Brake complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owned a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH on the slow lane in the snow, he lost control. The brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond. The contact veered to the side of the road, off a slope, and then fell and crashed into a tree. There were no warning lights illuminated. There were no reported injuries or fire. The air bags deployed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an unknown location. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the event data recorder was retrieved. The manufacturer was unable to determine the failure. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.
The contact owns a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow down during a turn, the brakes failed to function properly and caused a delay while braking. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but the technicians were unable to duplicate the failure or determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that on another occasion while slowing down, the brakes failed to stop the vehicle, causing the contact to crash into the rear of another car. The vehicle was taken to a collision center to be repaired. The failure mileage was 21,353.
On the morning of 12/26/24 - I stepped inside my 2023 Subaru Crosstrek and turned on the engine. The vehicle was parked in a commuter parking lot near my home to begin with. When I turned on the vehicle - I noticed a loud roaring sound when the engine turned on which i thought was very strange. Additionally I did NOT have my foot on the gas pedal at all during this time. I proceeded to place the car in drive and all of sudden the car experienced a unintended acceleration straight forward with a sudden burst that i never experienced before. I proceeded to press the brake pedal and tried to turn the steering wheel - but both functions were non-responsive which was incredibly frightening. My car then went straight into a tree with great impact and the vehicle was damaged beyond repair. …
the rear brakes keep engaging while the car is driving. we purchased the car in November 2022. this happened in December 2024 & at the time a dealership in [redacted] area (where my son attended college), said it was an issue and replaced parts in the brake system. yesterday while we were driving back from [redacted] to Houston - the brakes started to make loud squeaking noise as if they were engaged and the brake light keep going on and off. fortunately, this happened very near to Houston and we drove slowly on by roads back home. it feels likes driving with hand brake engaged. fortunately nothing happened to us. but this is a systemic problem with subaru crosstek!
1. Subaru 2022 Crosstrek accelerated on its own when foot is on the brake and trying to move the shifter knob to park, instead the car thursted into the parked car in front with such force that ran into the garage. 2. Towed car to Subaru dealer informed to escalate to Subaru of America, opened a case #250402-1600810, please see attached email communication. 3. Subaru will not respond unless I signed a consent to extract EDR (event data recorders) for inspection but denied me to be onsite or a copy of the files, The data retained from EDR is the property of the owner, per section 563.5 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations. 4. 4 weeks later, Subaru issued the results of this vehicle indicate it has no brake, accelerator or throttle abnormalities. Also quoting the police report that I provided. 5. …
I was driving on the highway in stop-and-go traffic when suddenly I found myself depressing the brake pedal to the floor and the car would not stop. Additionally, the eyesight function that prevents forward collisions did not alert for obstruction or stop the vehicle. I was able to put the vehicle in park and then tried to reengage the vehicle, but the brakes failed to respond. I was in the middle lane of a major highway. My vehicle could have harmed someone else, in addition to myself, and I was also at risk by being stopped in the middle of traffic. I could have died, had I been traveling at actual highways speed. No lights or warnings were on in the vehicle before, during, or after the incident. As of now, the dealership has been unable to replicate the issue, thought they still have the vehicle. …
In the winter of 2021-22, while parallel parking, backing up, then pressing the brake, my Crosstrek spontaneously accelerated in reverse and rammed into the truck already parked behind me. The Crosstrek paused, then rammed again, as I pressed harder on the brake. I put the car into "park" and turned off the engine. I was baffled and had no explanation for what happened. Thank goodness a person wasn't between my Crosstrek and the truck. More recently, on October 4, 2022, I was at the post office mailbox drop-off. My Crosstrek was stopped with my foot on the brake. Some mail had fallen out of the overstuffed mailbox, I opened my door, set my foot outside, leaned over to pick up the mail, and my Crosstrek spontaneously accelerated forward. My car door hit the cement pylon and closed on my leg. The car lurched forward again, then stopped, and I was able to open the door. …
We brought the vehicle in for routine maintenance. They reported that all brake hoses were bulging and at risk of failing at any time. They said that there was a related recall for a similar issue on other CrossTrek's but that ours was not included in the VIN list, so was not a part of the recall. This appears to be a serious component failure which could result in a fatal accident. The fact that this happened with all brake hoses indicates a defective component. We were lucky that we found it and were able to have it addressed before the brakes failed.
Related recalls (1)
Service brakes
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Crosstrek vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with an incorrect floor mat retention bracket, allowing the floor mat to move out of position and interfere with the accelerator or brake pedal operation.
Remedy: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the floor mat retention bracket and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 14, 2017.
Frequently asked questions
Which Subaru Crosstrek years have brake problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2024 (11), 2019 (7), 2017 (6) and 2016 (5) model years. Brake complaints make up 9% of all complaints for the 2024.
Is there a recall for Subaru Crosstrek brake problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 17V-701 (service brakes, Nov 7, 2017). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Subaru Crosstrek brake problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 37,000 miles; 79% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the foundation components › disc › pads (1 mentions).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.