Subaru Crosstrek Complaints

1,200 consumer complaints on file.

#11737632May 13, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
On May 13, 2026 at approximately 2:50 PM, I experienced an unexpected activation of the EyeSight pre-collision braking system in my 2026 Subaru Crosstrek while pulling into the Chick-fil-A entrance area in [XXX] . The vehicle suddenly applied hard braking even though there was no imminent collision in front of me. The sudden braking created a hazardous situation and nearly caused me to swerve toward a pedestrian standing on the median area nearby. I was also fortunate there was no vehicle directly behind me, as the abrupt stop could have resulted in a rear-end collision. At the time of the incident, there were no warning lights or prior indications of a malfunction. The vehicle currently has approximately 900 miles on it. I have since contacted the Subaru dealership and scheduled a warranty inspection of the EyeSight/pre-collision braking system for further evaluation. 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
#11737413May 12, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
Power train automatic transmission park/neutral start interlock Reverse lights not illuminating increasing risk of collision Recall was issued not listed here WRQ-23 Recall issued 1/8/23 My issue started in 2026 off and on Why is this Recall not listed Subaru service department states not able to provide service without the recall on file Car purchased August 2025
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737250May 12, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Subaru Starlink alerts keep disrupting my navigation so it’s making driving unsafe bc it pops up and interrupts Waze Navigation and has to be addressed to get back to my map. It happens incessantly and persistently even though I’ve turned off app Starlink access and alerts. It is a distraction to my focus while driving and i fear it will cause me to get into an accident. Why hasn’t Subaru fixed this known issue?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737051May 11, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
My 2020 Subaru Crosstrek CVT Valve Body equipment failure and CVT Torque Converter failure. This appears to be a common failure for prior Subaru Crosstrek model - however was not extended for coverage to 2020 and beyond models - appears the issue still persists and additional year models should be covered. My vehicle experience the same failure for CVT Valve Body failure and CVT Torque Converter while driving at highway speeds. Problem occurs for previous Subaru Models example: MC-11021247-0001, Subaru Service Bulletin: 16-155-25R where Subaru extended coverage to 10yrs/100k miles or +1 year from date of notification - and my vehicle is currently at the Subaru Dealership for repairs for both CVT Valve Body and Torque Converter. Warning lights did not appear until issue occored.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737121May 11, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
In the middle of driving car stuttered, engine light went on, and car stalled. Unable to restart, Engine cranks but would not turn over. Had car towed for repair. Diagnostic shows engine coil short causing blown fuse. Subaru has an active recall for this identical issue for my same year and model 2019 Crosstrek but the recall does not cover my VIN.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737166May 11, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While driving 2020 Crosstrek Hybrid, the dashboard lights suddenly flashed and then engine stalled, leaving me with no brakes and no steering. I rolled through straight through an intersection with four stop signs and I could not stop. Luckily no one was driving or walking at the time. I couldn't start car, even with a jump start. I bought a new Interstate battery with higher specs. Three days later the same thing happened, the car stalled while driving just about to park. The dashboard lights also flashed and I saw Hybrid System this time. Car was towed to the dealer and there was a huge amount of corrosion with the electrical system underneath the car. Previously, four times this winter the car batter was completely dead after being parked in a garage and twice in a parking lot. I was told by a mechanic who gave me a jump start that there's a parasitic drain somewhere.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736429May 7, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
The car in front of me was about a two car's lengths away. It was very cold and that car's exhaust plume was larger than normal. The exhaust plume was highlighted by sunlight, and I believe my car thought it was an object. The auto braking system alerted and immediately slammed on the brakes in the middle of heavy traffic. There was no time for me to respond. Thankfully no one hit me. If I'd been on the highway it could have been catastrophic. The problem has not been reproduced or inspected.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736353May 7, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Replaced battery 3 times. Believe this car has the parasitic battery issue. Attached on of the bills. Looking for the other 2.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735976May 6, 2026
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My 2020 Subaru Crosstrek experienced a sudden loss of motive power and stalled due to a blown ignition fuse. Diagnostic code P1604 (Startability Malfunction) was stored. Inspection by Wayne Subaru (Invoice #25340) confirmed the Cylinder 3 ignition coil had shorted and physically melted. This is the exact failure mode described in Subaru Safety Recall WRE-21 (NHTSA Campaign 21V825000), which currently only covers 2018–2019 models. My vehicle experienced a thermal event and a stall despite being a 2020 model. The dealer replaced only the melted coil and did NOT update the ECM software. This leaves the vehicle at risk of a repeat stall in traffic, as the underlying software defect that causes coils to overheat remains unaddressed in the 2020 model year and the remaining coils may already be at risk.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735448May 4, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
the rear brakes keep engaging while the car is driving. we purchased the car in November 2022. this happened in December 2024 & at the time a dealership in [XXX] area (where my son attended college), said it was an issue and replaced parts in the brake system. yesterday while we were driving back from [XXX] to Houston - the brakes started to make loud squeaking noise as if they were engaged and the brake light keep going on and off. fortunately, this happened very near to Houston and we drove slowly on by roads back home. it feels likes driving with hand brake engaged. fortunately nothing happened to us. but this is a systemic problem with subaru crosstek! 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
#11734289April 28, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
my sunroof exploded. I was on the highway, no trucks around to shed debris, when I heard a pop and then the sound of glass breaking. I was near my home so I got there and then inspected the sunroof. The glass was pushed upward at the center of the sunroof. No rocks inside the interior of the sunroof. This sunroof had only been opened once, when checking operation at the dealership. This car was new and I have had it less than a month. The milage is less than 500 miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734169April 27, 2026
ENGINE
The vehicle shuddered violently when turning the ignition, and then failed to start entirely. The mechanic found that the engine coil was severely damaged, no external influence, just that it had become worn out remarkably fast. The vehicle has less than 60,000 miles and just 5 years in service. The repair will end up costing about 1500 with tows included and the vehicle has not gone without maintenance or care.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733779April 25, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2018 Subaru Crosstrek rapidly accelerated unexpectedly while pulling into a parking space with the foot on the brake. Hit a concrete pole and sustained vehicle damage and injuries.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11731609April 16, 2026
VISIBILITY, BACK OVER PREVENTION, LANE DEPARTURE
See attached document for complaint.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729286April 5, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
While driving home from the grocery store I heard a shattering sound. I was about 2 miles from home. When i got home I opened the rear hatch to see the rear quarter glass window shattered. I was driving 35 mph with no cars around me. I was shocked to see the window like that. I have read that subaru has had problems in past crosstreks with this same issue. Since it was yesterday and also Saturday I have not been able to talk to the subaru dealership about it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11726977March 25, 2026
AIR BAGS, SEAT BELTS
The contact owns a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the contact's vehicle crashed into another vehicle while having the right of way. The contact stated that the other vehicle was making a left turn when the crash occurred. The contact's vehicle T-Boned the other vehicle. The contact stated that the air bags did not deploy, and the front driver's side seat belt did not tighten as intended. In addition, the contact stated that none of the vehicle safety features were activated such as calling 911. The vehicle sustained damage to the front driver's side and the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. A Police report was filed. The contact was transported to the local medical center. The contact sustained bruising and pain to the chest and stomach area from the seat belt, and neck pain. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 26,656.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11726251March 23, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
The backup camera on my Subaru Crosstrek started to a stop working a few weeks ago. It first started to intermittently transmit a video feed that was fuzzy and the colors were completely incorrect. That started to follow with the camera not working about half the time at all on my head unit. Now it's completely not showing up at all on my head unit when I go into reverse. I live near a school and when I back out, I'm concerned that I won't be able to see a child behind my car. Same for parking garages and parallel parking. The Subaru dealership is saying they have checked all the wiring and modules and have isolated it to the backup camera. There were no other messages besides the camera starting to malfunction.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11725821March 20, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
3/3!2026 while driving heat stop working. Called Milea Saburu spoke to Christian made an appointment for 3/5/2026 they had nothing sooner. Told her what happened. Brought in they gave me loaner 12 days later on 3/18/2026 pick up car. Paid bill they told me everything done no problems. I would get my 250 dollars for the car back in 30 days. Even though they said it was a hold it went through. I live 15 minutes from home. I got in the car heat was blasting turned it off and waited turned it on it worked. Pick up time 4 pm. Drove home parked next day 3/19/2026 turned on car made a tapping nouse after five minutes went away call dealer left message on Andrew manager answering service. Car parked at work 8 15 am to 3 40 pm. Drove home got home at 3 50 am turned off heat heart rushing water like down a creak. Turned off car looked in the front some liquid gushing out car smelled like it was burning. Put paper under car with rock to see color of fluid it was blue new it was coolant call dealer againt went to voice mail manager Andrew hung up went to dealer. Arrived at 4 40 pm Chris service Advisor check said was not save to drive burning smell still there got another loaner another 200 dollar on top of the 250. Called saburu customer advocacy this morning spoke to Latoya 11 15 am 3/20/2026 case number XXX-XXX waiting for someone to call me by Tuesday. I requested a 3 year gold plus warranty as a goodwill gesture to restore my confidence in the vehicle and protect my engine integrity. I am deeply concerned that the gushing coolent damaged the internal engines seals or may have been compromised due to the heat, the hoses or gadgets now or over time. I have puctures and documents that the system won't allow download. If the car continues to have reoccurring issues due to this complete repair failure. I am asking them to replace my 2018 saburu crosstrex that has only 52, 315 miles with an equal value car without issues. My car is 10 years old low mileage. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11725956March 20, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES
Beginning one year after buying this used 2020 Subaru Crosstrek base trim the starter failed and battery fully died after failing to start from a stop. The engine was OFF due to the auto-stop system and failed upon lifting my foot from the brake on a slight incline, causing a constant warning beep and a starter system failure message on the dash display. Immediately after failing to start the brake pressure significantly dropped causing my car to roll into the front of the car behind it. The car was stranded in the road and required a jump start. Since this event the issue has occurred twice more on two brand new batteries on no incline, and I now fully disable the auto-stop feature before driving to avoid an accident. The car starts properly with no battery damage if started from the full ignition off position, even if auto-stop originally stopped the engine, pointing to a failure of the auto-stop system specifically. Importantly, I have also personally seen this exact failure occur to a separate 2020 Subaru Crosstrek, with the sport trim.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11725723March 19, 2026
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
The vehicle is a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek with ongoing and unresolved safety-related defects. The vehicle has been taken in for multiple repair attempts, including a total of five diagnostic inspections, but the issue remains unresolved. The vehicle experiences sudden hesitation, loss of acceleration, and failure to respond properly while driving. Warning lights appear on the dashboard, and in some instances the vehicle fails to restart properly after coming to a stop. These issues create a serious safety risk, especially when driving in traffic or attempting to merge, as the vehicle does not respond as expected. The condition is unpredictable and has occurred multiple times. Despite repeated repair attempts, the manufacturer has been unable to diagnose or repair the defect. The problem continues to occur and significantly affects the safety and reliability of the vehicle. This issue poses a serious safety hazard to the driver, passengers, and others on the road.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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