Transmission complaints by model year
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek. The contact stated that while driving 72 MPH, the vehicle stalled and bucked, with a grinding sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road. Additionally, there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle, and there was fluid leaking from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the transmission could be replaced with a rebuilt transmission with approximately 50,000 miles or with a new transmission. The contact chose the rebuilt transmission, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 59,900.
I am filing a complaint regarding a major CVT transmission failure in my 2015 Subaru Crosstrek at approximately 117,318 miles. Prior to failure, there were no warning lights, dashboard messages, or significant indications of impending transmission failure. The only noticeable symptom was a slight whistling noise coming from the vehicle shortly before the transmission issue became severe. The sudden nature of the failure created a safety concern because the vehicle's ability to accelerate and respond reliably while driving was compromised without meaningful warning. A sudden loss of reliable transmission function creates potential risk when merging, accelerating, or operating in traffic. The issue has been confirmed by a Subaru dealership, which quoted approximately $10,000 for transmission replacement. …
On June 11, 2021, my wife and I were driving our 2014 Subaru Crosstrek (120,000 miles) from Milwaukee to Manitowish Waters, WI. About 20 miles north of Milwaukee on I-41 Northbound, my wife was driving at 70 mph when suddenly we both noticed a strong lurching from the CVT transmission. This was followed a few seconds later by a complete lockup of all four wheels on our car. Fortunately this did not happen in the left lane or we would've been in a terrible accident. My wife managed to steer the skidding car onto the highway shoulder until it came to a rest. The engine was still running. The transmission was completely dead. We called a towing company to tow the car to Sommers Subaru in Mequon WI. They diagnosed the problem as sudden catastrophic transmission failure and told us that the 2014 Crosstrek had tons of problems with the CVT. …
I backed out of my driveway, into the road. When I drove away, no faster that 25 MPH, I noticed that all the warning lights on my dash were illuminated. Alarmed, I promptly returned my car to the driveway and shut it off. I had traveled no further than 100 yards. Wondering if maybe it was a fluke, I tried to turn the car on again, but the car was completely unresponsive. I called aaa to have it towed to the dealership. Aaa's diagnostic codes were: p0851, p0705, p0700. Online research showed that these relate to the transmission. Further searches brought up a forbes article about Subaru's choice to extend warrantees on known transmission problems instead issuing a recall--so as to save money. …
Transmission failure while driving on highway caused it to suddenly stalled. On restarting engine, car kept jerking and stopping, became undrivable. Only 46,700 miles on the clock. No warning lights, no warning of any kind. Subaru issued 10 year extended warranty covering transmission on this car but should have recalled and replaced since failure is catastrophic and dangerous. I took my car to Subaru dealer and they found low transmission fluid. Instead of inspecting the seals, they blamed the problem on oil change by an independent garage, accusing them of erroneously drained out transmission fluid before the car broke down.
The recall Type: Safety Service Campaign:WTY84 NHTSA Campaign: 18V772000 FB20 Valve Spring Replacement was reported completed by the manufacturer Subaru has no record of it being done. My car is now experiencing symptoms of this recall when I had no issues prior and want me to pay to look into the problem further. Now my vehicle has a check engine light for a recall that was potentially not done as I have no proof that it was completed.
Frequently asked questions
Which Subaru XV Crosstrek years have transmission problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2013 (22), 2015 (18) and 2014 (13) model years. Transmission complaints make up 22% of all complaints for the 2013.
Is there a recall for Subaru XV Crosstrek transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for any Subaru XV Crosstrek model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Subaru XV Crosstrek transmission problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 72,000 miles; 27% happened before 50,000 miles.
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.