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2016 Subaru Crosstrek

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Crosstrek years

Owner complaints for the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek are substantially higher than the model-year median of 43.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
Compare all Crosstrek years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

78 reports with mileage · 53 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

4 crash reports3 fire reports1 injury reports

Vehicle Speed Control complaints

6 reports
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58,700 miles · Mar 12, 2021
Vehicle Speed Control

ON FREEWAY, CAR SUDDENLY DID NOT WANT TO ACCELERATE WHEN PUSHING ON THE GAS. CAR THEN DECELERATED UNTIL I PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, ALMOST COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, AND THEN I PUSHED ON GAS AND IT ACCELERATED AGAIN.

NHTSA ODI #11402577

26,500 miles · Aug 7, 2019
Vehicle Speed Control

I WAS DRIVING TO A TOWN ABOUT 12 MILES AWAY VIA THE HIGHWAY. AFTER 10 MILES MY ACCELERATOR NO LONGER FUNCTIONED AND THE ABS LIGHT, THE VEHICLE DYNAMICS CONTROL LIGHT, AND THE HILL START ASSIST WARNING LIGHT COME ON. I TOOK THE CAR OUT OF GEAR SO I COULD COAST TO A SPOT TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY AND AFTER PUMPING THE ACCELERATOR …

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I WAS DRIVING TO A TOWN ABOUT 12 MILES AWAY VIA THE HIGHWAY. AFTER 10 MILES MY ACCELERATOR NO LONGER FUNCTIONED AND THE ABS LIGHT, THE VEHICLE DYNAMICS CONTROL LIGHT, AND THE HILL START ASSIST WARNING LIGHT COME ON. I TOOK THE CAR OUT OF GEAR SO I COULD COAST TO A SPOT TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY AND AFTER PUMPING THE ACCELERATOR A FEW TIMES, THE ENGINE STARTED TO RESPOND. I PUT IT BACK IN DRIVE AND CONTINUED ON. THIS HAPPENED FIVE TIMES BEFORE I FINALLY SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. AFTER 5 MINUTES WHEN I RESTARTED, THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE OFF AND DIDN'T COME BACK ON WHEN I DROVE BACK HOME 12 MILES. THE SAME THING HAPPENED THE NEXT DAY.

NHTSA ODI #11242316

31,500 miles · Jun 19, 2019
Vehicle Speed Control

CAR INTERMITTENTLY LOSES THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE OR MAINTAIN SPEED AT A RANGE OF SPEEDS FROM 30MPH TO 75MPH+ IN MY EXPERIENCE. NO RESPONSE WHEN PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL AND ENGINE DOESN'T RESPOND WHATSOEVER TO GAS PEDAL INPUT. IT'S AS IF I HAVE REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE GAS AND I'M ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO COAST. THIS LASTS FOR A F…

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CAR INTERMITTENTLY LOSES THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE OR MAINTAIN SPEED AT A RANGE OF SPEEDS FROM 30MPH TO 75MPH+ IN MY EXPERIENCE. NO RESPONSE WHEN PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL AND ENGINE DOESN'T RESPOND WHATSOEVER TO GAS PEDAL INPUT. IT'S AS IF I HAVE REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE GAS AND I'M ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO COAST. THIS LASTS FOR A FEW SECONDS UNTIL NORMAL FUNCTION RESUMES. THIS MOSTLY OCCURS AT ON THE HIGHWAY AND WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AT A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. THIS IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS AND UNPREDICTABLE, BUT SUBARU WILL DO NOTHING UNLESS THEY'RE ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE ISSUE THEMSELVES. IT'S BEEN IN THE DEALERSHIP ONCE ALREADY. THE ISSUE IS INTERMITTENT AND ONLY HAPPENS EVERY FEW DAYS, SO IT'S HARD TO MAKE IT HAPPEN WHEN YOU WANT IT TO. I HAVE A BAD VIDEO RECORDING OF HALFWAY THROUGH IT HAPPENING, BUT I'M ATTEMPTING TO GET A BETTER RECORDING.

NHTSA ODI #11221241

34,600 miles · Nov 4, 2018
Vehicle Speed Control

WHILE STOPPING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND FOOT REMOVED FROM THE GAS PEDAL, THE TRANSMISSION SURGED VIOLENTLY. HAD TO APPLY BRAKES AS CAR WAS TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD INTO A HIGHWAY. MANAGED TO SHIFT IN PARK AND SURGE EVENTUALLY STOPPED.FIRST TIME I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER,THEY SAID NOTHING WRONG. IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN WHILE TO PA…

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WHILE STOPPING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND FOOT REMOVED FROM THE GAS PEDAL, THE TRANSMISSION SURGED VIOLENTLY. HAD TO APPLY BRAKES AS CAR WAS TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD INTO A HIGHWAY. MANAGED TO SHIFT IN PARK AND SURGE EVENTUALLY STOPPED.FIRST TIME I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER,THEY SAID NOTHING WRONG. IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN WHILE TO PARK. THIS TIME I HAD TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. FLAWED DESIGN, FEEL VERY UNSAFE IN THIS CAR.

NHTSA ODI #11145193

30,000 miles · May 31, 2018
Vehicle Speed Control

APRIL 2018 WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE GAS PEDAL SUDDENLY STOPPED FUNCTIONING BUT THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING AT IDLE. RESTARTING THE CAR FIXED THE ISSUE BUT IT HAPPENED AGAIN 10MIN LATER. BOTH INSTANCES ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. AFTER THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND IT HAD TO BE TOWED TO A DEALERS…

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APRIL 2018 WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE GAS PEDAL SUDDENLY STOPPED FUNCTIONING BUT THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING AT IDLE. RESTARTING THE CAR FIXED THE ISSUE BUT IT HAPPENED AGAIN 10MIN LATER. BOTH INSTANCES ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. AFTER THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND IT HAD TO BE TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT AND RETURNED THE VEHICLE, NOW ONE MONTH LATER THE ACCELERATOR STOPPED FUNCTIONING WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER.

NHTSA ODI #11098973

Mileage unknown · May 13, 2016
Power TrainUnknown Or OtherVehicle Speed Control

THE DURATION OF TIME THAT IT TAKES TO GO FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE IS UNACCEPTABLE AND DANGEROUS. EVERY MORNING I DRIVE MY CHILD TO DAYCARE AND THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHERE I FEARED THAT WE WOULD GET REAR-ENDED (WHICH WOULD INJURE MY CHILD) DUE TO THE SLOW RESPONSE TIME GOING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE. EVERY MORNING I HAVE …

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THE DURATION OF TIME THAT IT TAKES TO GO FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE IS UNACCEPTABLE AND DANGEROUS. EVERY MORNING I DRIVE MY CHILD TO DAYCARE AND THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHERE I FEARED THAT WE WOULD GET REAR-ENDED (WHICH WOULD INJURE MY CHILD) DUE TO THE SLOW RESPONSE TIME GOING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE. EVERY MORNING I HAVE TO BE 100% SURE TO TIME MY REVERSAL WHEN BACKING OUT AND MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO CARS ANYWHERE NEAR ME SO I DON'T GET CRASHED INTO. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED BEFORE THERE ARE ANY DEATHS OR INJURIES FROM THIS. ALSO, THIS IS A MINOR INCONVENIENCE BUT THE MOONROOF/SUNROOF DOESN'T OPEN 100% ALL THE WAY WHEN I CLICK THE AUTO OPEN BUTTON/FEATURE...IT OPENS AND THEN STOPS ABOUT 1 INCH BEFORE BEING FULLY OPEN. IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU PRESS THE AUTO OPEN BUTTON TO OPEN THE MOONROOF, IT WILL STOP AT 90-95% OPEN THEN YOU HAVE TO MANUALLY PRESS IT AGAIN TO GET IT FULLY OPEN ANOTHER INCH TO 100%. WHEN I TOOK MY CROSSTREK TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM REPROGRAM MY TELEMATICS FOR THE TELEMATICS/COMPUTER REPROGRAMMING RECALL I HAD THEM TAKE A LOOK AT THE MOONROOF AND THEY SAID THAT IT IS "WORKING AS DESIGNED". WHY WOULD A MOONROOF NOT FULLY OPEN 100% BY DESIGN? IT CAN'T BE A SAFETY ISSUE, SO THIS JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE AND LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE DEALERSHIP WAS BEING COMPLACENT AND LAZY AND DIDN'T FEEL LIKE HAVING TO ADJUST IT OR SIMPLY DIDN'T KNOW HOW.

NHTSA ODI #10864730

Official recalls

1

19V149000 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch

Feb 28, 2019

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.