2015 Subaru Crosstrek Owner Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU CROSSTREK. WHILE DRIVING 80-85 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE TACHOMETER INCREASED TO HIGH AND THE SPEEDOMETER DECREASED. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, IT PERFORMED AS DESIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SUBARU OF KENNESAW (905 ERNEST W BARRETT PKWY NW, KENNESAW, GA 30144, (770) 419-9800) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: SR1-46572013025 AND EXTENDED THE WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 65,300. THE VIN WAS INVALID.

NHTSA ID

11242454

Incident

Aug 1, 2019

Mileage

65,300 mi

AFTER PUTTING MY CAR IN PARK, MY KEY WILL NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION. I HAVE TO REVERSE AND DRIVE UP AGAIN AND THEN PARK AGAIN, IN ORDER FOR MY KEY TO THEN FINALLY COME OUT. I'M NERVOUS THAT WON'T WORK FOR LONG. I'VE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE AND YET SUBARU HASN'T ISSUED A RECALL. HOPING WE WON'T BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST TO REPAIR WHAT IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURER ISSUE! SUBARU PLEASE INVESTIGATE!!

NHTSA ID

11235335

Incident

Jul 26, 2019

Mileage

55,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE GOING 75 MPH, PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE, WHEN THE CAR RAPIDLY LOST SPEED AND REVVED TO 5500 RPM. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO LOSE SPEED AND WOULD NOT RESPOND WHEN I PRESSED DOWN ON THE ACCELERATOR. I HAD TO QUICKLY PULL TO THE LEFT SHOULDER. LUCKILY, THE CAR BEHIND ME WAS PAYING ATTENTION AND WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN AND NOT HIT US. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND LUCKILY THE VEHICLE DID RESTART. MY FUEL LIGHT HAD JUST TURNED ON MINUTES BEFORE THIS BUT I STILL HAD 60 MILES TO GO BEFORE EMPTY. I WAS PLANNING ON EXITING TO REFUEL BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. I STILL DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THIS TO OCCUR. I LEFT A MESSAGE WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND I AM AWAITING A RETURN PHONE CALL TO HAVE THE VEHICLE ASSESSED.

NHTSA ID

11235318

Incident

Jul 25, 2019

Mileage

52,000 mi

MY CAR HAS BEEN LEAKING FOR A LONG WHILE NOW. I DIDN'T EXPECT IT TO HAPPEN BUT WHEN RECENTLY I SAW SMALL DROPS OF OIL, I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID MY CAM BOX SEAL WAS LEAKING AND THEN I WENT INTO MORE RESEARCH. I FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY A COMMON ISSUE FROM MY FELLOW CROSSTREK OWNERS. THIS ISNT ACCEPTABLE AT ALL BECAUSE THIS DOESNT MAKE THESE RELIABLE ANYMORE. IT'S NOW A HEADACHE AND TROUBLE ON THE ROAD. THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE THOUGHT OVER IN RESPECT TO US THE CONSUMERS. THE CROSSTREK ARE A VERY POPULAR CAR THAT PEOPLE LOVE INCLUDING ME BUT THIS PROBLEM GIVES EVERYONE OF US TO COMPLAIN TO HAVE IT FIXED.

NHTSA ID

11175083

Incident

Jan 10, 2019

I SPILLED 3-4 OUNCES OF COFFEE ON MY FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. A SHORT TIME LATER, THE SRS AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH AND MY PASSENGER SEAT WOULD NO LONGER RECOGNIZE THAT A PASSENGER WAS SEATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT (PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF LIGHT WOULD NOT SWITCH TO ON WHEN A PASSENGER WAS SEATED). I CALLED MY LOCAL SUBARU DEALERSHIP AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE PASSENGER SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS VERY SENSITIVE AND THAT MOISTURE COULD INTERFERE WITH IT AND DISABLE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG UNTIL THE SENSOR DRIES. APPARENTLY THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY. THIS SEEMS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IN ANY CAR, BUT ESPECIALLY A SUBARU WHICH IS MARKETED AS AN "OUTDOORS" OR "ADVENTURE" CAR WHERE WET PEOPLE/DOGS/EQUIPMENT COULD REGULARLY BE IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING AND STATIONARY WHEN THE WARNING LIGHT APPEARED ON MY DASH.

NHTSA ID

11170300

Incident

Jan 15, 2019

Mileage

59,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING ON A 2 LANE HIGHWAY GOING 55MPH. MY KNEE BUMPED THE STEERING COLUMN AND AT THAT MOMENT THE DASH WENT BLANK, I LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER BEFORE THE STEERING LOCKED UP. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. AFTER AWHILE I DISCOVERED THE CAR WOULD RESTART AND DROVE THE REMAINING 20 MILES HOME WITH NO PROBLEM. IT WASN'T UNTIL I CALLED THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY AND LOOKED ONLINE THAT I REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I'M SHORT , 5'1' AND HAD THE STEERING COLUMN AT THE LOWEST POSITION AND THE SEAT FORWARD. I'VE MOVED THE COLUMN TO THE NEXT SETTING HIGHER AND BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM IS NOW UNLIKELY TO RECUR. THE LOWEST COLUMN POSITION SHOULD BE ELIMINATED . DANGEROUS!!

NHTSA ID

11161464

Incident

Dec 12, 2018

Mileage

45,000 mi

FROM A STOP OR AT LOW SPEEDS, WHEN YOU PRESS THE GAS PEDAL THERE IS A DELAY OF APPROXIMATELY 1.5 SECONDS BEFORE THE ENGINE RESPONDS. THIS IS PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC FROM A DRIVEWAY, OR IF YOU NEED TO QUICKLY MANEUVER TO AVOID A COLLISION. SUBARU TECHNICIANS HAVE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, AND THEY SAY NOTHING IS WRONG MECHANICALLY. I BELIEVE THIS IS A FLAW IN THE ECM PROGRAMMING. A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH REVEALS HUNDREDS OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH VARIOUS MODELS OF SUBARU. THERE ARE SEVERAL AFTERMARKET DEVICES WHICH CLAIM TO FIX THIS BY CONNECTING TO THE OBDII PORT AND CHANGING THE PROGRAMMING SO IT MATCHES THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL LINEARLY. ONE SUCH DEVICE IS HTTPS://WWW.SPRINTBOOSTERSALES.COM/SUBARU I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO RELY ON AN AFTERMARKET ACCESSORY TO ADDRESS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11151849

Incident

Nov 15, 2018

Mileage

52,000 mi

WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE ABS, HILL ASSIST, AND VEHICLE DYNAMICS CONTROL LIGHTS ALL LIGHT UP AND LOCK DOWN THE CAR. WILL CONTINUE TO DRIVE BUT THE NEXT TIME THE CAR IS STARTED, IT MAY NOT BACK UP OR GO IN DRIVE AGAIN.

NHTSA ID

11129839

Incident

Sep 16, 2018

Mileage

50,000 mi

MY CAR BECAME STUCK IN PARK DUE TO A DEFECTIVE BREAK LIGHT SWITCH. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME TO HAVE IT TOWED, BUT LUCKILY I CHECKED THE INTERNET AND LEARNED I HAD TO OVERRIDE THE SYSTEM BY STICKING A BOLT INTO A PORT ON THE GEAR SHIFT PANEL. APPARENTLY THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE. I KNOW SEVERAL PEOPLE PERSONALLY WHO HAVE ALSO HAD THIS PROBLEM, AND THE DEALERSHIP WAS FAMILIAR WITH IT. IT IS INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING TO BE STUCK IN A PARKING LOT UNABLE TO DRIVE YOUR CAR WHEN ITS AN ISSUE THAT COULD EASILY BE PREVENTED. IT WAS A 100+ DEGREE DAY AND LUCKILY I WAS IN TOWN. BUT HAD I BEEN STUCK OUT AT A TRAILHEAD OR OTHERWISE OUT OF CELL SERVICE THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11119940

Incident

Aug 12, 2018

Mileage

20,000 mi

CAR STALLED AND DIED WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY TRAVELING 75MPH. FELT LIKE THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED INTO A LOW GEAR AND THE RPM'S REVVED. CAR IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER AND FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY MOVE TO FREEWAY SHOULDER. CAR WOULD NOT START AND HAD TO BE TOWED BUT ALL ELECTRICAL STILL FUNCTIONED. I WAS LOW ON GAS BUT NOT OUT. I WAS ON FREEWAY AT 11:30PM JUST OUTSIDE DETROIT WHEN THIS OCCURRED. RIDICULOUSLY UNSAFE. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT DEALER AND WILL BE LOOKED AT 8/14/2018. INCIDENT 8/9/2018. EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS HAPPENED TO THE SAME VEHICLE 6 MONTHS AGO. CAR DIED ON FREEWAY TRAVELING 75MPH, RPM'S REVVED, GOT SAFELY TO SHOULDER. VEHICLE TOWED. CAR STARTED NEXT MORNING AND NO ERROR CODES FOUND. EVEN MORE COMPELLING, THE ENGINE DIED 3 OTHER TIMES WHILE DRIVING AT LEAST 45MPH, SAME SENSATION OF ENGINE GOING INTO LOWER GEAR, RPM'S INCREASED TO 5000+, CAR DIES, ELECTRICAL WORKS. CAR WAS ABLE TO RESTART AFTER 10-15 MINUTES OF REST. THESE 3 INCIDENTS ARE NOT DOCUMENTED BECAUSE I WAS NOT TOWED AND DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE. I WISH I HAD. I AM REPORTING FOR THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT OF 8/9/2018. (I FEEL LIKE I'M SHOUTING WITH ALL CAPS. I AM SHOUTING BECAUSE THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED!)

NHTSA ID

11119786

Incident

Aug 9, 2018

Mileage

62,000 mi

SOMETIMES WHEN PUSHING THE BRAKE PEDAL THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND WILL NOT ALLOW THE CAR TO SHIFT FROM PARK. OTHER TIMES MAY COME ON WHILE DRIVING. THE CAR ONLY HAS 25K MILES ON IT. I DON'T WANT TO DRIVE ANYWHERE AND GET STUCK THERE NOR DO I NEED A BRAKE PROBLEM IN SNOW AS I LIVE IN NEW YORK STATE. AFTER READING ONLINE IT SEEMS TO BE NOT AN UNCOMMON ISSUE BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. AFTER SHUTTING THE CAR ON AND OFF MULTIPLE TIMES THE ABS LIGHT GOES OUT AND THE CAR IS THEN ABLE TO SHIFT. AGAIN I DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT MY PERSONAL SAFETY OR SAFETY OF THE PASSENGERS IN MY CAR.

NHTSA ID

11118267

Incident

Aug 7, 2018

Mileage

25,000 mi

TRAVELING ON WESTBOUND I-74,8:30 PM 02/10/2018 APPROXIMATELY 63MPH,CAR ON CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE CAR LOST POWER,FELT LIKE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING,ENGINE REVS TO 8000 RPM.LUCKILY,LITTLE TRAFFIC,PULLED CAR TO RIGHT SHOULDER.TURNED KEY OFF,CAR WOULD NOT RESTART.CALLED WRECKER AND TOWED CAR TO BUSAM SUBARU IN FAIRFIELD,OH.VERY FORTUNATE THAT PEOPLE ON 74 WERE NOT KILLED WHEN CAR LOST POWER,VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE INVOLVED HERE.CAR LOST POWER DRIVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE,ON CRUISE CONTROL OVER RELATIVELY LEVEL TERRAIN.BUSAM WILL BE NOTIFIED TOMORROW MORNING THE CAR HAS BEEN TOWED TO THEIR LOT AND HOPEFULLY THEY CAN FIND OUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED.NEGLECTED TO SAY THE CROSSTREK HAS APPROX. 32000 MILES AND UP TO THIS,HAS NEVER PRESENTED ANY ISSUES.

NHTSA ID

11072201

Incident

Feb 10, 2018

Mileage

32,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU CROSSTREK. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE EYESIGHT DRIVER ASSIST SYSTEM WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DROVE HOME, TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, AND THE INDICATOR DIMMED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BERTERA SUBARU OF HARTFORD (111 WESTON ST, HARTFORD, CT 06120, (888) 865-1393) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

NHTSA ID

11065808

Incident

Jan 22, 2018

Mileage

30,000 mi

DURING THE MORNING AND SOMETIMES IN THE AFTERNOON AS I START THE VEHICLE THE STEERING LIGHT COMES ON AND THE VEHICLE IS NOT ABLE TO BE STEERED. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES AND I BROUGHT IT TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER MANUFACTURES WARRANTY. LAST WEEK THE DEALERSHIP CALLED AND STATED IT WAS REPAIRED, I HAVE ALL THE RECORDS. AS MY PREGNANT WIFE AND I GOT INTO THE VEHICLE I STARTED THE CAR TO LEAVE AND THE STEERING LIGHT WAS ON AGAIN, AND I COULD NOT STEER THE VEHICLE. I AM NOW VERY AFRAID THIS WILL HAPPEN WHILE I AM DRIVING. I HAVE NOT CONFIDENCE IN THE CAR AND THE DEALERSHIPS ABILITY TO FIX THE ISSUE AND THE VEHICLE SITS AT THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP IN ROSEVILLE CA CURRENTLY. ON ALL OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, BUT THERE ARE INCIDENTS WHERE OTHER SUBARU DRIVES HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE MANY RECORDS THAT CAN BE REVIEWED.

NHTSA ID

11064115

Incident

Jan 15, 2018

Mileage

5 mi

ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY: I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF WHEN MY LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, WHICH MEANT I STILL HAD 70 MILES LEFT UNTIL EMPTY. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE MIDDLE LANE, MY ENGINE MADE A REVVING NOISE AND MY CAR LOST POWER (PRESSED GAS PEDAL, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED). PRIOR TO THAT, THE CAR DROVE NORMALLY. THANKFULLY, I WAS ABLE TO EXIT OFF OF THE HIGHWAY, AT A SNAIL'S PACE, AND PULL INTO A PARKING LOT AND AS SOON AS I DID, THE CAR DIED AND ALL OF THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH CAME ON. RADIO STILL WORKED. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON BEFORE THE CAR LOST POWER, EXCEPT FOR THE LOW FUEL LIGHT. I TRIED TO RE-START THE CAR, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT TURN OVER. I HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK AND BY THE TIME THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED THE CAR STARTED NORMALLY. I DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE CAR AND HAD IT TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THE CODE FOR CAR RUNNING TOO LEAN HAD COME ON. AFTER PUTTING THE CAR THROUGH A SERIES OF TESTS, THEY DETERMINED THAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN BAD GAS PUT INTO THE TANK. AFTER SEEING NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FOR THE 2015 FORESTERS AND CROSSTREKS WITH IDENTICAL SITUATIONS, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT GAS WAS THE CULPRIT. . I HAVE OWNED VARIOUS CARS OVER THE YEARS AND THE ONLY THING THAT BAD GAS CAUSED WAS SPUTTERING. I BOUGHT A NEW CAR SO THAT I HAVE PEACE OF MIND WHILE DRIVING 80 MILES ON A BUSY HIGHWAY EVERY DAY. I NO LONGER HAVE THAT PEACE OF MIND AND INSTEAD WONDER IF MY TWO YEAR OLD CAR WILL LOSE POWER AGAIN, BUT UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES. WILL IT HAPPEN AT NIGHT WITH NOWHERE TO PULL OVER WITH A TRACTOR TRAILER BEARING DOWN ON ME? SINCE THE INCIDENT, CAR NOW HAS ACCELERATION PROBLEMS AT LOW SPEEDS; FEELING LIKE IT WILL STALL WHEN PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL, BUT IT DOES NOT ACTUALLY STALL. CAR HAS BEEN AT DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY CANNOT REPEAT THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11051438

Incident

Nov 8, 2017

Mileage

56,000 mi

I HAVE RANDOM BUT CONSISTENT PROBLEMS WITH MY 2015 SUBARU CROSSTREK IN REGARDS TO THE CVT, STALLING AND ACCELERATION ISSUES. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE DEALERSHIP ON MANY OCCASIONS. WHEN COMING TO A STOP AND THEN ACCELERATING AGAIN IT FEELS AS IF THE CAR IS ABOUT TO STALL AND IN SOME SITUATIONS I FELT IT DID FOR A SECOND. ITS A VERY FRIGHTENING SITUATION WHEN MERGING INTO TRAFFIC OR DRIVING DEFENSIVELY AND THE CAR JUST DOESN'T RESPOND. I HAVE COME VERY CLOSE TO BEING HIT BECAUSE THE CAR DID NOT RESPOND. ANOTHER WAY TO EXPLAIN IT IS THIS: WHEN STARTING FROM A COMPLETE STOP, ITS LIKE THE CAR SHIFTS FROM 1ST TO 4TH IN A SPLIT SECOND AND THE CAR FAILS TO ACCELERATE AND IT TAKES ABOUT 5 SECONDS FOR THE CAR TO RESPOND AND SLOWLY PICK UP SPEED LIKE IT WAS ACCELERATING STARTING IN THE WRONG GEAR (4TH). I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS FOR OVER 2 YEARS NOW AND I'D LIKE TO GET THIS FIXED ASAP. PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL FOR THESE CVTS AND HAVE THE MANUFACTURER FIX THEM. JUST EXTENDING THE WARRANTY TO 100K DOES NO GOOD BECAUSE I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP LAST WEEK AND TIMES BEFORE AND THEY DIDN'T FIX ANYTHING, THEY JUST COLLECTED DATA AND SENT IT TO SUBARU BUT I STILL HAVE THE ISSUE. I ALSO NOTICED THE PROBLEM MORE PROMINENT WHEN THE WEATHER IS WARMER WHICH LEADS ME TO ALSO SUSPECT AN AIR/FUEL ISSUE OR SOMETHING ELSE ADDING TO THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11031731

Incident

Sep 29, 2017

Mileage

38,000 mi

THE BRAKE SWITCH FAILED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE STUCK IN PARK. SUBARU HAS A RECALL ON THE BRAKE SWITCH, BUT MY CAR IS NOT COVERED UNDER THAT RECALL. RECALL 15V366000. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH SUBARU AND THE DEFECT SHOULD BE COVERED.

NHTSA ID

11006108

Incident

Jul 17, 2017

Mileage

50,000 mi