Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
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.
Full electrical power steering failure
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 separate dealerships, the Subaru dealer believes this was caused by a faulty hybrid battery, alternator, or both. An inspection is available by request. The problem did flag multiple error codes (confirmed by the dealer) but it is very frightening that there was absolutely NO warning and I feel unsafe driving this vehicle, even after it will be repaired. Next time, myself or others, may not be so fortunate. The alternator is being recalled in 2017+ Subaru Crosstrek for this very issue, but not the 2016 (my vehicle).
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.
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
POWER STEERING FAILS WHEN FIRST STARTING VEHICLE.HAS HAPPENED ON MANY OCCASIONS.LOSS IOF POWER STEERING LASTS FROM A FEW SECONDS TO 10 TO 15 SECONDS,RESOLVES BY ITSELF.HEARD ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS FROM DEALER THAT THEY CAN NOT REPRODUCE PROBLEM. FEEL IT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM MAY LEAD TO LOW SPEED ACCIDENT.STEERING WARNING LIGHT DOES COME ON.DOES GENERATE ERROR CODES PER DEALER.DEALER(JOHNSON SUBARU DUBOIS PA 15801) HAS ATTEMPTED REPAIR X 5 W/O RESOLUTION.STATE THEY HAVE REPLACED ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE,REPLACED THAT WITH A NEW AND IMPROVED ECM AND STATE THEY HAVE REPLACED THE POWER STEERING RACK.EPISODES OF LOSS OF STEERING CONTINUE. HAVE CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA ADVISING THEM OF PROBLEM.THEY SUGGEST RETURNING VEHICLE TO DEALER EVEN THOUGH THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED IN THE PREVIOUS 5 VISITS
WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT AROUND CURVES AT ABOUT 15-20 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL KIND OF LOCKED, AND COULD NOT GO BACK STRAIGHT. HAD TO STOP, TURN THE CAR OFF IN ORDER TO THE STEERING WHEEL FEEL NORMAL. IT DID IT A COUPLE OF TIMES, ALSO WHILE PARKING IT MADE LIKE A CLICKING NOISE BY THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL. HAD IT FIX, SUBARU REPLACE RELIEF VALVE, ELECTRIC OIL PUMP. EVEN THOUGH SUBARU IS AT FAULT, I HAD TO PAY ALMOST $600 TO HAVE THIS FIX BECAUSE MY CAR HAD A CONDITION THAT WAS NOT COVERED BY THEIR WARRANTY. IT ISN'T FAIR. I BOUGHT THIS SUBARU BECAUSE OF THEIR RELIABILITY. IT SHOULDN'T HAVE DEFECTS. THIS SITUATION EXPOSED MY DAUGHTER'S LIFE AND MINE. I HOPE NOBODY ELSE GOES THROUGH THIS RISKY SITUATION. THANK YOU.
EXPERIENCING SAME ISSUES AS MANY OTHERS. KEY WILL NOT PULL OUT UNLESS TURNED BACK ON AND CHANGE GEARS; THEN WHEN TURNED BACK OFF KEY WILL PULL OUT. STARTED HAPPENING IN 2019. AGAIN, SAME AS OTHER PEOPLE, HEAR CLICKING WHEN TURNING LEFT. TAKING TO DEALERSHIP TOMORROW BUT SEEMS LIKE IT WILL BE THE AXLE FROM WHAT OTHERS ARE EXPERIENCING.
WHEN TRYING TO TURN OFF THE CROSSTREK IT WOULD NOT LET THE KEY COME OUT OF THE IGNITION. IT FORCES YOU TO TAKE IT OUT OF PARK AND PUT IT BACK INTO DRIVE THEN BACK INTO PARK A FEW TIMES TO TAKE THE KEY OUT. I WENT TO SUBARU AND THEY SAID IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM, WHICH THEY HAVE A FIX FOR. THIS PROBLEM IS SEEN IN MANY OF THE OLDER MODEL SUBARUS I HAVE SEEN THE SAME PROBLEM IN MANY YOUTUBE VIDEOS. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED BY SUBARU. SUBARU DEALER TOLD ME THE PROBLEM IS A STICKY PLATE CYLINDER.
TOTAL POWER STEERING FAILURE AT 40,076 MILES. DEAL READ CODE C2532. DEALER REPLACED FULL STEERING SYSTEM; RACK, CONNECTORS. STILL DID NOT WORK. REPLACED 80 AMP FUSE ON POSITIVE TERMINAL. NOTE THAT STEERING FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE VEHICLE WAS OFF. MAJOR CONCERN IF IT HAD HAPPENED DURING OPERATION.
PUT CAR IN PARK, SHUT THE IGNITION OFF, AND I AM UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. WOULD HAVE TO TURN THE VEHICLE BACK ON, MOVE THE SHIFTER FROM PARK TO DRIVE POSITION, THEN PUT BACK IN PARK AND BY DOING THIS I AM SOMETIMES ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY.
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.
PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY MY STARING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN SO I PUT IT IN DRIVE AND IT STILL WOULDN'T TURN SO I PUTTED IN PARK AND TURN IT OFF THEN I STARTED IT BACK UP AND IT WORKED. I JUST BOUGHT IT NOT EVEN FIVE DAYS AGO IF SUBARU KNEW THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE CARS THEY SHOULDN'T SOLD IT TO ANYBODY I AM VERY UPSET WITH THE SUBARU COMPANY DAY APOLLO SUBARU IN MOON TOWNSHIP
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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