2016 Subaru Crosstrek Problems & Owner Complaints

Electrical System 37 3 crash 1 fire

“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…”
NHTSA complaint #11517135, 2023 · fire

“I have a 2016 Subaru Crosstrek. Unfortunately I have had a couple of issues. The main thing being the horn. The location of the problem is affecting my air bag, AND my rear window defroster. I don’t know if Subaru has a faulty clockspring and relays, that malfunction after a certain amount of time. But for everyone’s safety, it would seem that the Subaru Corporation would implement a recall. As a result of the horn not working, I was involved in a fender bender accident, I was unable to alert a driver that they were merging into my lane of traffic. I’ve searched mechanics and auto parts stores…”
NHTSA complaint #11601238, 2022 · crash

“MY BATTERY KEEP DRAINING ALL THE TIME SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR I HAVE CHANGED 3 OF THEM. TWO OF THE BATTERY WERE STILL OKAY BUT I STILL CHANGED THEM. ALSO, ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD KEEP ON AND OFF WITHOUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY FIXED THE BRAKE SWITCH RECALL AND I ALSO MENTION THE PROBLEM TO THEM BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. FEW DAYS LATER, I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON AND OFF ON THE DASHBOARD. THEY DIAGNOSED THE CAR AND SAID THE CAR NEED TO REPLACE THE VALVE BODY TRANSMISSI…”
NHTSA complaint #11348904, 2019 · crash

Unknown Or Other 34 1 fire

“I MADE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE CAR NOT STARTING, TOO MUCH OIL CONSUMPTION ETC...THEN ON NOVEMBER 11, 2018, AT 3.42PM I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 87 WHEN CAR STOPPED SUDDENLY, SMOKE CAME OUT AND FLAMES. IT BURNED DOWN IN 15 MINUTES. POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME TO TURN THE FIRE DOWN. THE CAR IS TOTAL LOSS. I COULD HAVE DIED”
NHTSA complaint #11162213, 2018 · fire

“The CVT valve body was diagnosed as defective by the Subaru Dealership service department. The car was taken to the dcealership when the A/T OIL EMP, HILL ASSIST, ABS and TRACTION CONTROL, STABILITY CONTROL lights came up. The valve body is still available for inspection. The car was taken to the dealership for a Brake Light Switch recall that has the same simptoms.”
NHTSA complaint #11657595, 2024

“Our 2016 Subaru Crosstrek (Automatic Transmission) has had intermittent issues with it losing power despite our foot being on the accelerator. It will typically reengage if we take our foot off the accelerator for a bit and then hit the gas again. However, it has become a more frequent problem and feels increasingly unsafe to drive, particularly with our 2 small children in the car, because it loses power without warning so it leaves us vulnerable for being rear-ended while changing lanes, taking turns, etc. We have been working with our local dealership (Beyer Subaru in Alexandria, VA) to add…”
NHTSA complaint #11613015, 2024

Power Train 18 1 crash

“SUBARU CROSSTREK 2016 CAR HAS HAD POWER TRAIN FAILURE 3 TIMES. THE LATEST CAUSED A REAR END COLLISION INTO MY CAR ON 2/28/2020. VEHICLE LOST POWER WHILE TRAVELING APPROX 35 MPH ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE REMAINED ON AND POWER STEERING ALSO WORKED. CAR WAS IN DRIVE BUT NO POWER TO THE WHEELS. REAR ENDED BY A HONDA SUV WHILE DRIFTING TO SIDE OF ROAD. LUCKILY NO INJURIES...ABOUT $1500 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO HONDA SUV. NO REAL DAMAGE TO THE REAR OF MY CAR. HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER TWICE BUT NO TROUBLE CODES OR DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION. VEHICLE IS UNDER WARRANTY. SEEMS TO BE A MYSTERY PROBLEM AND THE DE…”
NHTSA complaint #11316123, 2020 · crash

“The CVT valve body was diagnosed as defective by the Subaru Dealership service department. The car was taken to the dcealership when the A/T OIL EMP, HILL ASSIST, ABS and TRACTION CONTROL, STABILITY CONTROL lights came up. The valve body is still available for inspection. The car was taken to the dealership for a Brake Light Switch recall that has the same simptoms.”
NHTSA complaint #11657595, 2024

“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 Su…”
NHTSA complaint #11510909, 2022

Engine 13 2 fire

“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…”
NHTSA complaint #11517135, 2023 · fire

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 SUBARU CROSSTREK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. COLONIAL SUBARU (761 E CHESTER ST, KINGSTON, NY 12401, (845) 339-3330) ADVISED THE CONTACT TO GO TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO HAVE OIL ADDED TO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO SENT A LETTER TO SCHEDULE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER. THE DEALER CHANGED THE OIL AND A 1,000 MILE TEST WAS TO BE PERFORMED TO CHECK THE STATUS. AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, IT FAILED TO START WHILE IT WAS RAINING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO ANOTHER UNKNOWN DEA…”
NHTSA complaint #11162235, 2018 · fire

“In three separate incidents while car only shows 70 in fuel indicator, my 2016 Crosstrek stalled while driving on a highway. I have brought my car to Subaru dealer, but they cannot find anything wrong with my 2016 Crosstrek. In each of the three separate instances after waiting on the side road for 30 minutes, I was able to restart the car and drive home. My car just had a new engine air filter replaced.”
NHTSA complaint #11563783, 2023

Steering 13

“The CVT valve body was diagnosed as defective by the Subaru Dealership service department. The car was taken to the dcealership when the A/T OIL EMP, HILL ASSIST, ABS and TRACTION CONTROL, STABILITY CONTROL lights came up. The valve body is still available for inspection. The car was taken to the dealership for a Brake Light Switch recall that has the same simptoms.”
NHTSA complaint #11657595, 2024

“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 separa…”
NHTSA complaint #11446983, 2022

“NO POWER STEERING BACKING UP AFTER STARTING THE CAR. WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. TURNED ENGINE OFF AND BACK ON STILL NO POWER STEERING. PARKED WAITED 15 MINUTES TRIED AGAIN AND THE STEERING WORKED ONLY FELT A LITTLE LOOSE.”
NHTSA complaint #11403893, 2021

Fuel/Propulsion System 8

“In three separate incidents while car only shows 70 in fuel indicator, my 2016 Crosstrek stalled while driving on a highway. I have brought my car to Subaru dealer, but they cannot find anything wrong with my 2016 Crosstrek. In each of the three separate instances after waiting on the side road for 30 minutes, I was able to restart the car and drive home. My car just had a new engine air filter replaced.”
NHTSA complaint #11563783, 2023

“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 Su…”
NHTSA complaint #11510909, 2022

“While driving on the highway with a quarter tank of gas, without warning, my vehicle's engine turned off. As I was in the left lane at the time, I was forced to pull over onto the small shoulder. There were two other occupants in the car and the nearest roadside assistance was an hour away. There were no warning lights or messages prior, and my gas gauge said I had 80 miles until empty. This is the third time this has occurred. I believe this is related to a faulty fuel pump, because my gas tank was not empty. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police or insurance.”
NHTSA complaint #11420810, 2021

Vehicle Speed Control 6

“ON FREEWAY, CAR SUDDENLY DID NOT WANT TO ACCELERATE WHEN PUSHING ON THE GAS. CAR THEN DECELERATED UNTIL I PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, ALMOST COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, AND THEN I PUSHED ON GAS AND IT ACCELERATED AGAIN.”
NHTSA complaint #11402577, 2021

“I WAS DRIVING TO A TOWN ABOUT 12 MILES AWAY VIA THE HIGHWAY. AFTER 10 MILES MY ACCELERATOR NO LONGER FUNCTIONED AND THE ABS LIGHT, THE VEHICLE DYNAMICS CONTROL LIGHT, AND THE HILL START ASSIST WARNING LIGHT COME ON. I TOOK THE CAR OUT OF GEAR SO I COULD COAST TO A SPOT TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY AND AFTER PUMPING THE ACCELERATOR A FEW TIMES, THE ENGINE STARTED TO RESPOND. I PUT IT BACK IN DRIVE AND CONTINUED ON. THIS HAPPENED FIVE TIMES BEFORE I FINALLY SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. AFTER 5 MINUTES WHEN I RESTARTED, THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE OFF AND DIDN'T COME BACK ON WHEN I DROVE BACK HOME 12 MILES.…”
NHTSA complaint #11242316, 2019

“CAR INTERMITTENTLY LOSES THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE OR MAINTAIN SPEED AT A RANGE OF SPEEDS FROM 30MPH TO 75MPH+ IN MY EXPERIENCE. NO RESPONSE WHEN PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL AND ENGINE DOESN'T RESPOND WHATSOEVER TO GAS PEDAL INPUT. IT'S AS IF I HAVE REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE GAS AND I'M ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO COAST. THIS LASTS FOR A FEW SECONDS UNTIL NORMAL FUNCTION RESUMES. THIS MOSTLY OCCURS AT ON THE HIGHWAY AND WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AT A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. THIS IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS AND UNPREDICTABLE, BUT SUBARU WILL DO NOTHING UNLESS THEY'RE ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE ISSUE THEMSELVES.…”
NHTSA complaint #11221241, 2019

Service Brakes 5

“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 separa…”
NHTSA complaint #11446983, 2022

“THE VEHICLE WAS LOSING POWER AND GETTING CLOSE TO THE POINT OF STALLING BUT NEVER STALLED. IT WOULD PERIODICALLY NOT SWITCH GEARS AS WELL. SEEMS LIKE IT COULD HAVE BEEN A FAULTY BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. APPARENTLY I WAS TOLD THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL PUT OUT EARLIER FOR THIS ISSUE. SO I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET.”
NHTSA complaint #11288735, 2019

“THIS IS A COMPLAINT ABOUT SUBARU DEALERS NOT RESPONDING TO A RECALL IN WHAT I WOULD CALL A TIMELY MANNER. I CANNOT TELL WHERE ON YOUR WEBSITE TO SUBMIT THIS. IT IS VERY CONFUSING. IT SAYS TO SUBMIT A COMPLAINT OF THIS TYPE, BUT DOESN'T TELL WHERE. I GOT A RECALL FOR THE BRAKE LIGHT ISSUE. I CONSIDER THIS A VERY HIGH PRIORITY. THE DEALER SAID THEY COULD SEE ME IN A WEEK. THAT SEEMS UNREASONABLE CONSIDERING THE NATURE OF THE RECALL. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN SUBARU, AND IN YOUR CALL-IN SYSTEM WHICH SEEMED TO PROVIDE NOT HELP.”
NHTSA complaint #11205801, 2019

Structure 5

“How was your safety or the safety o others put at risk? On [XXX], I bought a 2016 Subaru Crosstrek. Unfortunately, I fell into the bad and abusive practice of buying a car as is since at no time did that used car dealer in Raleigh inform about the correction and rust that is underneath the car. If they had said so, I would not buy the car since it cannot be fixed and at the Subaru dealer where I live, they told me that the car should not have been sold for use on the road due to the degree of correction and rust it presents. In September, when it did not pass the inspection, I came to find o…”
NHTSA complaint #11628719, 2024

“Driving at 55 miles per hour and the hood safety latch failed. Hood smashed the windshield and rained glass down inside the car. The hood hyper extended damaging the fenders on the right and left. It also damaged the plastic around the wipers. Terrifying experience. Zero visibility caused me to slam on my breaks almost causing another vehicle to hit my car.”
NHTSA complaint #11570698, 2024

“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…”
NHTSA complaint #11451961, 2022

Visibility/Wiper 5

“THE GLASS OF MY SUNROOF EXPLODED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. I WAS NOT CLOSE BEHIND ANY CAR AND I WAS NOT GOING UNDER AN OVERPASS. LUCKILY THE INSIDE OF THE SUNROOF WAS CLOSED SO THE EXPLODING CLASS DID NOT HIT ME.”
NHTSA complaint #11175004, 2019

“EXCESSIVE CONDENSATION ON THE FRONT WINDOW WHILE THE CAR IS PARKED DURING COLD WEATHER. THE CAR IS PARKED OUTSIDE, AND INSIDE OF THE DRIVERS WINDOW WILL BE COVERED WITH MOISTURE. THERE ARE NO "WET" ITEMS IN THE CAR, AND THE AIR CONDITIONER AND DEFROSTER ARE USED WHEN THE CAR IS IN USE. IT BLOCKS THE OCCUPANTS VISION, AND THE WORK AROUND IS HAVING A TOWEL TO DRY THE WINDOW. IF THE TEMPERATURE IS BELOW FREEZING, THE INSIDE OF THE WINDOW IS COVERED IN ICE. ALL OTHER WINDOWS IN THE CAR DO NOT HAVE CONDENSATION. WE USED THE CAR AFTER IT WAS PARKED FOR A WEEK, AND HERE IS AN IMAGE OF THE PASSENGER S…”
NHTSA complaint #11165744, 2019

“WHEN DRIVING TO WORK THIS MORNING ON THE HIGHWAY, TRAVELING ABOUT 50 MPH (APPROX 10 MILE DRIVE, MOSTLY HIGHWAY) I HEARD AND FELT A LOUD CRACK ON MY ROOF, AS IF SOMETHING HEAVY HAD HIT THE ROOF AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED BEHIND ME TO SEE IF THE CARS NEARBY HAD BEEN AFFECTED, BUT DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING UNUSUAL. WHEN I ARRIVED AT WORK APPROX 3 MINUTES LATER I DISCOVERED MY SUNROOF WINDOW WAS SHATTERED, WITH PIECES OF GLASS SCATTERED ACROSS THE ROOF OF MY CAR AND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SHARDS COLLECTED ON THE SUNROOF FABRIC COVER. I ASSUMED IT WAS A ROCK THROWN FROM ABOVE BUT COUL…”
NHTSA complaint #11151317, 2018

Air Bags 4 1 crash 1 fire 1 injury

“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, experie…”
NHTSA complaint #11515282, 2023 · 1 injury(ies)

“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…”
NHTSA complaint #11517135, 2023 · fire

“I have a 2016 Subaru Crosstrek. Unfortunately I have had a couple of issues. The main thing being the horn. The location of the problem is affecting my air bag, AND my rear window defroster. I don’t know if Subaru has a faulty clockspring and relays, that malfunction after a certain amount of time. But for everyone’s safety, it would seem that the Subaru Corporation would implement a recall. As a result of the horn not working, I was involved in a fender bender accident, I was unable to alert a driver that they were merging into my lane of traffic. I’ve searched mechanics and auto parts stores…”
NHTSA complaint #11601238, 2022 · crash

Suspension 4

“Premature rear wheel bearing failure, both rear wheels at 29,000 miles. Dealer service technician states vehicle is unsafe to drive.”
NHTSA complaint #11487021, 2022

“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”
NHTSA complaint #11443474, 2021

“CAR HAS 67,000 MILES, IS THREE YEARS OLD, THE FRONT LEFT AND RIGHT AXLES HAD TO BOTH BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A LOUD CLICKING WHEN STEERING THE VEHICLE. ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CAR. ANY TURNS WHETHER WITH SPEED OR SLOW THE AXLE WOULD MAKE A LOUD CLICKING NOISE. I WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT NOR HITTING POTHOLES ETC. JUST MAKING BASIC TURNS ONTO ROADS AND HIGHWAYS.”
NHTSA complaint #11210248, 2019

Wheels 3

“While at posted highway speeds through twisting roads, the vehicle developed a wheel vibration. Stopped to inspect the wheels, found right rear wheel missing 4 of 5 lug bolts. Lug bolts were sheared off. Vehicle has 81,000 miles, tires rotated 7 months prior to this event.”
NHTSA complaint #11548933, 2023

“THERE IS A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM ONE OF MY WHEELS . I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S A BAD WHEEL BEARING . NOTICED THE NOISE AFTER BRAKING VERY HARD TO AVOID A COLLISION .HAVE HAD THE SUV LOOKED AT TEST DRIVEN BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC . HE BELIEVES IT IS THE WHEEL BEARING”
NHTSA complaint #11375714, 2020

“WHEN TURNING CLICKING NOISE WAS COMING FROM WHEEL AREA. CAR HAS ONLY 50,000 MILES. WHEN I TOOK CAR IN FOR OIL CHECK MECHANIC CHECKED IT OUT FOR ME. THEY ENDED UP REPLACING THE PASSENGER CV AXLE.”
NHTSA complaint #11341570, 2020

Electronic Stability Control (Esc) 2 1 crash

“MY BATTERY KEEP DRAINING ALL THE TIME SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR I HAVE CHANGED 3 OF THEM. TWO OF THE BATTERY WERE STILL OKAY BUT I STILL CHANGED THEM. ALSO, ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD KEEP ON AND OFF WITHOUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY FIXED THE BRAKE SWITCH RECALL AND I ALSO MENTION THE PROBLEM TO THEM BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. FEW DAYS LATER, I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON AND OFF ON THE DASHBOARD. THEY DIAGNOSED THE CAR AND SAID THE CAR NEED TO REPLACE THE VALVE BODY TRANSMISSI…”
NHTSA complaint #11348904, 2019 · crash

“WHILE DRIVING THE CAR AT 70 MPH ON A FREEWAY IT SUDDENLY VEERED TO THE RIGHT. QUICK ACTION ON MY PART KEPT THE CAR FROM RUNNING OFF THE ROAD ONTO THE SHOULDER. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALER AT THE FIRST AVAILABLE APPOINTMENT. THEY INSPECTED THE CAR AND FOUND THE ON-BOARD COMPUTER SHOWED AN INDICATION OF A STEERING ANGLE SENSOR FAULT. THEY KEPT THE CAR OVERNIGHT AND ROAD TESTED IT BUT BECAUSE THEY COULD TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM THEY MADE NO REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. AT A MINIMUM, I FEEL THEY SHOULD HAVE REPLACED THE STEERING ANGLE SENSOR AND ASKED THEM TO DO SO AND THEY R…”
NHTSA complaint #11101029, 2018

Latches/Locks/Linkages 2

“Hood latch failed causing hood to fly open, smashing and breaking my windshield.”
NHTSA complaint #11658990, 2025

“Driving at 55 miles per hour and the hood safety latch failed. Hood smashed the windshield and rained glass down inside the car. The hood hyper extended damaging the fenders on the right and left. It also damaged the plastic around the wipers. Terrifying experience. Zero visibility caused me to slam on my breaks almost causing another vehicle to hit my car.”
NHTSA complaint #11570698, 2024

Seats 2

“TRACKING NUMBER 11217079:THIS IS TO ADD PHOTOS SHOWING THAT SEAT HEIGHT ADJUST LEVER AFTER WEAR PROTRUDES FROM SEAT BASE CASTING, AND CATCHES PANTS CUFF ON EXITING CAUSING TRIPPING.”
NHTSA complaint #11218085, 2019

“LEVER TO ADJUST DRIVER SEAT HEIGHT HAS TIP AT FRONT EDGE OF DRIVER SEAT. LEVER LOOSENS AND TIP PROTRUDES SUCH THAT ON EXITING CAR IT OFTEN TRAPS PANTS CUFF AND HAS NEARLY DUMPED ME ONTO HIGHWAY IF I AM DISTRACTED AND NOT CONCENTRATING ON AVOIDING THIS. SUBARU CORRECTED ON LATER MODELS BY MOVING TIP 3 INCHES BACK OUT OF CUFF RADIUS, WHICH DOES NOT HELP WITH MY 2016. AXLE OF LEVER FURTHER BENDS OR GOES OFF AXIS TO EXACERBATE PROBLEM. FOR WARRANTY CORRECTION DEALER CLAIMS 'THAT IS THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED, NOTHING WE CAN DO. THEY COULD PUT IN THE SEAT WITH CORRECTED LEVER POSITIONING. TO NOTE BE…”
NHTSA complaint #11217079, 2017

Engine And Engine Cooling 1

“Within 24 hours of purchase, the exhaust pipe became detached underneath the vehicle and exhaust fumes and odor were entering the cabin while driving. This created a potential carbon monoxide exposure risk to me and passengers. Subaru inspected the vehicle and confirmed the exhaust issue existed before I purchased the car. The selling dealership did not disclose this safety defect and refused to unwind the sale when notified.”
NHTSA complaint #11704175, 2025

Exterior Lighting 1

“EVERY 4 MONTHS I'M CHANGING HEAD LAMP LOWER BEAM,,”
NHTSA complaint #11282770, 2019

Visibility 1

“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11502212, 2023