Engine complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 11% | — |
| 2025 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2024 | 7 | 6% | 11,000 miles |
| 2023 | 5 | 14% | — |
| 2022 | 3 | 10% | 7,000 miles |
| 2021 | 16 | 14% | 1,000 miles |
| 2020 | 5 | 7% | 51,000 miles |
| 2019 | 35 | 12% | 8,000 miles |
| 2018 | 33 | 17% | 7,000 miles |
| 2017 | 10 | 11% | 15,000 miles |
| 2016 | 15 | 11% | 80,000 miles |
| 2015 | 5 | 29% | 62,000 miles |
| 2014 | 2 | 13% | 90,000 miles |
| 2013 | 11 | 42% | 55,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that after driving and parking the vehicle, the contact became aware that there was smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle, and the vehicle suddenly caught on fire under the hood. The vehicle had received an oil change three days prior to the failure. Additionally, the contact noticed smoke after the oil change. There were no warning lights illuminated prior to the fire. The contact called 911, and the Police and Fire Department responded to the scene. The Fire Department extinguished the fire, and a Police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. There were no injuries sustained during the fire. The local dealer was notified, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired and the dealer had not offered any assistance. The manufacturer was contacted, and a claim was opened. …
The vehicle is a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek with ongoing and unresolved safety-related defects. The vehicle has been taken in for multiple repair attempts, including a total of five diagnostic inspections, but the issue remains unresolved. The vehicle experiences sudden hesitation, loss of acceleration, and failure to respond properly while driving. Warning lights appear on the dashboard, and in some instances the vehicle fails to restart properly after coming to a stop. These issues create a serious safety risk, especially when driving in traffic or attempting to merge, as the vehicle does not respond as expected. The condition is unpredictable and has occurred multiple times. Despite repeated repair attempts, the manufacturer has been unable to diagnose or repair the defect. The problem continues to occur and significantly affects the safety and reliability of the vehicle. …
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. …
Potential safety hazard ? Engine Auto start/stop feature for gas savings and emmisons control works by applying brakes and Engine shuts off, it restarts when brakes released. Normal operation, BUT I have noticed that unbuckeling the seatbelt or OPENING the DOOR will cause it to RESTART even though brakes are applied..this could cause an accident as it's an unexpected RESTART of the Engine in drive. Recommend this feature be disabled until door/seatbelt closed or seatbelt buckled or car in park before restart. Someone thinking car is OFF but actually in a pause restart could accidentally open door and upon getting out the car would start and move potential loss of control. My 2013 VW PASSAT would alarm to place in park if door open or seatbelt not worn.. Subaru starts ! I consider this a potential dangerous condition as it's not expect restart.
The contact owns a 2022 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while his wife was idled in inclement weather, and the brake pedal was depressed, however, the vehicle accelerated violently without warning. As a result, the vehicle crashed into a brick building. The air bags did not deploy. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to a dealer for two months where the failure was not able to be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000.
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. …
The contact owned a 2021 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while parking and the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle accelerated unexpectedly and collided with a wall. The collision was at the front of the vehicle. The air bags deployed. The driver sustained arm, leg, thumb, back, and nose injuries. Medical attention was needed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,300.
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power in the middle of the roadway. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the battery. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with head gasket failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Related recalls (2)
Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Emission control › Crankcase (pcv)
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Crosstrek, Forester, and Ascent vehicles. The aluminum Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve can separate, allowing the separated components to enter the engine, resulting in a loss of power while driving.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the PCV valve, free of charge. If the PCV valve has separated and the components cannot be found, the short block engine will be replaced, free of charge.
Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Emission control › Crankcase (pcv)
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Impreza and 2018 Crosstrek vehicles equipped with an aluminum Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve. The PCV valve may come apart, allowing the separated components to enter the engine, possibly resulting in a loss of power while driving.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the PCV valve, free of charge. If the PCV valve has separated and the components cannot be found, the engine will be replaced, free of…
Frequently asked questions
Which Subaru Crosstrek years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2019 (35), 2018 (33), 2021 (16), 2016 (15) and 2013 (11) model years. Engine complaints make up 12% of all complaints for the 2019.
Is there a recall for Subaru Crosstrek engine problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 19V-856 (crankcase (pcv), Dec 2, 2019); 19V-744 (crankcase (pcv), Oct 17, 2019). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Subaru Crosstrek engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 27,000 miles; 72% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the exhaust system (1 mentions), followed by the engine › engine control module (ecu/ecm) (1).
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.