Subaru Crosstrek Complaints

1,200 consumer complaints on file.

#11517384April 17, 2023
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The windshield cracked while the car was parked overnight in my attached, residential garage. The crack formed in front of the passenger seat, starting at the bottom edge of the windshield and running up about 6 inches. There were no chips or recent (as in several weeks) impacts to the windshield.
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
#11515698April 5, 2023
VISIBILITY/WIPER
I noticed my windshield spontaneously cracked, without any trauma. This was noticed in the morning after my car had been sitting in the garage overnight. There were no rocks or other debris that hit the car, and there does not appear to be a point of impact. The crack seems to have occurred spontaneously, with no precipitating event or warning. This is dangerous because it could impair visibility, the functioning of eye sight camera/safety system, and could easily expand and cause shattering of glass. It makes me concerned about the integrity of the windshield. Several other subaru owners have reported this problem of spontaneous windshield cracking online. This occurred on my car on 4/3/2023. I have photo evidence of the faulty windshield, it has not yet been inspected by a dealer.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
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
#11513308March 22, 2023
ENGINE
Engine shut off at a stop sign and the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree with alarms sounding. Couldn’t get car restarted. Towed to Subaru dealer and they said there was a connector cable to the starter that was defective. Replaced at no cost.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11513299March 22, 2023
ENGINE
The engine part that seems to be the issue is the starter. The car has an auto cut off when stopped at lights and other times you stop the car. The car's engine is supposed to restart as soon as you take your foot off the brake. As the car's engine heats up, the car's engine does not start immediately after removing your foot from the brake. The issue becomes greater the longer the engine has been running. On longer drive times, the engine hesitates enough that it seems like it might not start. The dealer has replaced the original starter due to the same issue. The new starter is less than 3 months old and the problem is again happening. No warning lights or indications that the engine will not start immediately upon removing your foot from the brake. The greater amount of time for the engine to restart has made pulling out into traffic when there is a clearing to pull out has become a safety concern as the pause is enough at times to now make the gap no longer large enough to pull out safely.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11511935March 15, 2023
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The car's hybrid system failed. The problem was a poorly protected electrical cable and connector that is exposed under the car. It corroded and failed. The dealer cleaned it and it works again, but they think the issue will be ongoing. May be related to Manufacturer Recall Number: WRD23 / NHTSA Recall Number:23V080000
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11511870March 14, 2023
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
- cam carrier leak, resulting in oil leaking from engine. oil is leaking onto catalytic converter sensor causing it to malfunction. - oil leaking from cars poses a safety and environmental hazard. - michael's subaru of bellevue (washington state) has confirmed it occurring, and it is a problem across subaru models according to a number of forum posts from subaru owners, which has been shared with subaru of america. - i have not had it inspected by anyone officially besides michael's subaru of bellevue (washington state). - there was a warning lamp for the catalytic converter, but upon physical inspection of the vehicle the technician discovered it was oil leaking from the cam carrier onto the sensor that caused the warning lights to turn on in the vehicle. - i have included emails i exchanged with subaru of america regarding the issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
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
#11509520February 28, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The windshield is weak and cracks at a small piece of gravel going less than 40mph. I have had this 2022 crosstrek for less than a year and it has received a crack. My 2019 crosstrek received 4 windshield replacements due to cracking windshields. As a driver, I feel that Subaru has a weak windshield that cannot sustain any amount of trauma which feels unsafe. If one pebble can crack my windshield that blocks my visibility, I cannot see when I drive. This is dangerous. Subaru needs to address these issues.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11508323February 21, 2023
STEERING
The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated while pulling out of her driveway, the steering wheel became stiff, and the power steering warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over on the side the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the power steering module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to diagnose by a dealer. The failure mileage was 48,300.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11508225February 20, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
We were driving on a major highway today and the sunroof of my Subaru Crosstrek randomly exploded with a loud bang. Glass shattered everywhere in the car, covering us passengers with shards. Thankfully no one was hurt and we were able to pull off safely and remove the shards from our clothing and seats, but I could easily see this situation causing significant harm if it were to happen again. I have photos and my vehicle is available for inspection. A simple google search reveals that there are tons of people with Subarus who have had the same experience with a randomly exploding sun roof. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the dealer or manufacturer but I am bringing it in ASAP. The car is 1 year old and there were no symptoms of the problem prior to failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11506394February 9, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The main information panel which displays navigation information under Carplay goes blank for approximately 5 seconds every time the user adjusts the car volume. This appears to be by design. The "feature" creates an unsafe driving situation by forcing the driver's attention to linger on the main panel waiting for navigational or other information, creating an unsafe situation which could cause an accident. In addition, though less threatening, the vehicle's audio volume turns on when the car is started, regardless of whether it was last left off or on. The unexpected volume sound interferes with a driver's initial planning and focus in the vehicle unnecessarily. This unfortunate "feature" is less threatening than the screen blanking resulting from volume adjustment because it occurs before the car begins moving. The volume control screen blanking creates a hazard because it interferes with the driver's access to important information while the vehicle is in motion, tempting the driver to take their eyes off the road waiting for the main screen to once again resume normal operation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11505736February 6, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
unexplained acceleration. I was in a parking lot and driving slowly and the car just took off. I had to crash it into the building at the mall to avoid cars and people. The car was totaled and my husband had a broken rib. We were taken to the hospital. Car was inspected and serviced. by the dealership, no problems before this accident, no warnings.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11505627February 5, 2023
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
When driving, the car has intermittent random power failures. When you start to accelerate, it does not go even when applying full petal to the floor or letting go and pushing the petal again then it goes rapidly to speed. It is failing to accelerate more frequently and when I brought it in to the dealership twice, they said if I can tell them exactly how and when it is failing they would have a chance at fixing the problem. The problem they say is that it is random. Because of the problem with this we are seriously looking at buying another car. We no longer pull out into traffic because we do not know if it will fail. There are no warning lights on the dash or other indications.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11504312January 29, 2023
VISIBILITY/WIPER
bought the car last week and I got a crack on the windshield from a small rock. I did an insurance claim that I have an appt for next Wednesday and while driving to work another pebble hit the windshield. So the first crack has not even been fix and I got another one. In my years of driving I have never had this issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11504276January 29, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I was driving my 2021 Subaru Crosstrek slowly in a parking lot when it unexpectedly accelerated on its own without me pressing the gas pedal. I believe the Crosstrek was now going 40mph. I tried to shut off the engine and brake at the same time but neither one had any effect. I thought maybe I had two options. Either hit another vehicle or pedestrian or turn my car into the curb. I decided to turn into the curb which resulted in the breaking of both axels, flattening all the tires, and sustaining damage to the front fender and headlight. The car was then towed to a garage we’re it was declared totaled. I checked the internet to see if this had occurred to any other Crosstrek. It turns out their is a class action suit pending for the same reason. Police records will show I was not drunk, sleeping, and the car mat was off gas pedal.12
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11503103January 23, 2023
VISIBILITY/WIPER, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Its widely known that Subaru has a problem with their windshields dating back to 2015. There have been several class action lawsuits wherein their windshields crack for NO reason. My windshield cracked and it was determined there was an impact point where the crack propagated. I contest that based on their sub-standard windshields, there is not way to determine impact vs non-impact crack formation. The repair for the windshield was quoted at $1300!! Part of the quote includes re-calibrating the eyesight technology which is required. Subaru's recommendation was to file a comprehensive insurance claim. My insurance company, Progressive, indicated that this type of claim, while comprehensive, would cause a rate increase. Subaru refused to conduct a 3 way call with Progressive to discuss the matter. I wonder why? There are countless claims of subaru windshields cracking. Any impact whatsoever will result in an unrepairable crack. A reputable windshield replacement personnel told me most folks simply can't afford a window replacement and continue to drive with a crack. Subaru's windshields can't possibly meet current automotive standards for window integrity. If window replacement costs are in excess of $1000 and in some cases exceed $2000, nobody will be able to afford the repair resulting in unsafe conditions. Saddling the insurance companies cost everyone - particularly when their are inherent design flaws with Subaru windshields.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11502681January 19, 2023
STEERING
This is the 4th Time Since 2022, that my steering wheel has locked after driving. If the steering wheel is to the left when I go to turn it off and not in the middle it will lock. I had to call again Suburu assistance. The first time was in Hartsdale, NY 2022, the 2nd time was in Larchmont, NY had to call the police, the 3rd time was 2022 in Key Ford in Buhre and Westchester Avenue, and the 4th time in my driveway 2023. Each time it took forever for the men to unlock the steering wheel, I am a women and my girlfriend tried with no avail. I am terrified I will be on a road trip with my son and get stuck. When you put in the key and turn it supposed to unlock. Each man had to force the wheel with heavy pressure to unlock the vehicle. I have a video. This is the 2nd report I made of this.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11502702January 19, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ENGINE
I was driving on Tuesday, January 17 and my steering made a pooping nose strug and swirl to the right then continue driving. I found it strange but this never happened. Then on Thursday, January 19, 2023, I put my vehicle into the driveway, my engine was not even off yet, my steering wheel to the left with key still in the ignition it locked. I know how to unlock my wheel but with this I can't this is the 4th time it has happened. It is freaking me out because every time my son is in the car. If this happens when I am driving it going to take the grace of God to save us. The first time was in Hartsdale, NY parking lot Subaru assistance was called, he made a report, 2nd time it happened by Trader Joes Larchmont, NY Police came out they made a report, 3rd time a Man in KeyFood Bronx, NY 2022,help me and 4th Time January 19, 2023 Entourage Automotive Corp tow was called. He wants to tow my car in the morning to Subaru Service because he says it too stiff and hard to turn. He had to lean his body on it and then turn it hard. I can't do that and it not suppose to do that. In December 21, 2022, my car was park under the port, when I went out the hand rest was wrinkled. When I took my car in for 4 tires I indicated this to Will the service guy and he said I could buy a new one and have it replace. It was strange he never hard of it. Well know through some research this is a big issue with vehciles from 2017 to 2022 and they have a cover for it now. but it should have been a recall to fix the ones it already happen too now.https://subaru.oemdtc.com/3574/2017-2021-subaru-center-console-armrest-cover-wrinkled-appearance My car is staining from the ceiling to the side of the upper doors, as well as water stains.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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