Problems · NHTSA complaints
2024 Subaru Crosstrek problems
Owners filed 120 complaints about the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek with NHTSA between Sep 2023 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is exterior lighting (13).
Complaints
120
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
10
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Exterior lighting13
- Forward collision avoidance12
- Visibility/wiper12
- Service brakes10
- Visibility10
- Steering10
- Electrical system8
- Engine7
- Tires7
- Vehicle speed control5
- Air bags4
- Fuel/propulsion system3
- Power train3
- Lane departure2
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 2, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
9
36
48
27
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 9 |
| 2024 | 36 |
| 2025 | 48 |
| 2026 | 27 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Exterior lighting
13 reports
“Headlights are pointed low. It is hard to see down the road. The top half of windshield is darker than the bottom half. Car may be safe for city driving, but not for country roads. Going up and down hills and around curves the suv is unsafe. Dealer said they recieving complaints but can not adjust the lights. Sorry I bought such an unsafe suv.”
Forward collision avoidance
12 reports4 crashes
“I was backing out of my driveway at 630 am this morning, September 21, 2026 when I heard what sounded like a loud crash. However, if anything had been in my car’s line of vision a beep would go off to alert me and that didn’t happen. I pulled back into my driveway to check if anything had somehow been behind me and then discovered I had no brakes! My driveway goes down a steep incline and I kept trying to apply my brakes to no avail and I crashed into some trees at the bottom of the driveway. I was not hurt and ran back up the driveway to make sure my car had not hit anyone or anything and there was nothing at all at the top of the driveway. I went back down and saw all the damage on my car: Front bumper and hood were smashed in as well as the driver’s side front and the passenger’s side front areas. I called the local police, my dealership where I leased this car, Patrick Motors in Shrewsbury, Ma, Subaru of American and my insurance agency, Liberty Mutual. At this time, I have nothing available to upload. I wanted to alert you to this situation because after I researched what happened to me and my 2024 Subaru Crosstek Wilderness Model this morning, I…”
Visibility/wiper
12 reports
“Windshield suddenly and spontaneously cracked, violently and with an explosive sound, due to higher-than-average outside air temperature (100°F, Arizona in July). Vehicle was being driven on a freeway during cross--country trip. Crack occurred in driver's line-of-sight and presented a dangerous driving condition. In service for 2 years and 10K miles and never driven off-road or incurred a windshield chip from flying objects. Subaru refused to repair under warranty. Discovered Subaru had a recent history of similar windshield problems including some covered by Technical Service Bulletin(s).”
Service brakes
10 reports4 crashes
“My 2024 Subaru Crosstrek with 56k miles on it was driven the day before and operated completely normally with no apparent issues. When I started the car to pull out of a parallel parking spot on a downhill grade with 2 to 3 feet of clearance on either side, several warning lights immediately illuminated on the dashboard. With my foot on the brake pedal as it always is when shifting out of park, normal brake pedal pressure did nothing to keep the car from rolling forward. It was only when I slammed my foot down hard that I was barely able to stop the vehicle, narrowly avoiding a collision with the car parked directly in front of me downhill due to a catastrophic failure of the braking system. If this had occurred in traffic while I was driving this would have been harmful, if not deadly. The vehicle was towed to the Subaru dealership, where technicians confirmed an electronic brake booster failure, logged diagnostic trouble code U1129, and scheduled the replacement of the ABS/brake control assembly (OEM Part # 27596FN003). The complete lack of braking power was witnessed, experienced, and commented on by both the tow truck driver and the dealership valet.”
Visibility
10 reports
“Drivers side mirror shakes when in motion mainly on uneven roads, slurry sealed roads and freeway. 4 service visits with parts replaced at each visit - vibration still an issue. 5th appointment with engineer more parts exchanged with a claim of working as designed. Extreme distraction while driving and a safety concern when you can not see clearly out of the driver’s side mirror while driving.. currently there is a continuous vibration on the freeway and they state everything is working as designed and there is no abnormal vibration. This is a common known issue with these cars and there is no fix and the company will not admit a serious issue that effects many 2024 and 2025 models. If they replace the mirror the fix does not last long at all and the vibration comes back. I have had 5 service appointments since April to address this issue with no resolve and a continued dismissal from the dealership and the customer advocate department at Subaru. There is a current class action regarding this and still no open recall or fix from Subaru”
Steering
10 reports
“After about an hour of driving, the vehicle’s steering wheel required slightly more force to turn when changing direction of travel., almost like it was getting stuck. Once unstuck, the steering wheel would get easier to turn, causing overcorrections in direction of travel. The dealership was unable to recreate the issue, however I experienced the same problem today 8/14/26 after taking a longer road trip. The issue today was less pronounced. No one else has inspected the vehicle. No warning lights for this issue. Lane keep assist was disabled for both instances.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 2, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.