Subaru Crosstrek Complaints (2016)

132 consumer complaints on file.

#11543159September 7, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I have a 2016 Crosstrek. It hestitates when you start after a stop. I have taken it to the dealership. They feel the hesitation but do not know what the problem is. The cost they estimated to fix was over $1,000, BUT with no guarantee they could fix it because they do not know what the problem is. It is not the fuel. After looking online Subaru problems, this seems to be a problem with Subaru. The safety issue, I am afraid of, when you are at a busy intersection and start to pull out in traffic what if the car stalls. It hasn't stalled yet, so far just hesitating upon initial acceleration.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11537967August 11, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving down the highway, the hood popped open and slammed backwards, shattering my windshield, damaging both fenders (to the point where the hood could not be lowered back down), and wrinkling the roof. I was in the middle lane and had to navigate blindly over to the shoulder, while covered in glass; miraculously, I was able to do so safely. It is a miracle I was not hurt or killed and that others around me were not hurt or killed. There was very real potential for a multi car pile up that day. I'm not aware of reproduction or confirmation of the problem. Police responded, but stated since I did not hit anything, there would be no accident report. My insurance inspected the vehicle at least twice, as did my mechanic throughout the course of his estimation and repair. At my last oil change at the dealership (months prior), the desk agent mentioned the auto techs had a hard time getting my hood closed but recommended no further service to me.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11525326June 5, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Sunroof exploded - driving on interstate at about 75 miles an hour, Sunday around 11:30a, temperature around 80 degrees, no flying debris, heard something like a small explosion and then shattered car glass blowing along roof. Pulled over to see the sunroof looked like it had blown up and out leaving hole about a foot wide. The interior ceiling panel had been closed so I couldn't see it from the inside, no damage to the interior panel that I could see. The car had been parked under my car port overnight, I'd been on the road about 15-20 minutes, no drastic changes in weather and no sounds from roof before explosion. No apparent damage to car/roof prior to explosion.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11522109May 15, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
In October 2020, the OEM transmission on my 2016 Subaru Crosstrek failed at 87,500 miles. The transmission was covered under a recent extension of the warranty from 60,000 to 100,000 miles. See website info regarding extended warranty: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2018/MC-10146475-9999.pdf After driving the "new" transmission for 18 months and 40,000 miles, the transmission failed again. This time, Subaru America refused, at first, to admit any fault. They initially offered $1000 for replacement, then increased to $3500 as a final offer. My out of pocket was $4710. Now, after 8 months and less than 12,000 miles, the transmission has failed AGAIN. This transmission is under a 1 year/unlimited miles warranty. This will be the 4th transmission in a vehicle with 143,000 miles on it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11517135April 14, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, AIR BAGS
Car caught fire from what seemed to be an electrical issue. Car became engulfed in flames within a few seconds. Fire department was called to extinguish the fire. I was lucky myself to make it out in time. The fire became so big, so quickly, I was concerned for the safety of the surrounding property. Luckily, no one was injured and no property damage took place. Car was inspected and totaled by insurance. The headlights were constantly needing to be changed. Otherwise the car was fine. I had just replaced the battery and just a few hours later the fire happened. The fire appeared to start somewhere under the hood on the passenger side.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11515282April 3, 2023
AIR BAGS
On 3/30 my steering column started to make a grinding sound when I turned my steering wheel over 90 degrees to make a turn. On 3/31 the airbag light went on and I made an appointment to bring it in to get looked at by my nearest Subaru dealership (Tacoma Subaru). I was told the light meant the airbags would not deploy if I got into a car accident so I didn’t drive my car until I needed to pick up grocery order on 4/2. On 4/2 I was making a slow right hand turn into the parking lot and my airbag deployed as I turned and hit/burned my forearm through a heavy sweatshirt. I didn’t bump it, experience an impact or accident of any kind. It simply deployed while I was turning without any warning.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11510909March 9, 2023
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
My car has stopped working while driving 70 mph on the interstate in so separate occasions. Both times it has been driving fine, with fuel in the tank, and all of the sudden it shuts off and completely loses power. All of the warning lights on the dash light up and the only thing to do is to coast to the shoulder of the highway. Couldn’t start the car back up (cranked, no start). Battery is fine. Fuel level is fine. First time it happened it had to be towed. Towed to mechanic who ran diagnostics on it the next day but nothing threw a code. It started fine the next day. I’ve had certified Subaru mechanics tear this thing apart trying to figure out what causes the issue but they can’t find anything wrong. I’m scared this is going to happen again and will put me in a dangerous situation in the middle of a highway or on the side of the road. This is definitely an issue putting myself and others at risk. It seems similar to other issues Subaru crosstreks have had in close model years to mine (20 where recalls have been issued for fuel pump malfunctions etc. Please look into this, this could cause a terrible wreck and needs to be resolved ASAP.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11502212January 17, 2023
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11491509October 30, 2022
ENGINE
My friend and I drove from Minneapolis to Duluth for a two-day short trip (Oct 20 - 21, 2022). On our way back, my car suddenly slowed down (from 70 m/h to 40 m/h and was non-responsive), and shut down completely at the intersection between Highway I-35 W and Lino Lake, MN 55038, about 30 miles away from TC around 8:30 pm, Friday night. And then I cannot start my car at all. Originally I thought it was the gas issue but the screen indicated there were at least 100miles to drive. Therefore, I called 911 right after (see EXHIBIT 1) and asked for help as well as Subaru roadside service (see EXHIBIT 2 ). Fortunately, my car stopped at the shoulders and we were not involved in a crash. This happened three days AFTER I had my car maintenance (Oct 17 at 10:15 am, Morrie's Minnetonka Subaru, 12520 Wayzata Blvd, Minnetonka, MN 55305), and according to the report from that maintenance, the car was functioning well and had no red flag (see EXHIBIT 3). My car is currently located at Morrie's Minnetonka Subaru for further inspection. However, as far as I know so far (from the dealership mechanics), they have no clue what happened and they need to ask for additional help to figure out why the car engine suddenly lost power. In addition, I saw this is not a solo accident, many other Subaru Crosstrek Owners have encountered similar situations (i.e., lost power completely on the highway or freeway after regular car maintenance). Please see EXHIBIT 4 for detailed information.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11487021September 29, 2022
SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING
Premature rear wheel bearing failure, both rear wheels at 29,000 miles. Dealer service technician states vehicle is unsafe to drive.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475956July 26, 2022
ENGINE
At 89,000 the transmission was replaced because of a “known issue” and I was having problems. The car would lurch and hesitate coming off traffic stops. This prompted me to go to the dealer who called Subaru who offered to replace transmission, no further questions asked. Less than 20,000 miles later, this new transmission is causing problems again to the tune of $12,000! They refuse to replace it at no charge when they KNOW the CVT transmissions have issues
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11475055July 21, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My horn does not works when wheels are straight. If I turn the steering wheel to either side horn works. No fuse or solenoid problem; I replaced both.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11451961February 14, 2022
STRUCTURE:BODY, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was driving on the highway and my hood opened and flew back into the windshield. This caused my windshield to break. It was very dangerous and scary since I was driving on the highway. I was very lucky that I did not hit anything or anyone and also that no one else hit me. The tow truck driver said that the hood latch was broken. I have never had any issues with my hood closing prior to this and had no idea it was broken. There were no warning lights and the hood appeared to be closed, it looked the same as the hood always does, not lifted up or anything. The vehicle is still being fixed so I would think it could be further inspected if needed. The damage to my car is extensive. It needs a new hood, new windshield, fenders, and roof. The hood hit so hard that it caused the above mentioned parts to be distorted and bent. The part that failed on the car is the back up hood latch to prevent this from happening if the hood does open without warning like this.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11449697February 1, 2022
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Windshield spontaneously cracked
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11446983January 11, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
On Jan 7th, during rush-hour traffic on the highway, without any warning all of my vehicle lights began to dim. The power steering and brakes went out. I was able to steer to the side of the road. Then, all of the lights went out and the car shut off. I was unable to shift the vehicle into park, and as I was going up a hill at the time, I was forced to roll backwards slowly and engage the emergency brake. Only luck prevented a serious, perhaps fatal accident. It was also below freezing in Ohio so I had to sit in the frigid temperatures until a tow truck arrived. After being towed to two separate dealerships, the Subaru dealer believes this was caused by a faulty hybrid battery, alternator, or both. An inspection is available by request. The problem did flag multiple error codes (confirmed by the dealer) but it is very frightening that there was absolutely NO warning and I feel unsafe driving this vehicle, even after it will be repaired. Next time, myself or others, may not be so fortunate. The alternator is being recalled in 2017+ Subaru Crosstrek for this very issue, but not the 2016 (my vehicle).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11443862December 15, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I have had three occurrences with my vehicle where I discovered a dangerous situation in the manual heater and air conditioner control module connector that resulted in the module connector and the wiring harness connector both becoming scorched and melted due to excessive heat. I believe that this is probably occurring due to high electrical current at the connector. In all occurrences, the first symptoms of the problem are intermittent blower fan speed followed by the fan speed knob becoming melted into a fixed position. The first occurrence was in February 2021 and the damaged control module (part number 72311FJ500) and the pigtail connector were replaced by a trained auto body tech. The second occurrence was in August 2021 and I took the vehicle to the Subaru dealership given it was a repeat occurrence and because we were concerned it might be a problem that could impact other vehicles. The service department at Subaru kept the vehicle for 2 weeks to diagnose the problem and eventually recommended we replace the vehicle's main wiring harness as well as again replace the damaged heater and air conditioning control module. We authorized the required repairs. The issue has now occurred for a third time and I will be taking the vehicle to Subaru again. I will be asking the service department to contact the manufacturer about this safety issue. I believe the primary risk to safety the potential of a fire in the vehicle in the right circumstances due to excessive current at the connector of the module. There is a secondary but less acute risk that the heater becomes inoperable during the winter and puts occupants at risk which is the situation we are facing as we travel frequently in rural areas.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11443474December 11, 2021
SUSPENSION
THE WHOLE CONTROL ARM BROKE AND THE CAR ONLY HAD 44 000 MILES ON IT HAD TO REPLACE IT AND THE RADIATOR CRACKED TOO WITH SO MANY LITTLE MILES CONTACTED SUBARU NO ANSWER THEY WONT EVEN REIMBURSE ME PAID OVER 2 GRAN TO FIX IT VERY UNRELIABLE CAR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11440513November 15, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The key will not come out of the ignition when placing the car in park! We have to fiddle with the shifter to get the key to release. Contacted the dealer and Subaru of America to see if this could be fixed as a recall, unfortunately it is a service bulletin as of now and costs >$500 to fix this known problem that occurred on a vehicle with 50K miles! This is unacceptable and would like it fixed at no charge.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11440054November 10, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
Ignition Key stuck in the ignition cannot be removed from ignition after parking. This problem never occurred in previous 5 years of ownership. It happens nearly every time the car is driven, and has been reported widely on the internet by Subaru owners. In many cases, owners have not been able to remove the keys at all, and have had to call for assistance. On the advice of a repair tech, we replaced our battery, which, at 5 years old, was probably due to be replaced. This has not solved the problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11438338October 27, 2021
STRUCTURE:BODY
Engine Hood-Latch disengaged while driving at speed. The secondary (emergency) latch failed to keep the hood down, causing it to fly open, shattering the windshield, and completely blocking a view of the highway. (The hood latch had an issue where it would not close 10 months prior, and it was serviced by Subaru at that time)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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