think that something as basic as being able to open and CLOSE a window is not too much to ask. Do you really expect me to clean the inside of window gaskets to keep my windows from sticking? That is just trying to normalize a problem that should not be not be normalized. My passenger window got stuck a couple of weeks ago and I had to drive home 7 miles with it open when it was 0 degrees out. I tried to clean the gaskets using a screwdriver and a rag, but it would not work. Please recall!!!

This is an owner complaint filed with NHTSA (ODI #11568674). It is not automatically an official recall, investigation outcome, or manufacturer admission unless the complaint text itself describes one.

Official record ID (ODI): 11568674. This page is the human-readable source link used across afterwarranty. The raw JSON link proxies NHTSA's public API for machine verification; prefer this page when reading the complaint.