2024 Subaru Crosstrek Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Visibility2220.0%
- Driver assistance1715.5%
- Exterior lighting1311.8%
- Brakes109.1%
- Steering109.1%
- Electrical87.3%
- Tires & wheels76.4%
- Engine65.5%
- Airbags43.6%
- Powertrain (other)32.7%
- Fuel system32.7%
- Other / unspecified32.7%
- Suspension21.8%
- Seat belts10.9%
- Body & structure10.9%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
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).
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 discovered that something called Reverse Automatic Braking (RAB) has frequently occurred with the Crossteks. I am fortunate that this happened to me in my own driveway and not going down any other street where I could have hit a person or vehicle or gone into a lake because the brakes stop working when RAB occurs!
Adaptive cruise control did not disengage when brake pedal was pressed. The cars ahead of me on the highway were coming to a stop, so I tried to veer to the right since the brakes didn't work. The lane assist kept fighting me and wouldn't let me veer off to the right. Almost hit the car in front of me. Now the car is undrivable and needs to be towed
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
Oem Headlight shadowing on brand new car moves all over the place. It mimics child or wildlife. The reduced area is unsafe.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow down during a turn, the brakes failed to function properly and caused a delay while braking. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but the technicians were unable to duplicate the failure or determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that on another occasion while slowing down, the brakes failed to stop the vehicle, causing the contact to crash into the rear of another car. The vehicle was taken to a collision center to be repaired. The failure mileage was 21,353.
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 discovered that something called Reverse Automatic Braking (RAB) has frequently occurred with the Crossteks. I am fortunate that this happened to me in my own driveway and not going down any other street where I could have hit a person or vehicle or gone into a lake because the brakes stop working when RAB occurs!
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
After driving the vehicle for 30 minutes to an hour in temperatures approximately above 45°F the steering wheel will get "stuck" on center and go loose then tighten again when trying to make minor corrections in steering. Easiest to duplicate on roads with speed limits at or above 55 mph. If temperatures are below 40°F when the vehicle is started, the issue cannot be duplicated unless the temperature reaches approximately 50°F while driving. If starting a drive in temperatures that cause the issue, then driving into temperatures below 32°F, the issue will go away while driving. This issue has caused me to have to overcorrect on a 55 mph mountain road with spots of melting snow and was noticeable enough for my passenger to be quite concerned. After driving with this issue for 1-2 hours, the added fatigue of constantly fighting the steering wheel can and will lead to a crash. This has been looked at by a Subaru dealership when temperatures were warmer, but they were not able to duplicate the concern. There are no warnings, lights, or alerts while this issue is happening. I have been waiting for this to get worse to bring it in to Subaru, but I fear without assistance from the NHTSA I will be turned away by the dealership again. Added information: ALL Lane Departure and Driver Assistance features were and are currently turned off. The issue still happens in cruise control with or without the lane centering turned on.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
While driving on the [XXX] my car lost power while in drive. I coasted onto the should. I could not get the car out of gear or put the car in park. I chocked the rear tire. I opened the hood. The positive cable had popped off the battery post. I got a piece of paper and created a temporary shim. The car drove home to where i found out on line i needed a battery shim. I purchased the shim at autozone for $6.00 and addressed the problem. I'm glad I did not end up like [XXX] on the LIE. FYI, I replaced my factory battery with a new AGM battery yesterday. When I tightened the negative terminal tight the clamp was still loose. It is weird designed clamp that when tightened slides on a tapered "V" to clamp. I thought maybe it was the new battery post but it measured the same diameter and height. I put the OEM battery back in and it was also loose when pushed all the way down, so it must have been that way from the start. Went to Autozone and bought a post shim. It was to big for the clamp to work so I cut it in half and that picked up the slack enough so the clamp tightened properly. Somebody in design missed the calculation! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Advertisement for XM radio service popped up on console screen of the car, and would not go away unless manually dismissed (touch) - while driving, covering the entire screen. This is entirely unnecessary and distracting, all to serve an advertisement for a service I don't want or use.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
Falken 225/55R18 tires had to be replaced for $243.80 per tire due to poor tread design that has caused hydroplaining. 09.03.2026
The contact owns a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek equipped with Yokohama Tires, Tire Line: Geolandar Go, Tire Size: 225/60/R17, DOT Number: [XXX]. The contact stated that while adding fluid to a reservoir under the hood, the contact discovered that the four tires were dry-rotted on the inside of the tread. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where the tires were purchased, and it was diagnosed that the tires needed to be replaced. The tires were not replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Shults Subaru (311 Fluvanna Ave, Jamestown, NY 14701); and the dealer informed the contact that the tires needed to be replaced. The tires were not replaced. The vehicle failure mileage was approximately 10,100, and the tire failure mileage was approximately 9,000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
AT 45,261 MILES, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE WOULD BARELY START AND RUN. IT WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND WAS AGAIN DIAGNOSED WITH CARBON BUILD-UP ON THE INTAKE VALVES. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE IN JUST OVER A YEAR. IT WAS REPAIRED, AND AGAIN, OTHER THAN THE REPAIR, NOTHING WAS DONE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING A THIRD TIME!
AT 26,453 MILES, THE CHECK ENGINS LIGHTS ALL CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T RUN. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE INTAKE VALVES HAD EXCESSIVE CARBON BUILD-UP ON THEM. THE ISSUE WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. I CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA TO ADVISE THEM OF THIS SITUATION, STATING THAT THE ISSUE WILL HAPPEN AGAIN BECAUSE NOTHING WAS DONE TO PREVENT THIS FROM RECURRING. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHILE MY WIFE WAS ON THE FREEWAY, OR WITH HER GRANDCHILDREN, ANY NUMBER OF DISASTERS COULD HAVE HAPPENED. THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN, NO QUESTION. THIS VEHICLE IS NOW UNSAFE FOR MY WIFE TO DRIVE. (THIS DID HAPPEN AGAIN. I WILL SUBMIT ANOTHER REPORT)
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the contact's vehicle crashed into another vehicle while having the right of way. The contact stated that the other vehicle was making a left turn when the crash occurred. The contact's vehicle T-Boned the other vehicle. The contact stated that the air bags did not deploy, and the front driver's side seat belt did not tighten as intended. In addition, the contact stated that none of the vehicle safety features were activated such as calling 911. The vehicle sustained damage to the front driver's side and the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. A Police report was filed. The contact was transported to the local medical center. The contact sustained bruising and pain to the chest and stomach area from the seat belt, and neck pain. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 26,656.
Passenger Airbag does not turn on when someone who weighs 100 pounds or less occupies the front passenger seat. This issue also occurs on my 2024 Subaru Legacy Vin # [XXX] . IT also occurred on the loaner car the dealer gave me which was a 2025 Subaru Crosstrek. I asked two Subaru dealers, Pinebelt in Lakewood, NJ and Lester Glenn in Toms River, NJ to fix the problem; but they stated that they could not adjust the passenger airbag sensor. I told Subaru of America about the problem and they have not responded or tried to address the issue. This is a serious issue that should be addressed by the NHTSA. Additional INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
The vehicle is a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek with ongoing and unresolved safety-related defects. The vehicle has been taken in for multiple repair attempts, including a total of five diagnostic inspections, but the issue remains unresolved. The vehicle experiences sudden hesitation, loss of acceleration, and failure to respond properly while driving. Warning lights appear on the dashboard, and in some instances the vehicle fails to restart properly after coming to a stop. These issues create a serious safety risk, especially when driving in traffic or attempting to merge, as the vehicle does not respond as expected. The condition is unpredictable and has occurred multiple times. Despite repeated repair attempts, the manufacturer has been unable to diagnose or repair the defect. The problem continues to occur and significantly affects the safety and reliability of the vehicle. This issue poses a serious safety hazard to the driver, passengers, and others on the road.
I purchased the vehicle used on 8/7/24 with 4,507 miles on it. On 8/13/24 while stopped at a red light in the fast lane, the car failed to accelerate and all the warning lights on the dashboard illuminated including the AT oil temp light which according the to owner's manual indicates the transmission. It stands for automatic transmission oil temperature. After turning on my hazard lights, I put the car in park and turned off the car and restarted it and I was able to pull into a parking lot. I had it towed to Subaru who said it was code p1868 and was the transmission. They drained and refilled the transmission and said the fluid was dirty and contained metal debris. When I asked them why a car with such low mileage would have dirty fluid containing metal debris, I was told it could have had low fluid from the factory or the factory could have used "crappy" fluid. I was also told the reason so many warning lights come on is because those systems become disabled when there is a problem. I got the car back on 8/17/24 and then on 9/7/24 while driving, all the lights came on again including the AT oil temp light which was noted to be yellow and flashing. Subaru of America towed it to Subaru again. They said it was the same code and this time they're replacing the valve body. Today is 10/1/24 and Subaru still has my car. They said if it happens again, then they will finally replace the transmission. When it was towed to Subaru on 9/7/24, it had less than 6,000 miles on it. I will upload the invoice from the first incident but I don't have the invoice from the second incident since my car is still at Subaru being repaired.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
AT 45,261 MILES, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE WOULD BARELY START AND RUN. IT WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND WAS AGAIN DIAGNOSED WITH CARBON BUILD-UP ON THE INTAKE VALVES. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE IN JUST OVER A YEAR. IT WAS REPAIRED, AND AGAIN, OTHER THAN THE REPAIR, NOTHING WAS DONE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING A THIRD TIME!
AT 26,453 MILES, THE CHECK ENGINS LIGHTS ALL CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T RUN. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE INTAKE VALVES HAD EXCESSIVE CARBON BUILD-UP ON THEM. THE ISSUE WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. I CONTACTED SUBARU OF AMERICA TO ADVISE THEM OF THIS SITUATION, STATING THAT THE ISSUE WILL HAPPEN AGAIN BECAUSE NOTHING WAS DONE TO PREVENT THIS FROM RECURRING. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHILE MY WIFE WAS ON THE FREEWAY, OR WITH HER GRANDCHILDREN, ANY NUMBER OF DISASTERS COULD HAVE HAPPENED. THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN, NO QUESTION. THIS VEHICLE IS NOW UNSAFE FOR MY WIFE TO DRIVE. (THIS DID HAPPEN AGAIN. I WILL SUBMIT ANOTHER REPORT)
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
Test only, please ignore.
The affected component of this vehicle is the braking system. When rocks or gravel get stuck to, in, on, or around the brake pads/brakes the braking system is compromised. Yes, The vehicle is available for inspection. When gravel gets stuck in, on, and around the brake pads, the safe operation of the braking system malfunctions. If the vehicle braking system does not work as designed/intended, lives are at risk. When you need to brake, the braking system needs to be reliable. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, upon taking the vehicle back to the dealer, the service manager confirmed this is a known defect by both sales and service teams. The service manager said this happens often and we should expect it to happen again. The service manager told me this vehicle is not to be driven on gravel. This was not disclosed at the time of purchase. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The dealer service department inspected the vehicle when it was towed back to them for service related to this problem. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No, there was no warning. The brakes failed to operate properly, they did not completely fail.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
There are 2 issues that I have noticed since I bought my car from a subaru dealership 10 DAYS ago. the first is that upon driving at highway speeds (over 50 mph) It feels like the car is jerky and pulls in a shaky rocking manner. this happened continuously, when I was using the cruise control and when I was not using the cruise control. It basically felt like I was driving in 40mph winds that were moving my car independently of what I was doing. The second is also something that happens at highway speeds, my driver side mirror shakes and vibrates so much so that I can't make out the surrounding space, cars and road at all. I scheduled a service appointment at the same dealership immediately. I told them these issues and upon inspection they reported that they do not see or report any such issues that I am concerned about. Stating that these are quote "characteristics" of the car. These are both potentially very dangerous problems that Subaru has stated is not an issue as far as they are concerned. There is a lawsuit about the driver side mirror that was filed in september of 2024. I just bought this car used with 10,500 miles on it and NOBODY mentioned anything in person or on the pre certified inspection checklist, CARFAX report or anything of that nature about these issues which Subaru must actually know about. If I was told about theses issues I would have not bought the car. And they are continuing to deny anything is wrong, saying its just a characteristic of the car. There are no warning lights or messages alerting of this issue within the car.
The low tire pressure light came on and noted the left front tire had 27 pounds of pressure. Inspection revealed tire cord damage only on the inside edge of both front tires. This is clearly a suspension defect as the car only has 29000 miles. The rear tires have been checked to have 6.5/32 and the front are less than that. Tire wear appears to be even across the face of the tire but the inner edge is extremely dangerous and likely would blow if we did not notice this. We called Subaru of America and they said it’s a tire problem and to consult the manufacturer. This is not a tire problem as the rear are not showing the cords. We discussed this with the dealer but they can’t do anything for the premature wear. We are told we must replace all 4 tires as two new ones would be larger than the rear with 60 pct wear. Tire info is Falken ZIEXZE001AA/S. Dot 1R800 FM2R1623yread wear 360, traction a, temp a. Size 225 25r18max load 850kg, tread wear 380
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the contact's vehicle crashed into another vehicle while having the right of way. The contact stated that the other vehicle was making a left turn when the crash occurred. The contact's vehicle T-Boned the other vehicle. The contact stated that the air bags did not deploy, and the front driver's side seat belt did not tighten as intended. In addition, the contact stated that none of the vehicle safety features were activated such as calling 911. The vehicle sustained damage to the front driver's side and the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. A Police report was filed. The contact was transported to the local medical center. The contact sustained bruising and pain to the chest and stomach area from the seat belt, and neck pain. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 26,656.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
My 2024 Subaru Crosstrek was parked in front of my house for 3 weeks in extreme heat. We drove it today to get it driven & we kept hearing wind. I slid open the sunroof inside piece & the sunroof glass was shattered due the vehicle doors being closed for 3 weeks in Las Vegas summer heat. On average the outside heat has been 105. I did not drive for 3 weeks due to having foot surgery. I called the local dealership where I bought the vehicle 6 months ago & they said they would not fix it under warranty. Im taking it to an insurance repair show on Tuesday (8/5/25).
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .