RoadVitals

2023 Subaru Crosstrek

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
32
Latest May 14, 2026
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
4
4 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 32 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek, most frequently naming the visibility, driver assistance and engine categories. 189 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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Visibility721.2%
  • Driver assistance618.2%
  • Engine515.2%
  • Electrical515.2%
  • Brakes39.1%
  • Airbags26.1%
  • Body & structure13.0%
  • Suspension13.0%

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

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 32
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed May 14, 2026
Crash reported1 injury reported

Purchased vehicle 8/27/2025 within 1 day and 1 month of 2 separate class action lawsuits. Purchased from CarMax Wilmington. Car produced electrical shock to my hand first time I attempted to pair the vehicle. Parkway stated at that time I was under an additional warranty but the vehicle would require constant “updates”. This was an intentional deception to prevent me from pursuing what is required under the law, which is the replacement of head unit and subsequent by back of the vehicle when those services fail. "I am reporting a severe pre-crash safety module defect and subsequent dealer concealment on a 2023 Subaru Crosstrek. Two weeks prior to being rear-ended, Parkway Subaru in Wilmington, NC, executed seven failed EyeSight safety recalibration sequences. The service department concealed the component failure, falsely stating the vehicle 'just needed updates,' releasing an unsafe vehicle with non-functional automated braking into commerce. Post-collision, the vehicle was redirected to an uncertified shop to perform unauthorized repairs and cover up the pre-existing safety failure. Service Manager Selena Tighe verbally threatened me to suppress my references to federal class-action safety filings.

NHTSA ID
11737874
Incident
Apr 15, 2026
Electrical
Filed May 7, 2026

Replaced battery 3 times. Believe this car has the parasitic battery issue. Attached on of the bills. Looking for the other 2.

NHTSA ID
11736353
Incident
Dec 24, 2024
Brakes
Filed May 4, 2026

the rear brakes keep engaging while the car is driving. we purchased the car in November 2022. this happened in December 2024 & at the time a dealership in [XXX] area (where my son attended college), said it was an issue and replaced parts in the brake system. yesterday while we were driving back from [XXX] to Houston - the brakes started to make loud squeaking noise as if they were engaged and the brake light keep going on and off. fortunately, this happened very near to Houston and we drove slowly on by roads back home. it feels likes driving with hand brake engaged. fortunately nothing happened to us. but this is a systemic problem with subaru crosstek! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11735448
Incident
May 3, 2026
Engine
Filed Mar 2, 2026

Passenger side valve cover gasket and spark plug seal failure.

NHTSA ID
11721593
Incident
Feb 14, 2026
Driver assistance
Filed Jan 31, 2026

I was driving today January 30th 2026 on the road going 35 mph into the sunlight and all of the sudden my vehicle acted like I slammed on my brakes and I jerked forward almost hitting my chin in the steering wheel. Luckily no one was close behind me or I could have easily been hit. There was nothing in front of me so emergency brakes should not have deployed.

NHTSA ID
11714624
Incident
Jan 30, 2026
Suspension
Filed Dec 11, 2025

I've never taken my 23 crosstrek off the pavement I'm driving down hyw and my rear struts break my crosstrek has 38 thousand miles on it and it's only 3 and 1/2 years old I've owned many cars were if drove hundreds of thousands mile and none of them broke there struts going down the hyw

NHTSA ID
11704596
Incident
Dec 10, 2025
Visibility
Filed Nov 6, 2025

The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while her grandson was driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver's side windshield cracked unexpectedly. The windshield had developed a crack without impact. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the front windshield needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 29,000.

NHTSA ID
11697914
Incident
Aug 31, 2025
Mileage
29,000 mi
Engine
Filed Oct 8, 2025

Oct 7 2025 when me and my 6 year old daughter. Was leaving after picking her up at mom i drove off then came to stop sign so i slowly hit breaks and car accelerated very dangerous im very concerned

NHTSA ID
11692207
Incident
Oct 7, 2025

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

09-123-24R

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

This bulletin announces the design change made to the high-pressure fuel pump developed to prevent DTC P0087 (Fuel Rail/System Pressure – Too Low Bank 1). (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)

09-81-21R

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

This bulletin announces design changes made to the fuel injector in response to the DTCs listed. (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)

16-159-26

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This bulletin provides new diagnostic steps for DTC P0851 and P0852 to be used in conjunction with the applicable Service Manual.

02-193-24R

ENGINE

This bulletin provides updated parts information and a service procedure to follow for removing accumulated carbon deposits from fuel injectors and internal engine components (e.g. intake valves and / or manifold, and combustion chambers). (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)

09-74-21R

ENGINE; FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

This bulletin provides updated parts information and a service procedure to follow for removing accumulated carbon deposits from fuel injectors and internal engine components (e.g. intake valves and / or manifold, and combustion chambers). (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)

16-159-26

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This bulletin provides new diagnostic steps for DTC P0851 and P0852 to be used in conjunction with the applicable Service Manual.

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

Subaru Crosstrek by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026800—
2025430044.0
20241082055.2
2023Viewing320046.9
2022290042.1
20211121048.7
2020680043.4
20192837051.9
20181945052.1
2017941042.5
20161311040.4
2015171031.0
2014161044.0
2013251041.7
2012200—

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.