2020 Subaru Crosstrek

I own a 2020 Subaru Crosstrek. While driving on the freeway in heavy traffic, I had to make a hard stop due to traffic ahead. When the vehicle came to a complete stop, the engine automatically shut off as part of the vehicle’s auto start-stop system. When I released the brake to proceed with traffic, the vehicle attempted to restart, but displayed a “Disabled” message and the auto start-stop system became disabled. I had to turn the vehicle completely off and restart it manually while stopped in active freeway traffic. This created a significant safety concern because the malfunction occurred on the freeway while surrounded by moving traffic. If the engine had failed to restart, the vehicle could have remained stopped in an active traffic lane, potentially increasing the risk of being struck by another vehicle or creating a traffic hazard. There were no warning lamps or other symptoms before the incident. The first indication of a problem was the “Disabled” message immediately after the vehicle attempted to restart following the automatic engine shutoff. I subsequently took the vehicle to a Subaru dealer for inspection. The dealer found a starter cancel code 06, described as “starting failure is detected when the system restarts the engine.” The dealer determined that the starter motor was bad and recommended replacement of the starter motor and fuel pump relay. The dealer has therefore confirmed a problem with the starting system associated with the auto start-stop restart function. The vehicle and affected components are available for inspection upon request. The recommended repair cost from the dealer was $1,266.45. The recommended repair has not yet been completed.

DEFECT DESCRIPTION My 2020 Subaru Crosstrek has been diagnosed with diagnostic trouble code P2757 (Torque Converter Clutch Pressure Control Solenoid Control Circuit Performance), which my authorized Subaru 802 Subaru retailer in Vermont has confirmed is caused by a defective CVT Control Valve Body. Subaru of America has acknowledged this exact defect in Technical Service Bulletin 16-156-25R (revised 10/28/25), which explicitly covers the 2013–2021MY Crosstrek 2.0L (FB20 engine, TR580 CVT) and prescribes replacement of the CVT Control Valve Body with an updated design incorporating an improved valve sleeve. This bulletin confirms that Subaru is aware of the design flaw in the original valve body and has developed a permanent engineering fix. WARRANTY EXTENSION DISPARITY Subaru of America issued a CVT Warranty Extension on June 30, 2025 (Retailer Bulletin 16-155-25R, revised 07/14/25) extending CVT coverage from the original 5 years/60,000 miles to 10 years/100,000 miles for certain 2019–2020MY vehicles. However, the 2020 Crosstrek equipped with the FB20 engine and TR580 CVT was specifically excluded from this extension, despite: 1. The 2019 Crosstrek (identical FB20/TR580 drivetrain) being included in the extension. 2. The 2020 Impreza (identical FB20/TR580 drivetrain) being included in the extension. 3. TSB 16-156-25R explicitly listing the 2020 Crosstrek as an affected vehicle with the same valve body defect. This exclusion appears arbitrary and inconsistent. Owners of the 2020 Crosstrek are being denied warranty coverage for a documented design defect that Subaru has acknowledged and corrected through a TSB, and for which owners of vehicles with the identical powertrain (same engine, same CVT) are receiving extended warranty protection. SAFETY CONCERN DTC P2757 indicates a failure in the torque converter clutch pressure control circuit. This defect can result in unexpected transmission behavior including hesitation, shuddering, loss of power delivery

While driving 2020 Crosstrek Hybrid, the dashboard lights suddenly flashed and then engine stalled, leaving me with no brakes and no steering. I rolled through straight through an intersection with four stop signs and I could not stop. Luckily no one was driving or walking at the time. I couldn't start car, even with a jump start. I bought a new Interstate battery with higher specs. Three days later the same thing happened, the car stalled while driving just about to park. The dashboard lights also flashed and I saw Hybrid System this time. Car was towed to the dealer and there was a huge amount of corrosion with the electrical system underneath the car. Previously, four times this winter the car batter was completely dead after being parked in a garage and twice in a parking lot. I was told by a mechanic who gave me a jump start that there's a parasitic drain somewhere.

My 2020 Subaru Crosstrek CVT Valve Body equipment failure and CVT Torque Converter failure. This appears to be a common failure for prior Subaru Crosstrek model - however was not extended for coverage to 2020 and beyond models - appears the issue still persists and additional year models should be covered. My vehicle experience the same failure for CVT Valve Body failure and CVT Torque Converter while driving at highway speeds. Problem occurs for previous Subaru Models example: MC-11021247-0001, Subaru Service Bulletin: 16-155-25R where Subaru extended coverage to 10yrs/100k miles or +1 year from date of notification - and my vehicle is currently at the Subaru Dealership for repairs for both CVT Valve Body and Torque Converter. Warning lights did not appear until issue occored.

My 2020 Subaru Crosstrek experienced a sudden loss of motive power and stalled due to a blown ignition fuse. Diagnostic code P1604 (Startability Malfunction) was stored. Inspection by Wayne Subaru (Invoice #25340) confirmed the Cylinder 3 ignition coil had shorted and physically melted. This is the exact failure mode described in Subaru Safety Recall WRE-21 (NHTSA Campaign 21V825000), which currently only covers 2018–2019 models. My vehicle experienced a thermal event and a stall despite being a 2020 model. The dealer replaced only the melted coil and did NOT update the ECM software. This leaves the vehicle at risk of a repeat stall in traffic, as the underlying software defect that causes coils to overheat remains unaddressed in the 2020 model year and the remaining coils may already be at risk.

Beginning one year after buying this used 2020 Subaru Crosstrek base trim the starter failed and battery fully died after failing to start from a stop. The engine was OFF due to the auto-stop system and failed upon lifting my foot from the brake on a slight incline, causing a constant warning beep and a starter system failure message on the dash display. Immediately after failing to start the brake pressure significantly dropped causing my car to roll into the front of the car behind it. The car was stranded in the road and required a jump start. Since this event the issue has occurred twice more on two brand new batteries on no incline, and I now fully disable the auto-stop feature before driving to avoid an accident. The car starts properly with no battery damage if started from the full ignition off position, even if auto-stop originally stopped the engine, pointing to a failure of the auto-stop system specifically. Importantly, I have also personally seen this exact failure occur to a separate 2020 Subaru Crosstrek, with the sport trim.

The rear differential on my PHEV Crosstrek failed around 31,500 miles. My spouse was driving under 30mph and turning, and heard a clunking/popping/metal-on-metal sound that persisted intermittently for the remainder of the drive home. Since then on 1/8/26, the sound has been aggravated and persistent, every 45 seconds or so while driving, mostly while turning, so we brought it in and were alerted to significant and large metal shavings in the rear differential oil. The current service bulletin (03-95-24) the dealership is relying on to inform the replacement describes sounds much subtler than the sounds my car is making and I remain concerned about other components in my vehicle that may be impacted by this failure. This kind of failure is a safety risk and did occur in traffic in my spouse’s case. The metal-on-metal sounds and drivetrain resistance are alarming. Thankfully my spouse was able to safely get home and alert me to the situation so we could take it in. I have not engaged in any of the vehicle uses that typically relate to rear differential failures; I don’t engage in heavy off-road use or tow heavy trailers with my vehicle, I have only had my tires replaced at Subaru, and the only gear/differential oil was from Subaru. I also did not have any deleterious or obvious gaps in differential/gear oil replacement that could reasonably cause this issue, as confirmed by a dealership mechanic. I have researched extensively about this unusual (and expensive) part failure and have alerted SOA to my concerns. My research is showing it appears to be a trend warranting further investigation.

At Miami Airport, with ample space behind the vehicle in front, a pickup truck with a very long sloping ramp trailer to carry several cars pulled into the stated space. The lefthand side rear of the trailer being well below my line of vision hit my bumper on the passenger side. My insurance provided GPS confirmed I was driving at 16 mph at the time. We both stopped. We looked at no damage to the trailer and seemingly minor damage to the car. We both drove off. I was about 500 yards from where I parked at the airport. After my return from the UK 5 days later I drove home and used the car for several days. At the time of the collision, my diagonal part of the seatbelt failed to restrain me. My chest hit the steering wheel and I have since experienced continuous pain. (No broken bones). The incident was a sort of sideswipe. Despite its roadworthiness, the car became a write-off as a support for the engine was found to be unexpectedly bent as well. Driving conditions were ideal. I was also looking for airport signage at the time. The incident was late April 2025. There is not much more I can add. There was no time to call the police nor was there any need,

The rear differential on my Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid has failed twice. The first failure occurred around 12,000 miles and the second around 50,000 miles, both while maneuvering slowly in a parking lot. There were no warning lights or messages beforehand. The failure caused grinding and drivetrain resistance while turning. During the second incident, a certified Subaru dealer confirmed the rear differential had failed again. They also discovered that Subaru had issued a revised version of the differential that is no longer compatible with the original axles, requiring additional parts to complete the repair. I was informed the original design has been discontinued, suggesting Subaru was aware of an issue. This kind of drivetrain failure is a significant safety risk, especially if it were to occur at higher speeds or in traffic. The issue has now occurred twice on my vehicle under normal driving conditions, and was verified both times by a 2 Subaru dealerships in Southern California. When I returned to pick up my vehicle, I was told by the service technician that another hybrid Crosstrek had just come in for the exact same failure. Additionally, a local independent Subaru performance shop mentioned they have performed three similar rear differential replacements this year. This clearly appears to be a recurring problem, potentially linked to a design flaw, and I believe it warrants further investigation.