Problems › Subaru › 2019 Crosstrek
2019 Subaru Crosstrek Problems & Owner Complaints
Age-normalised, this year draws ~35.4 complaints per year on the road — ranking 2 of 10 Subaru Crosstrek years we track (1 = most complaints per year).
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What owners report
Visibility/Wiper is the most-reported problem area on the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek, cited in 113 of 283 filed complaints (40%).
Electrical System is next (52 complaints, 18%), followed by Engine (34), Power Train (24), Steering (15).
Across all complaints, 6 report a crash, 3 report a fire, 5 report injuries.
The most safety-critical cluster is Service Brakes: 2 crash, 2 injury report(s).
Complaints by vehicle system
Owner complaints filed with the U.S. NHTSA for the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek, grouped by the vehicle system each cites. A single complaint can name more than one system, so the group totals can add up to more than 283.
Visibility/Wiper 113 1 injury
“WHILE DRIVING ON A WOODED TREE LINED STREET AT APPROX. 40MPH, THE RIGHT REAR PASSENGER WINDOW IMPLODED. THE GLASS SHATTERED AND FELL ONTO MY DAUGHTER WHO WAS IN HER CAR SEAT. GLASS PIECES DID CAUSE MINOR SCRATCH ON HER FOREARM. THERE WAS NO IMPACT TO THE WIDOW. MY DAUGHTER WAS JUST ROLLING IT UP AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. WE TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP AND WILL BE UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR THE NEXT 4-6 WEEKS. THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT, HAD APPROXIMATELY 200 MILES ON THE ODOMETER.”
NHTSA complaint #11251950, 2019 · 1 injury(ies)
“The windshield cracked without impact or any other obvious means of damage. I have had 2 other windshields crack in the same manner, the first being December 2022, second March 2024, and now April 2025. All incidents have starts from the bottom on the windshield on the passenger side, and spreading towards the roof. The vehicle was not moving at the time of the crack, it was noticed getting in the vehicle of all incidents”
NHTSA complaint #11655941, 2025
“The windshield cracked for no reason while parked in our garage. The windshield was not stuck by any objects, the car was simply setting parked in our garage. There is no evidence of any object striking the windshield such as a rock chip or other items. The Crack is in line with the left side EyeSight driver assist technolgy sensor mounted inside the windshield. The Crack in the windshield may effect the operation of the EyeSight safety features.”
NHTSA complaint #11570608, 2024
Electrical System 52 1 fire
“I sent my Crosstrek to the dealer for the WRE21 recall. After retrieving the car from the dealership with the recall fix in place, the engine stalled while I was at a red light and I could see smoke coming out from the hood. This occurred after driving less than 4 miles from the dealership. I opened the hood and could see that one of the coil packs on the driver side cylinder bank was on fire. I called 911 and the Fire Department had to extinguish the fire. The fire has rendered the vehicle inoperable and smoke damaged.”
NHTSA complaint #11624885, 2024 · fire
“The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the battery failed to remain charged. During the failure, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. No further information was available. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 100.”
NHTSA complaint #11751836, 2026
“The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while driving and stopping on a red light at around 25 mph, vehicle was shaking till it completely stalled. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic where it was diagnosed with ignition coil failure and pending repairs. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V743000 (Electrical System). The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of failure. The failure mileage was approximately 31,500.”
NHTSA complaint #11746535, 2026
Unknown Or Other 49 1 crash 1 fire
“IN JUNE OF 2020, MY BRAND NEW 2019 SUBARU CROSSTREK CAUGHT FIRE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE MORNING OF THE FIRE, IT WAS CONFIRMED VIA THE APP THAT ALL CAR SYSTEMS WERE IN CHECK AND NO MAINTENANCE WAS REQUIRED. WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65MPH, WE COULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE. WHILE PULLING OVER, THE DASHBOARD LIT UP WITH ICONS. WE THEN NOTICED SMOKE, THEN FIRE. THIS WAS ABOUT WITHIN A MINUTE AND A HALF TIMES. THE CAR REMAINS BURNT ON THE LOT UNTOUCHED AND SUBARU HAS YET TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT 3 MONTHS LATER. IF THERE IS A RECALL, IT WAS VERY UNSAFE FOR SUBARU CROSSTREK DRIVERS TO BE ON THE ROAD.”
NHTSA complaint #11350991, 2020 · fire
“On July 13,2022, while easing into a parking slot with foot on the pedal brake, with final stop and reaching to shift gear into parking mode, my 2019 Crosstrek engine suddenly accelerated and made the car surge forward. My brake pedal was on the floor with no response and the car continued to shoot pass the curb and sidewalk onto a vegetation embankment, heading towards the building and its glass door. I was terrified as the car did not respond to braking and tried to shift into neutral but the shift gear was struggling, until the car got stopped by the vegetation bank and continued to rev lo…”
NHTSA complaint #11473916, 2022 · crash
“Own a 2019 Suburu Crosstrek vehicle that has unexpectedly accelerated/lurched on its own when pulling forward into a parking spot. This has happened twice...last month & today.”
NHTSA complaint #11706324, 2025
Engine 34 2 crash 1 fire 1 injury
“My daughter was in process of pulling her car into the garage when it experienced sudden acceleration and crashed into the garage. My daughter was unable to stop the car as the brake system failed during the incident. She is now too terrified to drive the car. Subaru claims that the car is and has been operating as intended. The Subaru Eyesight, Anti-Lock Braking, Vehicle Dynamic Control systems all failed during the sudden acceleration event. It's fortunate that this incident did not happen at a stoplight (intersection).”
NHTSA complaint #11430534, 2021 · crash · 1 injury(ies)
“I sent my Crosstrek to the dealer for the WRE21 recall. After retrieving the car from the dealership with the recall fix in place, the engine stalled while I was at a red light and I could see smoke coming out from the hood. This occurred after driving less than 4 miles from the dealership. I opened the hood and could see that one of the coil packs on the driver side cylinder bank was on fire. I called 911 and the Fire Department had to extinguish the fire. The fire has rendered the vehicle inoperable and smoke damaged.”
NHTSA complaint #11624885, 2024 · fire
“VEHICLE IN MOTION ,ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING , AND COLLIDED INTO A TREE LOCATED ON CURB OF SIDEWALK, NO INJURIES TO 2 OCCUPANTS WEARING SEATBELTS, MAJOR DAMAGE TO FRONT OF VEHICLE. NO EXPLANATION FOR VEHICLE MOVING UNEXPECTLY”
NHTSA complaint #11343750, 2020 · crash
Power Train 24 2 crash 1 fire 1 injury
“My daughter was in process of pulling her car into the garage when it experienced sudden acceleration and crashed into the garage. My daughter was unable to stop the car as the brake system failed during the incident. She is now too terrified to drive the car. Subaru claims that the car is and has been operating as intended. The Subaru Eyesight, Anti-Lock Braking, Vehicle Dynamic Control systems all failed during the sudden acceleration event. It's fortunate that this incident did not happen at a stoplight (intersection).”
NHTSA complaint #11430534, 2021 · crash · 1 injury(ies)
“I sent my Crosstrek to the dealer for the WRE21 recall. After retrieving the car from the dealership with the recall fix in place, the engine stalled while I was at a red light and I could see smoke coming out from the hood. This occurred after driving less than 4 miles from the dealership. I opened the hood and could see that one of the coil packs on the driver side cylinder bank was on fire. I called 911 and the Fire Department had to extinguish the fire. The fire has rendered the vehicle inoperable and smoke damaged.”
NHTSA complaint #11624885, 2024 · fire
“PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE AND PLACED THE VEHICLE IN PARK,TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF, REMOVED THE KEY AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. WHEN RETURNING TO THE VEHICLE WITHIN 5 MINUTES, THE VEHICLE HAD ROLLED BACKWARDS 25 FEET AND HIT 2 PARKED CARS. I UNLOCKED THE VEHICLE, ENTERED IT AND STARTED THE CAR TO RETURN TO MY ORIGINAL PARKING SPACE SO I COULD CALL THE POLICE TO REPORT A FENDER BENDER. I WILL BE CALLING MY DEALERSHIP IN THE MORNING TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED FOR SAFETY. IN THE MEANTIME I PARKED THE VEHICLE AND APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AS AN ADDED PRECAUTION.”
NHTSA complaint #11318753, 2020 · crash
Steering 15
“The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated while taking the vehicle for a routine oil change. There were no warning lights illuminated. The independent mechanic informed the contact that the control arm was cracked. The contact stated had not experienced the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,500.”
NHTSA complaint #11649740, 2025
“Hello! I started financing my 2019 Subaru Crosstrek in 04/2023. A month after that date, I had a head gasket issue. Then in 2024, a radiator cap deformed after going to the dealer to get an oil change at SF Honda. (The time on that was suspicious being that I didn’t touch that cap at all.) so I had to pay for that repair. Now in 2025, after getting an oil change at Subaru, a day after that oil change, a lot of lights came onto my dashboard. I have two diagnosis reports from other places because I didn’t have the money to pay Subaru $300 to “diagnose” the issue, especially after my car just cam…”
NHTSA complaint #11644364, 2025
“Intermittent Power Steering Malfunction while driving causing car to violently "self-steer". Vehicle is NOT equipped with adaptive cruise control or lane assist features. Loss of control while driving become intermittently high risk having to clutch the steering wheel and counteract undesired vehicle self-steering forces to avoid hitting other cars on the road. No other vehicles or other property were damaged during discovery of EPS malfunction. Malfunction occurs at highway speeds and also local town speeds. There are no check engine lights present on vehicles OBD system. Vehicle…”
NHTSA complaint #11630923, 2024
Fuel/Propulsion System 13
“I own a 2019 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid with recurring fuel-system and EVAP failures that I believe present a serious safety risk. On 12/9/2025, the vehicle experienced a total loss of motive power while I was driving in dense traffic on a busy expressway. The vehicle suddenly lost propulsion in the middle lane and slowed down to a near crawl, creating an immediate risk of being struck. The event was captured on dashcam. The dealer inspected the vehicle but found no cause. On 1/5/2026, the vehicle again lost motive power. It remained at the dealership for approximately two months. Some roughnes…”
NHTSA complaint #11750700, 2026
“Per NHTSA Product Campaign Bulletin WRE-21, all ignition coils on my 2019 Subaru Crosstrek Premium were replace on August 9th, 2021. On November 26th 2024, the same vehicle experienced a total loss of motive power on a 50 mph, 2-lane road, resulting in emergency action to move the car off of the right-of-way. All occupants of the car were not injured. After the vehicle was towed to a Subaru Dealership, the service notes stated “DIAGNOSED NO START SCANNED AND FOUND P1604 STARTABILITY MALFUNCTION, AND P0304 CYLINDER 4 MISFIRE, CHECKED FUEL PRESSURE AND FOUND IT WAS WITHIN SPEC, FOUND THE IGNIT…”
NHTSA complaint #11627701, 2024
“Car was at a stop light, went to accelerate and car would not accelerate- all the lights came on. I had to put it in park and turn it off and back on, then it accelerated and there were no other issues.”
NHTSA complaint #11547198, 2023
Visibility 11
“The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated while driving 4-5 MPH over a speed bump, the windshield made an abnormal popping sound and cracked from one side to the other. The local dealer and a second dealer, Bob Moore Subaru (13010 N Kelley Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73131), were notified of the failure and informed the contact the vehicle was not covered under recall. The contact was provided a cost for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,800.”
NHTSA complaint #11552974, 2023
“The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and activating the front window defroster, moments later while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front windshield started to crack. The contact stated that the crack started from the bottom of the windshield and extended toward the driver’s side of the windshield. The crack extended approximately 22 inches. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified but the manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 33,000. The contact stated that they would…”
NHTSA complaint #11498651, 2022
“The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that there was a crack on the windshield. The contact stated that there was no impact to the windshield that could have caused the crack in the windshield. The dealer and manufacturer were made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 36,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11460514, 2022
Vehicle Speed Control 8 1 crash 2 injury
“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11505736, 2023 · crash · 2 injury(ies)
“Own a 2019 Suburu Crosstrek vehicle that has unexpectedly accelerated/lurched on its own when pulling forward into a parking spot. This has happened twice...last month & today.”
NHTSA complaint #11706324, 2025
“The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Crosstrek. While the contact was attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while the engine was still off, the gear shifter was shifted into reverse(R) and the vehicle accelerated backwards. The contact slammed on the brake pedal to prevent the vehicle from crashing into another parked vehicle. The contact pressed the ignition button with her foot on the brake pedal to start the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled to service the vehicle…”
NHTSA complaint #11666127, 2025
Structure 7
“While driving on the freeway at approximately 60 MPH, the sunroof on my 2019 Subaru Crosstrek suddenly exploded with a very loud pop. This occurred on a sunny, warm day at around 11:30 a.m., following a somewhat cold night. Both the sunroof and the interior sliding cover were fully closed at the time of the incident. After the explosion, shattered glass rained down onto the closed sliding cover. If the sliding cover had been open, glass could have fallen directly onto me, posing a risk of injury, such as glass entering my eyes, and potentially creating a dangerous situation while driving. Th…”
NHTSA complaint #11627276, 2024
“The hood of the vehicle unlatches without the pulling the lever, leaving the hood open. There are no messages when this happens.”
NHTSA complaint #11541334, 2023
“The left rear door would not open from the inside when unlocked. In an emergency, my passenger would not be able to get out on their own.”
NHTSA complaint #11500219, 2023
Service Brakes 6 2 crash 2 injury
“The contact owned a 2019 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated while her husband was driving at 25-30 MPH downhill, the tractor trailer before him slowed down at a curve. The contact's husband depressed the brake pedal but it failed to respond and the vehicle accelerated unintendedly, causing the vehicle to fall into a ditch where it bounced and hit the rear of a trailer, then bounced back into the embankment. The passenger's side and driver's side roof rail air bags deployed. The frontal air bags failed to deploy. The emergency units transported the contact and her husband to the hospital wher…”
NHTSA complaint #11496704, 2022 · crash · 1 injury(ies)
“My daughter was in process of pulling her car into the garage when it experienced sudden acceleration and crashed into the garage. My daughter was unable to stop the car as the brake system failed during the incident. She is now too terrified to drive the car. Subaru claims that the car is and has been operating as intended. The Subaru Eyesight, Anti-Lock Braking, Vehicle Dynamic Control systems all failed during the sudden acceleration event. It's fortunate that this incident did not happen at a stoplight (intersection).”
NHTSA complaint #11430534, 2021 · crash · 1 injury(ies)
“Hello! I started financing my 2019 Subaru Crosstrek in 04/2023. A month after that date, I had a head gasket issue. Then in 2024, a radiator cap deformed after going to the dealer to get an oil change at SF Honda. (The time on that was suspicious being that I didn’t touch that cap at all.) so I had to pay for that repair. Now in 2025, after getting an oil change at Subaru, a day after that oil change, a lot of lights came onto my dashboard. I have two diagnosis reports from other places because I didn’t have the money to pay Subaru $300 to “diagnose” the issue, especially after my car just cam…”
NHTSA complaint #11644364, 2025
Suspension 4
“I received 2 recall notices in the mail from Subaru 0n 6/16/2021. I immediately contacted the selling dealer, Dunning Subaru, Ann Arbor Michigan and was advised that they could not even give me a date in July when the vehicle could be repaired, but they would add my name to a waiting list for appointments. I contacted Subaru customer service for assistance and was told I would have to find a local retailer on my own and that though they said the vehicle was not safe to drive, they refused to offer and substitute transportation until the vehicle could be repaired. I contacted LaFontaine Suba…”
NHTSA complaint #11421173, 2021
“I BOUGHT MY CAR IN MEXICO AND HAVE MOVED TO NORTH LAS VEGAS NEVADA. THE DEALER WILL NOT MAKE THE NECESSARY SAFETY REPAIRS UNDER THE RECALLS. WHAT DO I DO? DO I HAVE AN UNSAFE CAR?”
NHTSA complaint #11416327, 2021
“STRUT HAS CREAKING SOUND DURING DRIVING IN CITY TRAFFIC. ON HIGHWAY THERE IS HARDLY ANY NOISE AND WORKS FINE. DEALER SUGGESTED STRUT REPLACEMENT BUT NOT UNDER WARRANTY SINCE IT WAS IN ACCIDENT IN THAT AREA 6 MONTHS AGO.”
NHTSA complaint #11378035, 2020
Forward Collision Avoidance 3
“The windshield cracked for no reason while parked in our garage. The windshield was not stuck by any objects, the car was simply setting parked in our garage. There is no evidence of any object striking the windshield such as a rock chip or other items. The Crack is in line with the left side EyeSight driver assist technolgy sensor mounted inside the windshield. The Crack in the windshield may effect the operation of the EyeSight safety features.”
NHTSA complaint #11570608, 2024
“The EyeSight turned off and would not turn back on. Then the airbag symbol lit up on the dashboard. My cruise control and lane assistance were not working as well. If I had been involved in an accident, the airbags would not have deployed. The warning messages appeared about 3 weeks ago.”
NHTSA complaint #11419973, 2021
“WINDSHIELD IS VERY EASILY CRACKED OR CHIPPED FROM THE SMALLEST PEBBLES HITTING IT WHILE GOING EVEN 35 MPH. WITH THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, GETTING THE WINDSHIELD FIXED AND THE SENSORS RECALIBRATED COULD COST A FORTUNE.”
NHTSA complaint #11376531, 2020
Air Bags 2
“The EyeSight turned off and would not turn back on. Then the airbag symbol lit up on the dashboard. My cruise control and lane assistance were not working as well. If I had been involved in an accident, the airbags would not have deployed. The warning messages appeared about 3 weeks ago.”
NHTSA complaint #11419973, 2021
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU CROSSTREK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM DEACTIVATED WHEN THE SEAT WAS OCCUPIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, BUT AN APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 11, 2019 AT GRAYSON SUBARU (8729 KINGSTON PIKE, KNOXVILLE, TN 37923). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000. *PM CONSUMER STATED DESIGN/ SAFETY DEFECT CREATES CONFUSION AND CONCERN FOR APPROPRIATE ACTIVATION STATUS OF PASSENGER AIRBAG AND SEATBEL…”
NHTSA complaint #11267854, 2019
Exterior Lighting 2
“Vehicle had a parasitic draw, was in the shop for an extended amount of time, I believe wiring issues were caused from this as well, I had to replace my driver side window switch, buy an optima battery, and drive 3.5hrs to a Subaru dealership in the middle of the winter hoping I’d make it safely and without stalling, the DCM was found to be at fault similarly to other vehicle owners included in another recall that somehow excluded 2019 Crosstrek drivers and included other MY variants such as the Outback and Forester of which also had a bulletin posted about this parasitic draw and how to go ab…”
NHTSA complaint #11683547, 2022
“THIS VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. AT NIGHT, WHEN HEADLIGHTS ARE SET ON "AUTO," THE ILLUMINATED GEAR INDICATOR LIGHT ADJACENT TO THE SHIFTER DO NOT ILLUMINATE. THIS LEAVES THE POSSIBILITY OF SHIFTING THE CAR INTO THE WRONG GEAR. THESE LIGHTS DO ILLUMINATE WITH THE LIGHTS SET TO MANUAL. THE SPECIFIC INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN AN OLDER DRIVER PARKED THE VEHICLE, THINKING SHE HAD SHIFTED INTO PARK, AND INSTEAD, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO REVERSE. HAD SHE BEEN ABLE TO VISUALLY VERIFY THE GEAR, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.”
NHTSA complaint #11174985, 2019
Lane Departure 2
“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 i…”
NHTSA complaint #11529417, 2023
“EVER SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE CAR MAY 2019 I HAVE HAD THE PROBLEM OF DANGEROUS UNSTABLE STEERING WHEN IT AUTOMATICALLY DEPARTS FROM LANES AT SPEEDS ABOVE 50 MPH IN ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS WET SUNNY MOUNTAINS HILLY WHEN IT PUTS ALL US IN DANGER WHEN THA DRIVER HAS TO ADJUST THE CAR. TWICE I HAVE TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND NO ACTION WAS TAKEN AND WE REMAIN APPREHENSIVE ABOUT DRIVING OUR LESS THAN 6000 MILES. IT IS UNSAFE AND DANGEROUS. CAN ANY THING BE DONE.”
NHTSA complaint #11397059, 2021
Seats 2 1 fire
“I've owned cars for 40 years. And not once in 40 years, has the ash from a cigarette caused a seat to immediately burn. And I mean burn. Not just a burn on the outside of the fabric, but deep down into the padded material within seconds. Thankfully, I was able to put it out in the heavy smoke phase, before it turned into a full blown burning flame, burning the entire car seat and car. After my experience, it floored me that wasn't discovered during any type of testing that might be done on a vehicle. A major safety issue in my mind. I decided to report it now, because I'm surprised nobo…”
NHTSA complaint #11452072, 2020 · fire
“AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET APPLIED MY BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN AT A RED LIGHT MY DRIVER'S SEAT SLID FORWARD VERY FAST PINNING ME AGAINST THE STEERING WHEEL. AT THAT TIME MY LEG WAS FOLDED CAUSE I WAS UP AGAINST DASH AND IT MADE ME SLAM MY BRAKES ON VERY FAST AND QUICK. I AM LUCKY MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE GAS AT THE TIME OR I WOULD HAVE WENT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. THE NEXT DAY AS I WAS DRIVING MY SEAT SLID FORWARD A LITTLE BUT LOCKED INTO THE NEXT SPOT. I HAD GOTTEN A HOLD OF SUBARU AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT BUT THEY CANNOT SEE ME FOR A WEEK. IT IS VERY UNSAFE SOMEONE COULD REALLY GET HURT.…”
NHTSA complaint #11327428, 2020
Tether 2
“Using the seat belt with the safe lock feature for rear facing, the car seat becomes loose within 2-3 times using it with my daughter. We have to have her out, undo the safe lock and pull the seat belt tight again to refasten it.”
NHTSA complaint #11645075, 2024
“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11534097, 2023
Carry Handle 1
“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.”
NHTSA complaint #11534097, 2023
Engine And Engine Cooling 1
“The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the accelerator pedal was not depressed but the vehicle slightly accelerated independently. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact also stated that while accelerating from a complete stop and making a turn, the vehicle inadvertently stalled, almost causing another vehicle to crash into her vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed an engine failure and that the failure was related to NHTSA Campai…”
NHTSA complaint #11439201, 2021
Interior Lighting 1
“2019 SUBARU CROSSTREK. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD SPEEDOMETER RED DIM LIGHT AN OLDER STYLE TRANSMISSION. *AS THE CONSUMER STATED THE LIGHTING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS INSUFFICIENT AND COULD NOT BE MANUALLY ADJUSTED SEPARATE FROM THE HEADLIGHTS. THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION DOES SHIFT QUICK ENOUGH. *JS”
NHTSA complaint #11267451, 2019
Seat Belts 1
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU CROSSTREK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM DEACTIVATED WHEN THE SEAT WAS OCCUPIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, BUT AN APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 11, 2019 AT GRAYSON SUBARU (8729 KINGSTON PIKE, KNOXVILLE, TN 37923). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000. *PM CONSUMER STATED DESIGN/ SAFETY DEFECT CREATES CONFUSION AND CONCERN FOR APPROPRIATE ACTIVATION STATUS OF PASSENGER AIRBAG AND SEATBEL…”
NHTSA complaint #11267854, 2019
Tires 1
“On 09/29/22 while crossing the Richmond Bridge, the drivers rear tire experienced a sudden and complete blowout of the tire. All rubber separated from the rim and landed in the adjacent left traffic lane. I slowly came to a complete stop on the bridge with hazard lights on. A bridge service vehicle arrived within 1-2 minutes and helped change to the spare. My tires had just been serviced at Costco Tire Center in Novato on 09/25/22 and they maintain that the failure is due to manufacturing defect as they tire passed their inspection.”
NHTSA complaint #11487319, 2022
Wheels 1
“Wheel bearing failure resulting in replacement of the bearing and the integral hub at a cost of ~$750 (independent service center diagnosed and replaced the failed unit). Vehicle had only 42,000 miles and had developed a "rumble" which was thought to be related to seasonal temperature changes/tire tread. Sudden/catastrophic seizing of a failed wheel bearing can cause a loss of control and accident, thus this report as to the potential severity of the issue. No automated warnings other than a noticeable rumble when vehicle was in motion with increased severity over a few weeks. Manufacturer…”
NHTSA complaint #11737615, 2026
How we read this (methodology)
How to read this: raw complaint totals are not a clean reliability score — a model year with more cars sold, or simply more years on the road, accumulates more complaints regardless of how good it is. So this page leans on two signals that are not distorted by sales volume: the share of complaints falling on each vehicle system (the breakdown above) and NHTSA's own crash / fire / injury / death flags. When we compare model years of the same model, we normalise by years on the road (complaints ÷ vehicle age) rather than comparing raw totals. Age-normalised, the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek draws about 35.4 complaints per year on the road, ranking 2 of 10 among the Subaru Crosstrek model years we have ingested (1 = most complaints per year on road).
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Data source: U.S. NHTSA (nhtsa.gov). SaveVIN surfaces public recall data and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NHTSA.