RoadVitals

2026 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.
8
+2 complaints in 30 days
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.
1
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 8 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek, most frequently naming the driver assistance, electrical and brakes categories. 41 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

  • Driver assistance440.0%
  • Electrical110.0%
  • Brakes110.0%
  • Exterior lighting110.0%
  • Seat belts110.0%
  • Steering110.0%
  • Engine110.0%

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

Driver assistanceEngineExterior lighting
Filed Aug 5, 2026

On XXX while driving my brand-new 2026 Subaru Crosstrek with approximately 63 miles on the odometer, the vehicle suddenly lost acceleration. The AT Oil Temp warning flashed, followed by the Check Engine Light and multiple EyeSight and driver assistance warning lights. I immediately pulled off the road because I did not feel it was safe to continue driving. My [XXX] grandson was in the vehicle at the time. The vehicle was towed to the selling Subaru dealership. The dealer diagnosed transmission trouble codes P0700 and P0752 and determined that an internal valve body solenoid had failed. Because the solenoid is not serviceable separately, the entire valve body assembly was replaced under the manufacturer’s warranty. My concern is that a brand-new vehicle experienced a sudden loss of acceleration at only 63 miles, creating a potential safety hazard for my family and other motorists. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11755083
Incident
Aug 1, 2026
Electrical
Filed Jul 19, 2026

The 2026 Subaru crosstrek was sitting in the garage since 07/17/2026. I went out on 07/19/2026 to go to church. I tried to start it and it clicked rapidly like the battery didn't have enough juice to actually start it.

NHTSA ID
11751365
Incident
Jul 19, 2026
Filed Jul 13, 2026

The sunroof shattered for no apparent reason. The car was parked in my garage. Something caused it to explode outwardly from within Tempered glass fell going all over the front seats. Some of the glass stood in place, but would come crashing down if I was to drive it from the wind force.

NHTSA ID
11750085
Incident
Jul 11, 2026
Filed Jul 12, 2026

My vehicle requires multiple restarts after the engine is turned off to go forward or reverse. This has been happening since April 2026. I purchased the vehicle on 02/28/2026. My dealer claims they have not found any issues. However, the problem persists.

NHTSA ID
11749869
Incident
Jul 12, 2026
BrakesDriver assistanceSteering
Filed Jul 12, 2026
Crash reported1 injury reported

The AED, Braking, Cameras and lane centering systems failed and caused a crash into the highway barrier suddenly due to defects in the driver assist systems defect in the electronic safety systems causing the steering wheel to turn forcefully to the barrier striking it. This happened without any warning despite driver input to stop the sudden steering inputs and braking.

NHTSA ID
11749816
Incident
Jul 11, 2026
Driver assistance
Filed May 13, 2026

On May 13, 2026 at approximately 2:50 PM, I experienced an unexpected activation of the EyeSight pre-collision braking system in my 2026 Subaru Crosstrek while pulling into the Chick-fil-A entrance area in [XXX] . The vehicle suddenly applied hard braking even though there was no imminent collision in front of me. The sudden braking created a hazardous situation and nearly caused me to swerve toward a pedestrian standing on the median area nearby. I was also fortunate there was no vehicle directly behind me, as the abrupt stop could have resulted in a rear-end collision. At the time of the incident, there were no warning lights or prior indications of a malfunction. The vehicle currently has approximately 900 miles on it. I have since contacted the Subaru dealership and scheduled a warranty inspection of the EyeSight/pre-collision braking system for further evaluation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11737632
Incident
May 13, 2026
Seat belts
Filed Feb 26, 2026

Not an 'incident' but seat belt does not adjust low enough for an average short woman (5'1") without draping across lower neck. I have adjusted the slide on side panel to lowest point but seat belt still cuts across neck (not collar bone area). This is standard for all similar cars and I feel a seatbelt across one's neck is a safety concern that needs to be addressed. Adjustments of seat and/or steering wheel make little to no difference on seatbelt across lower neck area. Raising seat makes it difficult to get into vehicle, as it also moves the seat forward when it is raised (and seat position is manual adjustment, not electric anyway - and doesn't make seatbelt much lower - still neck area)....

NHTSA ID
11720730
Incident
Feb 26, 2026
Driver assistance
Filed Dec 18, 2025

Right side blind spot detection does not work 98% of the time. Worse than the 2025 Crosstrek which only works 96% of the time.

NHTSA ID
11705808
Incident
Dec 18, 2025

Manufacturer communications

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

SubaruNet Announcement (v

This announcement provides information on WRH-26 affected CPO and Used Vehicle Inventory.

SubaruNet Announcement (V

This announcement provides WRH-26 recall information for owner contact and a vehicle disclosure form.

SubaruNet Announcement (C

This announcement provides WRH-26 recall information for customers.

04-31-26

This bulletin announces the diagnostic procedure to be performed before the service manual.

SubaruNet Announcement (W

This announcement provides an update for retailer inventory affected by the WRH-26 non-compliance recall.

SubaruNet Announcement (W

This announcement provides information on a temporary process for addressing affected SSLP vehicles under the WRH-26 recall.

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
2026Viewing800—
2025430044.0
20241082055.2
2023320046.9
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.