POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
2021 Subaru Crosstrek
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 115 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek, most frequently naming the visibility, driver assistance and engine categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 326 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 2020 | 2 | 2 |
| Mar 2021 | 2 | 4 |
| Apr 2021 | 2 | 6 |
| May 2021 | 3 | 9 |
| Jun 2021 | 4 | 13 |
| Jul 2021 | 1 | 14 |
| Aug 2021 | 3 | 17 |
| Sep 2021 | 5 | 22 |
| Oct 2021 | 1 | 23 |
| Nov 2021 | 2 | 25 |
| Dec 2021 | 2 | 27 |
| Jan 2022 | 2 | 29 |
| Feb 2022 | 2 | 31 |
| Mar 2022 | 3 | 34 |
| Apr 2022 | 3 | 37 |
| May 2022 | 3 | 40 |
| Jun 2022 | 1 | 41 |
| Jul 2022 | 2 | 43 |
| Aug 2022 | 1 | 44 |
| Sep 2022 | 2 | 46 |
| Oct 2022 | 3 | 49 |
| Nov 2022 | 3 | 52 |
| Jan 2023 | 2 | 54 |
| Feb 2023 | 1 | 55 |
| Mar 2023 | 2 | 57 |
| Apr 2023 | 2 | 59 |
| May 2023 | 3 | 62 |
| Jun 2023 | 2 | 64 |
| Jul 2023 | 1 | 65 |
| Aug 2023 | 3 | 68 |
| Sep 2023 | 4 | 72 |
| Jan 2024 | 2 | 74 |
| Feb 2024 | 3 | 77 |
| Mar 2024 | 3 | 80 |
| May 2024 | 1 | 81 |
| Jul 2024 | 2 | 83 |
| Aug 2024 | 1 | 84 |
| Oct 2024 | 1 | 85 |
| Nov 2024 | 2 | 87 |
| Feb 2025 | 3 | 90 |
| Jun 2025 | 1 | 91 |
| Jul 2025 | 3 | 94 |
| Oct 2025 | 2 | 96 |
| Nov 2025 | 1 | 97 |
| Feb 2026 | 2 | 99 |
| Mar 2026 | 1 | 100 |
| Apr 2026 | 1 | 101 |
| May 2026 | 5 | 106 |
| Jun 2026 | 1 | 107 |
| Jul 2026 | 5 | 112 |
| Aug 2026 | 2 | 114 |
| Sep 2026 | 1 | 115 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Visibility3326.4%
- Driver assistance2016.0%
- Engine1612.8%
- Electrical1612.8%
- Powertrain (other)129.6%
- Interior & seats43.2%
- Brakes43.2%
- Fuel system43.2%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
1 campaign cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govRecent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Drivers side door, interior automatic door lock switch spins and makes a clicking sound when you just start go forward.
- NHTSA ID
- 11762313
- Incident
- Sep 4, 2026
There have been multiple instances where my car has failed to “restart” if the auto-start-stop feature is on. I immediately turn that setting off every time I get into my car because if I pause for too long at a light/stop sign etc.the engine will stall and turn off (without being in park). I have reported this to Subaru on many occasions and they’ve told me to replace the battery, so I did, and nothing changed. I’ve also replaced the starter and that didn’t help either. I’m now unable to turn my car off at gas stations because I’m worried it won’t restart. I just saw that a law suit has opened because of this electrical issue so I wanted to formally report my concerns. This needs to be a safety recall.
- NHTSA ID
- 11758970
- Incident
- Aug 23, 2026
We brought the vehicle in for routine maintenance. They reported that all brake hoses were bulging and at risk of failing at any time. They said that there was a related recall for a similar issue on other CrossTrek's but that ours was not included in the VIN list, so was not a part of the recall. This appears to be a serious component failure which could result in a fatal accident. The fact that this happened with all brake hoses indicates a defective component. We were lucky that we found it and were able to have it addressed before the brakes failed.
- NHTSA ID
- 11758570
- Incident
- Jul 17, 2026
Was driving on highway when all of the lights on my dash illuminated. Eventually I got a warning for oil at temp alarm. Was giving code P2757 and P0700. Looks like this a common issue in Subarus but doesn’t look like it covers anything after 2020.
- NHTSA ID
- 11754078
- Incident
- Jul 31, 2026
- Rod #4 failure of unknown cause, although there is speculation that current failure may be related to a major repair in oil system a year ago. - My safety along with my unborn child’s, husband’s and brother in law’s were all at risk. Another driver had to take evasive action to avoid hitting us in an active fast lane on I-70 going between 65-70 mph. There was no shoulder available to pull off on until a half mile up the road. - Yes the problem has been confirmed from the dealership partially. They did not identify a cause for the sudden failure. However stated it could not be determined if this failure is or is not related to a previous major engine repair made a year ago. - The engine has been inspected by the dealership and warranty company. - There were no warning signals prior to either engine failures. The first one being a year ago for head gasket failure that allowed oil to mix with coolant. With the most recent failure the engine ticked briefly after braking to merge for construction, the oil pressure light followed by engine light turned on 5 seconds before engine completely lost power.
- NHTSA ID
- 11750897
- Incident
- Jun 29, 2026
Viscous Coupling and center differential failing. unable to turn at low speeds. Low mileage vehicle, under 40,000. This is a several 1000$ repair that happens right after warranty
- NHTSA ID
- 11750393
- Incident
- Jul 14, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds and turning to the right or the left, the steering wheel and the vehicle were shaking and vibrating abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the control arms and struts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11750237
- Incident
- Jan 25, 2025
- Mileage
- 85,000 mi
Thermo Control Valve (TCV) causes a check engine light to come on and disables eyesight issue started May 29, 2026. The check engine would go on and off. Now it just stays
- NHTSA ID
- 11748542
- Incident
- May 29, 2026
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
STRUCTURE:BODY
This bulletin provides a procedure to address customer concerns of surface rust accumulating in the top center retaining nut area of the front strut mounts. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; POWER TRAIN
This Announcement provides diagnostic assistance for CVT issues.
POWER TRAIN
This Bulletin provides updated diagnostic procedures to follow and a brief questionnaire to complete when diagnosing an alleged Chain Slip condition on the TR580 and TR690 model CVT transmissions used in the models listed. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
POWER TRAIN
This Service Information Bulletin announces the release of a new diagnostic assistance application for TR690 and TR580 CVT-equipped vehicles. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experiencing battery drain when the ignition is off, leading to no-start conditions or frequent jump-starts.This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
POWER TRAIN
This bulletin provides guidance when diagnosing chain slip, judder, shudder, and hesitation concerns on the TR580 model CVT transmissions used in the models listed.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.