Subaru Crosstrek Complaints

1,200 consumer complaints on file.

#11542896September 6, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Several times the car wouldn’t start but all the lights came on but the engine would not turn over. If I waited a while it finally started.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11542376September 3, 2023
ENGINE
Was driving on highway at approximately 65 mph. Check engine light came on. Engine started to stop responding to gas being given to car. Pulled off to exit highway approximately 1 minute after check engine light came on. At bottom of exit, car completely lost power. Attempted to put vehicle into park and wouldn't shift. Started to see smoke coming from engine and then shortly after started to see flames coming from engine. Immediately exited vehicle and called 911. No one was injured. Subaru indicated fire started as result of external influences. Insurance company's 3rd party auditors were not able to determine cause of fire.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11541334August 29, 2023
STRUCTURE:BODY
The hood of the vehicle unlatches without the pulling the lever, leaving the hood open. There are no messages when this happens.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11541053August 27, 2023
ENGINE
The issue is the Engine Coolant Bypass Valve. This causes the Engine to not take in as much coolant resulting in the engine getting much hotter than it should, thus putting those in the car’s safety at risk. This could ultimately lead to a fire and/or cause the car to suddenly lose power. My car already refuses to go above 3000 rpm’s and is very laggy when driving. The car itself shows a code that the bypass valve needs replaced & the check engine has come on. However, Subaru has failed to acknowledge that this is an issue amongst most of their vehicles since 2020. This issue also disables the Subaru Eyesight which is in control of adaptive cruise control, pre collision breaking, and sway warning. With those features now disabled, the car has lost the Safety Package that Subaru boasts. I have read on many online forums that this has been an ongoing issue now for many customers, a bulk of which experienced total engine failure. This lack of responsibly is putting many lives at risk on the road every day. I hope this helps shed light to this issue to Subaru & that this part is recalled so that Subaru must pay for the repairs instead of the car owners. Also, the repair part is around $500 & maintenance must be done by Subaru which is another $400-500 for labor. My opinion is they are using this defect as a way to make easy money on many customers since 2021. Here’s a link to the Service Bulletin that has been created about this issue: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2022/MC-10208664-0001.pdf?fbclid=IwAR355WNLzftp3Qhmj7GnfmPFL9VODbDEbiT9X5Admr7n90YI4rTa4J5HSIk_aem_Aex4JIYKdhZ3n6Xh90f9w4zKu4TxFSO6LxpMIwO79FtzP1E3Y5TygVIAq_Ih4KxM6nc
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11540242August 23, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The car has 26,000 miles and the heat shield over the muffler has shifted and causing a grinding sound against the back wheel. Told the shield had rusted and needed replacement. There were no warning lights, just the grinding sound from the rear of the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11539952August 21, 2023
VISIBILITY/WIPER
******* DELETE VOQ ******* THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING MARKED FOR DELETION BECAUSE IT IS REQUESTED BY THE CONSUMER THAT THEY WISH TO HAVE IT REMOVED. DJR ******* DELETE VOQ *******
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11539275August 18, 2023
POWER TRAIN, WHEELS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Greetings: As outlined in Service Bulletin 05-70-19, Rear Wheel Backing Plate Design change, I am having an almost overwhelming “whining or humming” sound coming from the rear portion of my vehicle. Given the significance of this WHEEL BEARING & BACKING PLATE issue, I respectfully request an RECALL & subsequent repair be initiated. Coupled with a VERY large number of related customer issues - globally - this issue should have already met-the-bar for a RECALL vs. Safety Bulletin. It’s obvious there are safety-related design flaws - again, given the overall number of required repairs - and this should be addressed accordingly. Thank you.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11539297August 18, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Premature starter failure as noted in TSB 07-198-21 due to failed clutch in starter motor. Only had 35, 750 miles. Defective starter. Issue known to Subaru. Could leave drivers stranded and at risk. This known/ common starter motor failure problem should be a recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11539358August 18, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
8/17/23 I left my vehicle on with the air conditioning running. Left on because my dogs were in the car. Came out of restaurant after 40 minutes & car was on fire inside the vehicle. Opened back door on drivers side & back seat was on fire. Black smoke coming out of the car. Car was put out by fire department. It could have blown up. Car is total loss. FD & PD investigated. No foul play. Unknown reason. Happened in Carthage NC 28327 notified State Farm insurance but haven’t notified Subaru yet
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11538947August 16, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
While driving on the highway in the slow lane (furthest to the right), traveling at approximately 50 mph, I came to be behind a tractor trailer. Before I had a chance to pass the tractor trailer, it switched lanes abruptly. My vision past/beyond (in front of) the tractor trailer was heavily obstructed by the massive vehicle itself, so I could not see that in front of the 18-wheeler there was a mid-size sedan traveling at approximately 5-10 mph in the same active highway lane I was in. I had almost no time to react, and neither the Automatic Emergency Braking system nor the Forward Collision Warning system engaged. Both of these systems should have activated to prevent the collision and/or minimize injuries and damage. I subsequently collided (harshly) with the aforementioned sedan.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
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
#11537128August 8, 2023
VISIBILITY/WIPER
We went to put groceries in our trunk and the rear driver side window shattered and my 2 year old was in the car. Glass got inside the car where his car seat was, and the entire window shattered on the ground. There was nothing touching the window to make the window shatter when I shut the trunk
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11535478July 31, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while at a light, the vehicle crashed into an unknown vehicle in front of her. While sitting in traffic at another light, the failure recurred. The vehicle reeved up forward and crashed into an unknown utility vehicle. A claim was submitted to the insurance company. While pulling into a parking spot, the vehicle lunged forward over the parking block, crashed into the concrete wall and railing, and stopped. There was an abnormal burning smell. There were no warning lights illuminated. There were no reported injuries, air bag deployments, police reports, or fires in either incident. The vehicle was taken to an independent body center, which stated there was an electrical issue but declined to accept the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to her residence. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. They will check the block box. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11535346July 30, 2023
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Rear view mirror fell off while driving down the hwy. when the mirror detached from the front windshield it sent small shards of class on to me and my wife. This startled me and caused me to jerk the wheel. I corrected the vehicle and safely pulled to the side of the road. After inspecting what happened I realized the the glass broke and the mirror had a chuck of glass still attached to it. The damage was only on the inside potion of the glass and there is no damage to the outside. I called Subaru of America and the representative side it was covered under warranty. Once I called the service shop they informed me that I needed a claim number and Subaru does not warranty windshields. I called back and after 35 minutes the representative said I would have to wait for another representative to call back with further information.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11534097July 24, 2023
Carry Handle, Shell, Base, Tether, Lower Anchor (on car seat or vehicle)
I have two of the same model car seat for both my wife's and my cars. In the rear facing position, neither car seat locks into the set recline position. Instead it clicks out of what we set it at and slides all the way to the #1 position which is the most reclined. This seems to be a major safety issue and suspiciously Evenflo has discontinued this model which is a somewhat new model. Upon looking up recent online reviews, it seems that many parents have this same issue and significant safety concern. This car seat needs to be investigated ASAP and possibly recalled.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11531040July 8, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
When I make a forward sharp right or left turn, the tires "shudder". It feels like they are skipping or I'm hitting little bumps in the road. Crown Subaru in Chattanooga, TN, told me the center differential was bad, so I would need to replace the transmission for $11,000. I took it to a mechanic for a second opinion who specializes in Subaru repair. They scoped it, fully checked the transmission, bearings...anything they thought it could be and could not find anything wrong with the transmission or bearings. Nothing that could be causing the shuddering. After visiting a few discussion sites, many Subaru owners have this problem and they are told many different things from their dealerships; all ranging from "it's normal on these models" to an exorbitant repair like a new transmission. Note: when Subaru told me I needed to change out the transmission, they did not say for sure that would fix the issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11529417June 28, 2023
STEERING, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
My 2019 Subaru Crosstrek surges at speeds around 60 MPH, and swerves the vehicle without my control. I have to hold the steering wheel tightly and steer out of the swerve, which is incredibly dangerous on freeways or mountain roads. Apparently, the lane departure assist is the culprit, so now I have to disable the app before I drive. Why would I allow this dangerous application to drive my car for me? I have barely avoided crashing into semi trucks and driving into road shoulders because of this device. I think the car is dangerous. There is yet another dangerous issue with this car. There is another device that disables the transmission while idling in traffic. The steering and transmission are literally locked in place. I had this happen once in a drive through window, and once on a hill, while traffic was stopped for an accident. When the traffic started to move again, 20 minutes later, I could not get my car to start, and I was in front of a mile long line of traffic, coming back to highway speed, completely stopped. A policeman stopped and knew that there was a little " dimple" on my dashboard that would uncover a locking mechanism. If we only had a slender probe that would fit inside the dimple-pencil too big, so was screwdriver. By this time, I had 2 policemen stopped and traffic whizzing by me. An electrician stopped, knew about the dimple too, and had a slender enough rod to fit into the area, slid the locking mechanism to the side, and started the car again. On both of these issues, I called Subaru customer service and Subaru corporate. NOBODY knew what these issues were, never heard of them! The car is inherently dangerous and I am stuck driving it because I financed it only a year ago and can't afford to buy another car. Subaru should at least acknowledge these dangerous issues, and offer me another model without these issues. The 2019 Crosstrek is the model I have that has these dangerous issues. Earlier and later models do not.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11527684June 19, 2023
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Windshield developed large crack starting on lower passenger side and moving along to lower center of windshield. No incident of a rock or other object hitting windshield. A cracked windshield is a safety concern. Car is going in to dealership to have glass replaced this week. Crack appeared June 2023.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11526699June 12, 2023
SEATS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I purchased this vehicle in January 2023 model. The issue is that the driver side seat is heating up when sitting in the seat even though the heated seat button is NOT on. This issue happens most but not all of the time and the seat will get so hot it feels like my bottom and lower back is burning on fire to the point where I am EXTREMELY distracted while driving. This is a safety hazard, I fear it is only a matter of time before I cause an accident due to this distraction because it is so unbearable that I cannot focus on driving. I have searched to see if others have experienced this and there have been other reports on different forums etc. I have pasted a few below for reference: https://www.subaruxvforum.com/threads/hot-drivers-seat.182193/ https://www.subaruforester.org/threads/2020-driver-heated-seat-always-on-anyone-else.808784/ https://www.subaruforester.org/threads/2015-heated-seats-turning-on-themselves-dealership-cant-replicate-it.827426/ Dealership cannot replicate the issue on a very brief attempt even though the tech mentioned he could feel the warmth generated from the seat. The dealer told me to call Subaru customer advocacy who also blew me off and said they cannot replicate issue and advised no one else reported the issue so there was not action they could take. Her name was [XXX]. Email is [XXX] Please help me get resolution to this safety issue. 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
#11525970June 8, 2023
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that upon inspection, a crack was discovered on the front windshield. The contact stated that the crack was located above the rearview mirror and extended approximately twelve inches. The contact stated that there was no impact on the windshield to cause the windshield to crack. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 53,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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