2014 Subaru Xv Crosstrek

DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 60MPH, WARM DAY (75) A/C WAS ON, STARTING TO ACCELERATE UP A SLIGHT INCLINE, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND CAR STARTED SLOWING DOWN. THE GAS PEDAL/ACCELERATION WAS NOT WORKING. THE CAR WENT LIMP AND ACTED AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. WHILE TRYING TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY, THE ACCELERATION KICKED BACK IN AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED. THIS HAPPENED TWICE. THE SECOND TIME I WAS DRIVING ON CITY STREETS AT 40MPH, SAME CONDITIONS OUTSIDE, AND GOING UP A SLIGHT HILL IN SAN FRANCISCO, THE POWER DIES/GOES LIMP, A FEW SECONDS LATER, POWER ON ACCELERATION COMES BACK. THERE WAS NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON.

THE HORN HAS STOPPED WORKING ON THE VEHICLE. DOES NOT MATTER WHAT POSITION THE STEERING WHEEL IS IN OR IF I AM DRIVING OR STATIONARY. I AM AT 72,000 MILES. I HAD THE ISSUE CHECKED BY A MECHANIC - FUSES WERE CHANGED AND CHECKED, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. I DID AN INTERNET SEARCH WHICH REVEALED OTHER DRIVERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I SAW A RECALL IN AUSTRALIA WHICH: VIBRATION OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD COULD RESULT IN A METAL PLATE WITHIN THE STEERING COLUMN WEARING AWAY THE WIRING INSULATION. THE SHORT CIRCUIT COULD DISABLE CONTROL OF THE WIPERS, HEADLIGHTS, HORN, DRIVER'S AIRBAG AND FEATURES ACTUATED THROUGH THE MULTI-FUNCTION STEERING WHEEL, SUCH AS CRUISE CONTROL, AUDIO SYSTEM AND MOBILE PHONE CONNECTIVITY. THE ISSUE COULD ALSO SHORT OUT THE FUSE FOR THE ENGINE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM'S ECU SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE.

SUBARU XV CROSSTREK AXLE FAILURE I BOUGHT MY 2014 SUBARU XV CROSSTREK IN JAN 2014. AT 50K HEARD A CLICKING SOUND IN THE FRONTEND. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY DIAGNOSED A BROKEN DRIVER SIDE AXLE. IN JULY 2019 (AT APPROXIMATELY 80K ON THE ODOMETER) I HEARD A SIMILAR CLICKING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR WHEN TURNING. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH RECALL. THEY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND THIS TIME IT WAS MY RIGHT AXLE THAT HAD TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE ISSUE ON THE INTERNET AND HAVE LEARNED THAT MANY OTHER CROSSTREK OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR AXLE FAILURES AND REPLACEMENTS. SOUNDS LIKE THE AXLES ARE DEFECTIVE AND POSSIBLY A SAFETY ISSUE.

THE HORN ONLY WORKS WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED. IF YOU ARE DRIVING STRAIGHT, THE HORN DOES NOT WORK. A WORKING HORN IS NECESSARY TO PREVENT PEOPLE CRASHING INTO YOU. IF YOU TURN RIGHT ON A STRAIGHT ROAD TO SOUND THE HORN, IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE OFF THE ROAD OR INTO ANOTHER LANE TO SOUND A HORN. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. LOOKING ONLINE, IT LOOKS LIKE A COMMON PROBLEM.

BATTERY DOES NOT HOLD A CHARGE. MY BATTERY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR A SECOND TIME SINCE 2014. THE FIRST TIME IT WAS ONLY 2 OR SO YEARS OLD (DEALER REPLACED IT UNDER WARRANTY). I'VE HAD THIS SECOND BATTERY FOR ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME (2 OR SO YEARS). EACH BATTERY JUST SLOWLY LOSES THE ABILITY TO HOLD A CHARGE UNTIL IT DIES. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU DRIVE IT... YOU CAN HEAR THE BATTERY GET WEAKER OVER A PERIOD EACH TIME YOU START IT.

OVERLY SENSITIVE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR. AFTER WORKING OUT SIDE IN THE SUMMER, THE SWEAT FROM A PASSENGERS BODY WILL TURN OFF THE AIRBAG, EVEN IF IT WASN'T MUCH SWEAT. DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THERE WAS NO FIX. MOST SUMMER DAYS IN TEXAS I HAVE NO PASSENGER AIRBAGS DUE TO THE SWEAT FROM WALKING TO MY CAR. ALSO AIRBAG WILL TURN ON WITH AS LITTLE AS 2-5 LBS OF PRESSURE. THESE ERRORS HAPPEN IN ALL PHASES OF DRIVING.

REAR WHEEL BEARINGS NEED REPLACED AT 104,000 MILES AT 80,000+- MILES MY WIFE NOTICED LOW PITCHED ROARING AT HIGHWAY SPEED BUT DID NOT INFORM ME OR DEALER (HER VEHICLE AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN DEALER SERVICED) I DROVE THE VEHICLE AFTER 104,000 DEALER LOF SERVICE AND OBSERVED EXTREMELY LOUD ROAR AT ALL SPEEDS, WE RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD NEW WHEEL BEARINGS ARE REQUIRED, AT OUR EXPENSE. VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN OFF ROAD OR ROUGH HOUSED IT IS ABSURD AT THIS DAY & AGE THAT FACTORY WHEEL BEARINGS LAST LESS THAN 100K