CAN'T REMOVE IGNITION KEY. AFTER PARKING, I PLACE THE CAR IN PARK, AND TRY TO REMOVE THE KEY. IT GETS STUCK AND WON'T COME OUT. THERE IS A TECHNICAL BULLETING ABOUT "SHIFT SELECTER MECHANISM" BUT CAR OWNERS HAVE TO PAY GET THIS FIXED. IT SHOULD BE A RECALL.
2017 Subaru Crosstrek
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2017 Subaru Crosstrek do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 43.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model 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
60 reports with mileage · 34 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.
- Visibility/wiper. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. 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.
Unknown Or Other complaints
33 reportsREOCCURRING PROBLEM OF SELECT LEVER (SHIFTER) MECHANISM NOT BEING ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN PARK. CURRENTLY UNABLE TO CONFIDENTLY USE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE KEY IS REPEATEDLY STUCK AND IT REQUIRES SEVERAL BACK AND FORTH, IGNITION ON AND OFF, ACTIONS BEFORE CAR TURNS OFF AND KEY CAN BE R…
Read full complaint
REOCCURRING PROBLEM OF SELECT LEVER (SHIFTER) MECHANISM NOT BEING ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN PARK. CURRENTLY UNABLE TO CONFIDENTLY USE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE KEY IS REPEATEDLY STUCK AND IT REQUIRES SEVERAL BACK AND FORTH, IGNITION ON AND OFF, ACTIONS BEFORE CAR TURNS OFF AND KEY CAN BE REMOVED.
THE IGNITION SWITCH AT TIMES DOES NOT FULLY RETURN TO THE REMOVE POSITION AND THE IGNITION KEY CANNOT BE REMOVED. INVESTIGATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA INDICATES A PROBLEM WITH MANY SUBARU MODELS WHERE THIS "CAPTURE" OF THE IGNITION KEY OCCURS. A DRIVER FORCED TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE WITH THE KEY INSIDE REPRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD AS A CHIL…
Read full complaint
THE IGNITION SWITCH AT TIMES DOES NOT FULLY RETURN TO THE REMOVE POSITION AND THE IGNITION KEY CANNOT BE REMOVED. INVESTIGATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA INDICATES A PROBLEM WITH MANY SUBARU MODELS WHERE THIS "CAPTURE" OF THE IGNITION KEY OCCURS. A DRIVER FORCED TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE WITH THE KEY INSIDE REPRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD AS A CHILD COULD USE THE CAPTURED KEY TO START THE VEHICLE AND SHIFT INTO A GEAR TO MOVE THE VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE "P"ARK RANGE SWITCH.
RE: BATTERY NOT FULLY CHARGING IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT OUR BATTERY IS NOT FULLY CHARGING AGAIN (CERTIFIED AUTO MECHANIC). WE HAVE A 3+ YEAR OLD, NEWISH SUBARU CROSSTREK WITH CONSISTENT BATTERY DRAINING PROBLEMS. THE FIRST BATTERY DRAINED ON US IN DEC 2019, THUS THE 2ND BATTERY WAS INSTALLED BY SUBARU ON 12/12/201…
Read full complaint
RE: BATTERY NOT FULLY CHARGING IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT OUR BATTERY IS NOT FULLY CHARGING AGAIN (CERTIFIED AUTO MECHANIC). WE HAVE A 3+ YEAR OLD, NEWISH SUBARU CROSSTREK WITH CONSISTENT BATTERY DRAINING PROBLEMS. THE FIRST BATTERY DRAINED ON US IN DEC 2019, THUS THE 2ND BATTERY WAS INSTALLED BY SUBARU ON 12/12/2019. I BELIEVED THIS IS AN ALTERNATOR PROBLEM THAT IS CREATING PROBLEMS ON MY BATTERY AND TUCSON SUBARU STATED THAT I HAVE TO PAY (POSSIBLY) FOR ALTERNATOR IF THIS IS THE ISSUE. WELL, THEY SHOULD HAVE CHECKED THE ALTERNATOR BEFORE AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS BATTERY DRAINING IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR SUBARU CROSSTREK. I HAVE OWNED NEW MAZDA AND TOYOTAS BEFORE, I NEVER HAD THIS KIND OF PROBLEM, PARTICULARLY ON NEW CAR AND BATTERY. HAVING THIS REPEATED PROBLEM IS NOT JUST A BATTERY ISSUE, IT IS AN ENGINE OR ALTERNATOR ISSUE AND SUBARU CROSSTREK THUS FAR HAS FAILED ON ME. I JUST NEED SUBARU TO FIX THIS CHRONIC PROBLEM AND DOING MY RESEARCH, OTHER SUBARU CROSSTREK OWNERS HAVE OR HAD THE SAME ISSUE WITH BATTERIES DRAINING TOO FAST INCLUDING ALTERNATOR PROBLEM. AND SUBARU SHOULD FIX THIS PROBLEM FOR FREE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS. I LOVE JAPANESE CARS AND I BELIEVE IN SUBARU AND I'M HOPING THAT THEY STILL HAVE THAT INTEGRITY, BUT THEY HAVE TO ACT ON THIS ACTION AND SHOW THEIR LOYALTY TO THEIR CUSTOMERS AND CORRECT THIS PROBLEM WITHOUT CHARGING US CREATED BY THEIR OWN TECHNICAL OR MECHANICAL PROBLEMS IN THE FIRST PLACE. THANK YOU.
THE KEY GOT STUCK IN THE STEERING COLUMN. I COULD NOT REMOVE IT UNTIL I VIEWED A YOUTUBE VIDEO THAT EXPLAINED HOW TO START THE CAR AND MOVE THE SHIFTER FORWARD AND THEN REVERSE AGAIN. OTHERS HAVE HAD VERY SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR SUBARU VEHICLES. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AT THE TIME.
VALIDATING COMPLAINT OF WHAT IS LISTED ON NHTSA. 1) KEY STUCK IN IGNITION - WHEN ATTEMPTING TO RELEASE KEY FROM IGNITION AFTER SETTING GEAR IN PARK AND TURNING OFF ENGINE, CAR KEY WILL GET STUCK 2) LOW GAS FUEL CHIME - CHIME IS NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. CHIME IS SHARP / STACCATO ALERT AND IS BARELY AUDIBLE. *TR
I WAS DRIVING TO WORK GOING DOWN I-35 AND MY SUNROOF EXPLODED WITHOUT BEING TOUCHED. IT SHATTERED INTO PIECES AND THERE WAS GLASS ALL OVER MY CAR. *TR
WINDSHIELD CRACK. CRACK OCCURRED WHEN NOT IN MOTION. CAR WAS NOT NEAR ANYWHERE WITH ROCKS. ONLY DROVE CAR 30 MILES FROM THE TIME I BOUGHT IT FROM THE DEALER. *TR
WHEN PUTTING MY 2017 SUBARU CROSSTREK INTO PARK THE KEY REMAINS STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THE ONLY WAY TO REMOVE THE KEY IS TO SHIFT INTO AND OUT OF PARK. SOMETIMES THIS TAKES MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS. THIS APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE. *TR
KEY GETS STUCK IN IGNITION AND THE CAR NEEDS TO BE RESTARTED IN ORDER TO REMOVE KEY. THIS OCCURS WHEN STATIONARY AND TRYING TO REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION. HAD THIS ISSUE FOR A ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE I TOOK IT IN AS SUBARU HAD A RECALL FOR WUE90 STOP LIGHT SWITCH REPLACEMENT AND I THOUGHT IT MAY BE RELATED AS DID MY SERVICE PROVIDER …
Read full complaint
KEY GETS STUCK IN IGNITION AND THE CAR NEEDS TO BE RESTARTED IN ORDER TO REMOVE KEY. THIS OCCURS WHEN STATIONARY AND TRYING TO REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION. HAD THIS ISSUE FOR A ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE I TOOK IT IN AS SUBARU HAD A RECALL FOR WUE90 STOP LIGHT SWITCH REPLACEMENT AND I THOUGHT IT MAY BE RELATED AS DID MY SERVICE PROVIDER AT NORTH PARK SUBARU OR MAYBE HAD TO DO WITH STEERING. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT SOLVED, THE REPAIR WAS OUT OF MY POCKET. THE SERVICE PROVIDER REPORTED 'ERRATIC OPERATION OF PARK SWITCH ON SHIFTER' AND THE SHIFTER WAS REPLACED AND PROBLEM IS RESOLVED. THIS APPEARS A MANUFACTURING FLAW THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED AS MANY OTHERS REPORT THE SAME ISSUE. THE SERVICE PROVIDER ALSO REPORTED THE SAME ISSUE AND STATED MANY PEOPLE HAD COME IN RECENTLY TO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE SERVICED. IT MAYBE UNETHICAL THAT THE SERVICE PROVIDER HAS NOT OR DID NOT APPEAR TO BE REPORTING THE MATTER. CAR IS LESS THAN THREE YEARS OLD (WHEN OCCURED) AND HAS 50K MILES ON IT.
Official recalls
119V149000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
Illustration