Subaru Crosstrek Complaints

339 consumer complaints on file.

#11719893February 23, 2026
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Vehicle lane keeping assistance switches itself off and on while driving. After first occurrence, dealer response was that such behavior is not unusual when sun is in front of the vehicle. Second occurred while driving with sun behind the vehicle and on either side of vehicle. This has been reported to dealer but there has been no response.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11719299February 20, 2026
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that after driving and parking the vehicle, the contact became aware that there was smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle, and the vehicle suddenly caught on fire under the hood. The vehicle had received an oil change three days prior to the failure. Additionally, the contact noticed smoke after the oil change. There were no warning lights illuminated prior to the fire. The contact called 911, and the Police and Fire Department responded to the scene. The Fire Department extinguished the fire, and a Police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. There were no injuries sustained during the fire. The local dealer was notified, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired and the dealer had not offered any assistance. The manufacturer was contacted, and a claim was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 11,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718856February 18, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
On 2/5/2026, my "brake booster" failed while trying to leave the parking lot of a restaurant. When I put car in reverse I had my foot on the brake, I heard an usual sound and quickly realized the brake was not holding as I was moving backward. I had to reapply brake pressure HARD in order to stop, once while backing up and once again to pull forward so I wasn't blocking anyone from maneuvering around me. I was towed to Hanania Subaru where they identified the "brake booster" failed. My vehicle is ready today, 2/18/2026 to pick up and I'll return the Subaru loaner vehicle. Apparently the problem was an electronic failure code and replacing the brake booster was all that was needed. Fortunately, I was not driving in traffic when it failed and I'm told this type of failure is extremely rare. I do appreciate the ability to document this potential hazard to NHTSA.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718546February 17, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
To Whom It May Concern; Again having ongoing issues and problems with my 2025 crosstrek. Just got it back from the dealership after it being there for over 3 weeks. I was returned to me with a nail in the tire. And they even lost my keys at the dealership. I've had my car back not even 24 hours and have 2 maintenance sensors come on. And the driver asst is only working one one side. Of course I contact the Subaru dealership - only to get dumped into a voicemail that doesn't get checked. I'm yet to hear from anyone from Subaru. Most likely won't. At this time it seems like the only way to get anything resolved is to seek legal action. That's sad because it really shouldn't have to come to that. Starting to wonder honestly if anyone actually works or does their job at Subaru. (or at least there job title on the person's business card) This has really gotten so ugly and out of hand all because Subaru "REFUSES" to follow up and "REFUSES" to follow through.Such an easy fix, Subaru have a service department. just fix my car. Geezzz - I know the mechanics have got to be certified.Just seems to be a never ending laundry list of maintenance issues with this vehicle. Clearly it's a lemon. It's a 2025 model - just swap it out already! This is utterly ridiculous! I can no longer make payments on [XXX] So I guess Subaru wont be getting my money for my lease on a car that seldomly works. Guess that's one way of getting out of payments. So that better not be getting my credit dinged because of this mess either.I am literally counting the days down to turn this hunk of junk back to Subaru. This has been the ultimate WORST experience of my entire life! And your dealership refuses to do anything about it at all! I even have multiple cases open with Subaru of America - they to REFUSE to do anything to address my issues at all. Never following up on phone calls or emails. I can't believe they're still in business!!! [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11717698February 12, 2026
STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I noticed that when I am driving on the freeway/highway for extended periods of time (30+ minutes) the wheel will start locking up. It stiffens enough that I have to force the wheel in a different direction. When it occurs there is no warning lights or messages from the car, it just suddenly stiffens. Other than driving on the freeway for 30+ minutes there does not seem to be any particular trigger for it to happen. This is a 2025 subaru crosstrek sport with 14,000 miles that we bought new. I noticed the first instance of it maybe a month into having the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11714624January 31, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I was driving today January 30th 2026 on the road going 35 mph into the sunlight and all of the sudden my vehicle acted like I slammed on my brakes and I jerked forward almost hitting my chin in the steering wheel. Luckily no one was close behind me or I could have easily been hit. There was nothing in front of me so emergency brakes should not have deployed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711794January 18, 2026
STEERING
After driving the vehicle for 30 minutes to an hour in temperatures approximately above 45°F the steering wheel will get "stuck" on center and go loose then tighten again when trying to make minor corrections in steering. Easiest to duplicate on roads with speed limits at or above 55 mph. If temperatures are below 40°F when the vehicle is started, the issue cannot be duplicated unless the temperature reaches approximately 50°F while driving. If starting a drive in temperatures that cause the issue, then driving into temperatures below 32°F, the issue will go away while driving. This issue has caused me to have to overcorrect on a 55 mph mountain road with spots of melting snow and was noticeable enough for my passenger to be quite concerned. After driving with this issue for 1-2 hours, the added fatigue of constantly fighting the steering wheel can and will lead to a crash. This has been looked at by a Subaru dealership when temperatures were warmer, but they were not able to duplicate the concern. There are no warnings, lights, or alerts while this issue is happening. I have been waiting for this to get worse to bring it in to Subaru, but I fear without assistance from the NHTSA I will be turned away by the dealership again. Added information: ALL Lane Departure and Driver Assistance features were and are currently turned off. The issue still happens in cruise control with or without the lane centering turned on.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11708560January 3, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
In-car pop-up advertisements, specifically from SiriusXM. The advertisement pops up while driving, attempting to use the safety features of the car, including navigation. It happens every few months, at random. There is no way to opt-out from the vehicle; the only option is using a desktop computer, creating an account, and finding the communication preferences. This is a dangerous feature, as it causes multiple issues when it happens, including driver safety. They violated FCC rules by making this easy to opt out of; I've never opted in, as I had to create an account just to cancel.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11708048December 31, 2025
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:INTERIOR
1. Component/System Failure The rearview mirror became completely detached from its mounting on the windshield. The detached mirror is still available for inspection upon request. Subaru has declined my reasonable request to either repair it or reimburse me for the time and effort required to arrange and perform the repair. 2. Risk to Safety This sudden detachment posed a serious safety hazard. While driving, the mirror unexpectedly fell into my line of sight, causing me to brake immediately. Fortunately, this occurred while I was driving at low speed on a local road; had it happened on a highway, the risk of collision or a multi-vehicle accident would have been significant. 3. Problem Reproduction / Confirmation The issue has not yet been confirmed or replicated by any dealer or independent service center. Subaru refused to facilitate an inspection or to cover the costs associated with taking the vehicle to a facility able to assess the defect. Their position effectively obstructs verification of the issue by a qualified technician. 4. Inspections by Others No inspections have been conducted by Subaru, law enforcement, insurance representatives, or other third parties. Given Subaru’s refusal to authorize and cover the costs of inspection, I’ve been prevented from obtaining an objective technical evaluation. 5. Warnings or Symptoms There were no prior warning signs—no noise, movement, or looseness. The detachment was entirely random. This unanticipated failure further demonstrates a latent defect in the mirror’s attachment system.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11707689December 29, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek brakes engaged TWICE without the driver pushing on the brakes, slowing the car down significantly. The initial vehicle speed was around 65 mph on the highway, and slowed to around 45 mph after the second automatic braking incident occurred. Adaptive cruise control was NOT on. The car in front of the Crosstrek was 8-10 car lengths away. Then while the Crosstrek was still moving, a truck hit the back right bumper of the Crosstrek and pushed it into the next lane to the left. (I), the driver of the Crosstrek, was able to steer back into the original lane of travel to the right. After the Crosstrek was steered back to the original lane of travel, it came to a stop due to right rear axle damage. The Crosstrek driver was able to creep to the shoulder to wait for emergency personnel to arrive. The safety of myself and others, due to the Crosstrek (Eyesight?) malfunction, is extremely important to investigate. This safety feature when engaged unexpectedly is dangerous. When drivers do not have control over the braking system of the car, sudden and unexpected slow-downs can lead to rear-end accidents, and even the loss of life. When I was pushed to another lane of travel, a secondary accident could have occurred, or a chain-reaction with many cars. I did not see or hear any warnings, messages, or experience any unusual symptoms before the car braked on its own and I was rear-ended. After I crept to the right shoulder of the interstate, the Crosstrek was still running and there were no warnings or messages. Since the Nov 11 accident, Dean Team Dealership in Ballwin MO has reported the issue. State Farm Insurance has totaled the 24 Subaru Crosstrek, recovered data from the Event Date Recorder (EDR), and is discussing the vehicle losses with Subaru Corporation. [XXX] is receiving chiropractic care also. Additionally, there similar reported incidents on websites—Reddit and [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11707619December 29, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Automatic Emergency Braking engaged unnecessarily. It was triggered by a plastic trash bag being blown in front of the vehicle. I was driving about 70 mph and was fortunate to avoid being rear-ended by another vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11706106December 19, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The infotainment system periodically displays full-screen advertisements for SiriusXM during car operation, interrupting navigation and all other functions that occur on the infotainment system. This was a free trial service that I did not sign up for and has caused my safety to be at risk by interrupting my navigation system at a crucial junction where many navigation instructions needed to be followed one after another, causing my ability to successfully navigate the correct direction to my destination to be interrupted and nearly resulting in an accident with other drivers. This is something that other Subaru owners have also experienced, and there are no warnings or messages prior to the advertisement appearing on the screen. This is absolutely unacceptable and ridiculous that unwanted advertisements can be pushed to the car while it is in motion and during navigation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705808December 18, 2025
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
Right side blind spot detection does not work 98% of the time. Worse than the 2025 Crosstrek which only works 96% of the time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705768December 18, 2025
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
Right blind spot detection does not work 96% of the time. Almost caused two collisions. Dealership said it either works or it doesn't, no in between. Since it works 4% of the time, they are not going to replace it or figure out what is wrong.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11704686December 12, 2025
TIRES
The contact owns a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek equipped with Falken Tires, Tire Line: Ziex ZE001A A/S, Tire Size: 225/55/R18, DOT Number: (N/A). The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the front driver's side of the vehicle suddenly lowered. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road, where the contact became aware that the side wall of the front driver's side tire had blown out in 5 different places. The contact replaced the tire with the spare tire. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The contact completed some research and learned that the tire failure was a known failure. The tires were OEM tires, but the contact intended to replace all four tires. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 10,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11704596December 11, 2025
SUSPENSION
I've never taken my 23 crosstrek off the pavement I'm driving down hyw and my rear struts break my crosstrek has 38 thousand miles on it and it's only 3 and 1/2 years old I've owned many cars were if drove hundreds of thousands mile and none of them broke there struts going down the hyw
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11703326December 5, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Advertisements routinely pop up on infotainment screen and block safety features like X Mode (for snow). They are a driving distraction, as they block all features on the screen and will not disappear until they are interacted with. This means that in inclement weather, I have to INTERACT WITH AN AD before using this safety feature. SiriusXM has refused to remove them. Subaru has said there is nothing they can do. This was also NOT disclosed to me upon purchase of the vehicle, so this is also a dishonest business practice on top of being a safety hazard by: not allowing usage of safety features and being a driving distraction. First and second incident was in November 2024, third was December 4, 2024. Most recent incidents occurred November 22, 2025 and December 2nd, 2025. I have photos as proof.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11703109December 4, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Sirius XM advertizing obscures the entire screen making car data and navigation unavailable unless a driver takes their eyes of the road to press a tiny X on a corner. There are some offers when I bought the care where I had to shut the car off to get the ad to disappear. I do not want to have driver distraction from Ads that could lead to an accident or have me pull over in traffic to shut off. Please ask them to stop this behavior
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11703064December 4, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I got a pop-up message while attempting to back up using my rear backup camera that almost caused an accident. This blocked view of the camera and locked up the entire infotainment system until I could clear it. The pop up was: "Enjoy SiriusXM FREE thru 12/1." This kind of distraction while operating a vehicle that weighs almost a ton while the vehicle is in motion is dangerous and irresponsible. This advertisement disables and interferes with safety features on this vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11702706December 3, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This is the second time this has occurred. While driving (vehicle in motion for multiple minutes beforehand), an ad for SiriusXM radio popped up on my infotainment, which disables CarPlay, A/C controls, car settings, driver assistance settings, etc. until you dismiss the ad. There is no way to dismiss the ad except clicking a small “X” button in the corner, which is difficult and dangerous to do while driving because you have to really focus on the screen and tapping the right spot. Absolutely unacceptable and inappropriate to show an ad like that. If I were driving at night or in the rain, there is a high likelihood I would crash, and that chance is not zero even in good daytime weather. It also forces me to do something illegal (interact w screen while driving).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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