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2021 Subaru Crosstrek

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Crosstrek years

Owner complaints for the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek are substantially higher than the model-year median of 43.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 17 of 115 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

8 crash reports2 fire reports4 injury reports

What owners actually said

115 reports
Mileage unknown · Sep 12, 2022
Engine

Had intermittent total loss of power for about 1/2 of a mile.

NHTSA ODI #11483961

1,300 miles · Aug 25, 2022
Electrical System

The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that the battery was drained quickly, causing the battery to need frequent recharging. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and in…

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The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that the battery was drained quickly, causing the battery to need frequent recharging. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the replacement was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was 1,300.

NHTSA ODI #11481159

Mileage unknown · Jul 26, 2022
Unknown Or Other

The bluetooth system is not functioning properly. When a call is in progress, the bluetooth will indicate that no phone is connected and prompt the driver to connect the phone. In the meantime, the call is still active and the person on the other end hears the radio playing but the driver cannot hear the other person. The call w…

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The bluetooth system is not functioning properly. When a call is in progress, the bluetooth will indicate that no phone is connected and prompt the driver to connect the phone. In the meantime, the call is still active and the person on the other end hears the radio playing but the driver cannot hear the other person. The call will then reconnect for a few seconds before repeating this process. It will continue until the call is ended. While this might be considered an inconvenience, I believe it is a genuine safety issue as this problem takes the drivers eyes off the road and has them answering prompts on a visual screen and is a general distraction. Subaru is aware of the problem and has refused to take action to correct it. The incident is ongoing. As a result the hands-free phone option is unavailable.

NHTSA ODI #11475908

Mileage unknown · Jul 24, 2022
Visibility/wiper

Windshield seems pretty fragile after being hit by a little gravel pebble due to construction work at the highway the crack extended in less than 24 hours to 12 inches. This is very concerning since it’s pretty weird to a chip to develop as bad as this one.

NHTSA ODI #11475566

60,000 miles · Jun 7, 2022
Visibility

The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving approximately 70 MPH, the sunroof exploded without impact. The contact stated that the majority of the shattered glass blew up and out of the vehicle. The dealer was contacted and informed of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired…

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The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving approximately 70 MPH, the sunroof exploded without impact. The contact stated that the majority of the shattered glass blew up and out of the vehicle. The dealer was contacted and informed of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

NHTSA ODI #11467915

Mileage unknown · May 4, 2022
Visibility/wiper

Windshield cracked on driver side window for no reason - heard pop and looked at windshield and crack appeared. Contacted Eckbond who is subarus third party warranty for repairs, and they stated they can only reimburse me up to $500. Attempted to contact third party windshield repairs and they states it should be taken to subaru…

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Windshield cracked on driver side window for no reason - heard pop and looked at windshield and crack appeared. Contacted Eckbond who is subarus third party warranty for repairs, and they stated they can only reimburse me up to $500. Attempted to contact third party windshield repairs and they states it should be taken to subaru since there is no cause for crack. Contacted subaru and explained occurence and it will cost me $1800 for replacement even though, there was no reason for crack.

NHTSA ODI #11463368

Mileage unknown · May 3, 2022
Visibility/wiper

Windshield chips easily. I have owned this car from new (approximately 18 months). The windshield has picked up 7 chips in that time: more than the total of chips I've had in my 29 years of driving. Only one of the chips had a notable sound that accompanied it's creation, and that was from the impact of a large insect while driv…

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Windshield chips easily. I have owned this car from new (approximately 18 months). The windshield has picked up 7 chips in that time: more than the total of chips I've had in my 29 years of driving. Only one of the chips had a notable sound that accompanied it's creation, and that was from the impact of a large insect while driving on I-77. This windshield seems to be easily damaged, if not fragile, and gives me concern about the potential for injury if it was faced with any substantial impact. I'm also concerned about the high replacement costs for the windshield and required Eyesight re-calibration. If I had known the windshields where so susceptible to damage, I would not have picked a Subaru.

NHTSA ODI #11463245

Mileage unknown · May 3, 2022
Forward Collision Avoidance

Subaru Pre-collision braking activates when no danger present. It detects exhaust steam or smoke as an obstacle. Approximately February 25th of 2021: While acceleration from a stop light in winter, Eyesight falsely detected the exhaust of the car in front of me as a danger and slammed on the brakes to a full stop causing the ca…

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Subaru Pre-collision braking activates when no danger present. It detects exhaust steam or smoke as an obstacle. Approximately February 25th of 2021: While acceleration from a stop light in winter, Eyesight falsely detected the exhaust of the car in front of me as a danger and slammed on the brakes to a full stop causing the car behind me to bump into me. Thankfully this driver was paying attention and no damage was caused. This function overrode my foot being on the accelerator. Late Spring of 2021: While using cruise control on the highway, 70+mph, a diesel truck accelerated to merge. The eyesight again detected the exhaust as a hazard and slammed on the brakes causing the drivers behind me to take evasive actions and put them at risk for no reason. During both incidents, the collision warning lights fully activated. I spoke to the dealership about these incidents and was told to turn off the pre-collision system on cold days and watch out for diesel exhaust.

NHTSA ODI #11463233

Mileage unknown · Apr 26, 2022
I Suspect The Car Seat Is Counterfeit

Walmart sent me email that CYBEX Sirona M with SensorSafe 2.0 Infant Car Seat - Pepper Black UPC 72892545336 was recalled

NHTSA ODI #11462352

Mileage unknown · Apr 17, 2022
Forward Collision Avoidance

The automatic braking system engaged at highway speed while changing lanes with no other vehicle or object in front of the vehicle. I was accelerating to change lanes when the sensor started beeping and the car slammed on the brakes causing a sliding skid. I was able to maintain control and fortunately there was no one behind me…

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The automatic braking system engaged at highway speed while changing lanes with no other vehicle or object in front of the vehicle. I was accelerating to change lanes when the sensor started beeping and the car slammed on the brakes causing a sliding skid. I was able to maintain control and fortunately there was no one behind me. I believe the eyesight control malfunctioned. I do not believe this is a safe feature as it not only puts my safety at risk but also the safety of anyone on the road around me.

NHTSA ODI #11461066

Official recalls

1

23V755000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:park/neutral Start Interlock Switch

Nov 9, 2023

Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WRQ-23.

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.