2018 Subaru Crosstrek
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Visibility/wiper is the leading concern among 194 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 2nd highest complaint count among 14 Crosstrek model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 10 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 1 person was injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Electrical system, softwareApr 15, 2021
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Subaru Impreza and 2018-2019 Crosstrek vehicles. The Engine Control Module (ECM) may continue to power the ignition coil after the engine is shut off, causing a short circuit.
A short circuit in the ignition coils may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will update the ECM software, replace the ignition coils and, if necessary, the front exhaust pipe, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning June 1, 2021. Owners can contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE-21. Note: This recall includes all vehicles previously repaired under Recall 19V743.
Campaign 21V264000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, rearApr 15, 2021
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Subaru Crosstrek, 2019 Crosstrek Hybrid, and 2019 Forester vehicles. The rear stabilizer bracket bolts may loosen and detach.
Missing bolts may allow the rear stabilizer bracket to shift, increasing the risk of a crash.
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will retorque and replace any missing bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 17, 2021. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRD-21.
Campaign 21V263000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, softwareOct 18, 2019
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Impreza and 2018-2019 Crosstrek vehicles. The Engine Control Module (ECM) may continue to power the ignition coil after the engine is shut off, which could result in a short circuit and blown fuse.
If a short circuit occurs while driving, the vehicle may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will update the ECM software and inspect and replace the ignition coil, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, on vehicles with confirmed ignition coil damage and a certain stored diagnostic trouble code (DTC), Subaru will replace the front exhaust pipe, free of charge. The recall began December 4, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUQ-02.
Campaign 19V743000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, exhaust system, emission control, crankcase (pcv)Oct 17, 2019
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.
An unexpected loss of power while driving can increase the risk of a crash.
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 charge. The recall began December 2, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUP-01.
Campaign 19V744000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakesNov 7, 2017
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.
If the floor mat moves out of position and interferes with the accelerator or brake pedal operation, it can increase the risk of a crash.
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. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTR-77.
Campaign 17V701000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: visibility
72 reports, newest first. Show all
Visibility/wiper, Mar 13, 2020
MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED AND SPIDERED OUT WAS FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN IT HAPPENED.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 13, 2020
DROVE FROM WORK TO HOME. LEFT PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY AS IT ALWAYS IS.HUSBAND WENT TO GET IN IT LATER AND CAME AND ASKED WHAT HAPPENED. THE CRACK WAS NOT THERE WHEN I GOT HOME. IT HAPPENED IN THE DRIVE WAY, WITHIN A COUPLE OF HOURS OF BEING HOME. THIS IS CONCERNING AS THE CRACK IS NOW RUNNING INTO OUR NAVIGATION SITES, SO THE CAR GIVES OFF INCORRECT READING, NOT PICKING UP THE WHITE LINES OR DISABLING THE SIGHT DETECTION, USUALLY ONLY STAYS ON INSTRUMENT PANEL A FEW MINUTES THEN RETURNS TO NORMAL. THERE WAS NO POLICE REPORT OR INSURANCE CLAIM FILED. I AM UNABLE TO GET A PICTURE TO UPLOAD. I CANNOT GET THEM ANY SMALLER THAN 6.2 MB. I HAVE THEM IF NEEDED.
Structure, Visibility/wiper, Mar 13, 2020
SINCE I BOUGHT THE SUBARU CROSS I HAVE ENCOUNTER MULTIPLE PAINT CHIPPING IN THE BODY AND HAD A WINDSHIELD CRACK AND PAID OUT OF POCKET TO HAVE SAFELITE REPAIR THE WINDOW.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 24, 2020
CRACKING AND CHIPPING OF WINDSHIELD
Visibility/wiper, Feb 23, 2020
WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM CENTER OF BOTTOM EDGE WITHOUT CONTACT FROM ANY OBJECT. CRACK APPEARED IN THE MORNING WHEN I WENT TO START MY 2018 CROSSTREK.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 23, 2020
A VERY SMALL SURFACE CHIP ON THE OUTER PORTION OF THE WINDSHIELD (BLACK AREA, DRIVER'S SIDE) DEVELOPED INTO AN APPROXIMATELY TWO FOOT LONG HORIZONTAL CRACK ACROSS THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE CRACK DEVELOPED OVER A PERIOD OF THREE WEEKS DURING WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, ON CITY STREETS AND HIGHWAYS.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 23, 2020
WINDSHIELD CRACKED NEAR LEFT COLUMN WHILE DRIVING WITHIN TWO MONTHS OF BUYING THE BRAND NEW CAR. THERE WERE NO ROCKS OR OTHER OBVIOUS SIGNS OF DAMAGE. CRACK SPREAD ACROSS THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD AND TOOK 4+ MONTHS TO GET REPLACED DUE TO NOT ENOUGH EXTRA WINDSHIELDS IN THE AREA.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 22, 2020
CAR WAS PARKED IN A CAR PORT UNDER A CONDO AT THE BEACH NO BAD STORMS NO BAD WEATHER CAME BACK THE NEXT MORNING TO A CHIP NOW WALKED 4 TO 5 INCHES.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 11, 2020
ON JUNE 30, 2018, I WAS DRIVING MY 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK LIMITED EDITION ON A CITY STREET. I HEARD A NOISE WHILE DRIVING BUT KEPT DRIVING SINCE I WAS JUST BLOCKS AWAY TO WORK. I PARKED IN THE MONITORED PARKING LOT AND VISUALLY LOOKED INSIDE AND OUTSIDE MY CAR FOR SOME INDICATION OF WHERE THE NOISE CAME FROM, INCLUDING THE WINDSHIELD FROM THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. I SAW NO CRACKS TO THE WINDSHIELD OR OTHER AREA OF THE VEHICLE. IT WAS HOT OUTSIDE (90'S).I WENT IN TO WORK. WHEN I GOT OFF WORK I WENT OUT TO MY CAR. I GOT INSIDE MY CAR, IMMEDIATELY NOTICING A 6-8 INCH LONG CRACK ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. I WENT HOME IN SHOCK ABOUT THE LARGE CRACK IN MY WINDSHIELD. I LATER CONTACTED MY INSURANCE COMPANY, AND WAS TOLD MY DEDUCTIBLE AND TO CALL AROUND TO FIND QUOTES ON REPLACEMENT. I WAS TOLD BY ALL THE AUTO SHOPS INCLUDING MY LOCAL SUBARU DEALER THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD WOULD NEED REPLACED BUT THE CAR WAS SO NEW THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PARTS IN STOCK AND DIDN'T KNOW HOW LONG IT WOULD BE SINCE THE CAR WAS SO NEW. I DIDN'T GET THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED .I FELT THAT SUBARU SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A NEW WINDSHIELD AS THE CAR WAS ONLY PURCHASED NEW 9 MONTHS BEFORE. I DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO GO THROUGH MY INSURANCE AT THE TIME AND I WAS TOLD BY MY LOCAL DEALER THAT SUBARU DID NOT COVER THE WINDSHIELD IN THE WARRANTY ON THE CAR. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THE DEFECT OF THE WINDSHIELD PREVENTS THE SAFE AND PROPER OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE SUBARU'S EYESIGHT SAFETY SYSTEM, INTENDED TO PREVENT COLLISIONS, IS ATTACHED TO THE INSIDE OF THE UPPER WINDSHIELD. I DID RESEARCH ONLINE AT THE TIME IF OTHER OWNERS HAD COMPLAINTS, BUT THE CAR WAS SO NEW I ONLY FOUND ONE. NOW, A SEARCH REVEALS MANY COMPLAINTS OF DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELDS AND A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. I WORRY ABOUT MY SAFETY STILL AND I BELIEVE SUBARU SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDSHIELD.*DT*JB
Visibility/wiper, Nov 6, 2019
A CRACK DEVELOPED IN THE WINDSHIELD, STARTING JUST UNDER THE WIPERS IN THE WIPER DEFROST REGION. BY THE TIME I NOTICED THE CRACK, IT HAD PROPAGATED LONGER THAN WAS SAFE TO REPAIR. THE CRACK ALSO DEVELOPED INTO A COMPLEX CRACK (SPLIT INTO TWO DIRECTIONS FROM THE INITIAL CRACK). THE CRACK LENGTH SPANNED ~70% OF THE WIDTH OF THE WINDSHIELD, APPROXIMATELY 3-4 INCHES ABOVE THE WIPER BLADES. THERE WAS NO APPARENT REASON WHY THE CRACK OCCURRED. I DO NOT REMEMBER A ROCK OR OTHER DEBRIS STRIKING THE WINDSHIELD WHILE DRIVING, AND I AM THE ONLY INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS DRIVEN THE VEHICLE.
Visibility/wiper, Oct 30, 2019
DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE FRONT WINDSHIELD YESTERDAY AND CAR WAS PARKED IN GARAGE OVERNIGHT. DROVE OUT THIS MORNING AND NOTICED A ROUGHLY 6" LONG CRACK IN FRONT WINDSHIELD IN BOTTOM LEFT CORNER. NO APPARENT CAUSE FOR THE NEW CRACK.
Visibility/wiper, Oct 29, 2019
THE WINDSHIELD DEVELOPED 2 LARGE CRACKS THAT HINDER THE VISIBILITY ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE. THE CRACKS DEVELOPED OVER APPROXIMATELY 4 MONTHS WHILE PARKED.
Visibility/wiper, Oct 28, 2019
I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY 3 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR BRAND NEW, AND THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE ABOUT HALFWAY UP. I REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD ONLY TO HAVE IT CRACK IN THE SAME SPOT 3 MONTHS LATER.
Visibility/wiper, Oct 28, 2019
WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNING MY BRAND NEW 2019 CROSSTREK MY WINDSHIELD DEVELOPED TWO VERY LARGE CRACKS ACROSS IT.
Visibility/wiper, Oct 28, 2019
WINDSHIELD CRACKED WITHIN 30 TO 45 DAYS OF PURCHASE FOR NO APPARENT REASON. HAD A SECOND CRACK LESS THAN A YEAR LATER
Visibility/wiper, Oct 27, 2019
2018 CROSSTREK WITH 3000MI, GOT INTO CAR EARLY COLD MORNING 1/2018, TURNED ON DEFROSTER WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE STOPPED. NO "TRAUMA," NO ROCKS, NO ACCIDENTS. CROSSTREK WITH EYESIGHT DRIVER ASSIST PACKAGE, HAD TO REPLACE WINDSHIELD AND RECALIBRATE EYESIGHT. A REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELD WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE. WINDSHIELD COULD NOT BE REPAIRED, ONLY REPLACED, DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF EYESIGHT. TWO DAYS FOR REPAIR, LOANER CAR PROVIDED.
Visibility/wiper, Oct 1, 2019
SMALL PEBBLE HIT WINDSHIELD. NOT MOVING AT HIGH RATE OF SPEED. NOW WINDSHIELD IS CRACKED.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 28, 2019
I HAVE TWO SMALL CRACKS ON MY WINDSHIELD AFTER A 1.5 YEARS OF OWNING IT. THE FIRST ONE (ATTACHED IMAGES): WAS CRACKED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I GUESS A SMALL ROCK FLIPPED UP AND HIT AND IT CRACKED. WAS GOING ROUGHLY 60-65 MPH. THE SECOND ONE (NOT PICTURED): IS MORE TOWARDS THE LOWER MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THIS WAS ALSO CRACKED WHILE MOVING FROM A SMALL ROCK THAT FLEW UP. I WAS TRAVELING MUCH SLOWER THIS TIME AS IT WAS MORE OF A NORMAL ROAD OUT IN THE COUNTRY. I WAS GOING AROUND 45 MPH. IT SEEMS ABSURD TO ME THAT I ALREADY HAVE A CRACKED WINDSHIELD 1.5 YEARS INTO OWNING THIS VEHICLE WHEN EVERY VEHICLE I'VE OWNED BEFORE THIS ONE HAS NEVER HAD THAT HAPPEN BEFORE.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Visibility/wiper, Aug 1, 2019
1) VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED NEW WITH REAR POWER WINDOWS NOT WORKING. 2) LED BRAKE LIGHT STOPPED WORKING AT 15000 MILES , NOTICED WHEN I WAS BACKING UP IN FRONT OF GLASS DOORS. I WAS TOLD BY DEALER WIRE WAS SHORTING OUT AND ENTIRE LIGHT ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. DEALER DID NOT STOCK PART SO I WAS SENT OFF WITH NON WORKING BRAKE LIGHT UNDER WARRANTY UNTIL THEY COULD GET PART.
Visibility/wiper, Mar 19, 2019
AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE WIPER BLADES DO NOT PROPERLY CLEAR AND WILL LEAVE AREA OF PUDDLED WATER ON THE WINDSHIELD CAUSING VISIBILITY FOR THE DRIVER TO BE MADE. AT STANDSTILL THE WIPER BLADES WILL VIBRATE WHEN YOU CLEAN THE WINDSHIELD WITH THE WASHER FLUID. BUT A VERY NOTICEABLE VIBRATING WIPER BLADE IS VISIBLY SEEN. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FROM DAY ONE. I WAS ABLE TO FIND A SET OF AFTERMARKET BLADES THAT SOMEWHAT FITS THE ADAPTER THAT WILL FULLY MAKE IT OPERATIONAL. HOWEVER, THEY ARE NOT PROPERLY SECURED TO THE WIPERARMS. I JUST HAD SERVICE AT 27,500 MILES AND WITH THE SAME RESULTS OF REPLACING THE WIPERARMS. DEALERSHIP DOES NOT SEEM TO BE TOO INTERESTED IN FIXING THE ISSUE. DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE WIPER ARM CONNECTIONS POINT. THERE ARE NO AFTERMARKET WIPER BLADES I'VE BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE THAT WILL PROPERLY FIT THE WIPERARMS FOR BOTH FRONT BLADES. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. NOT TO MENTION THE WINDSHIELD WILL BOIL UP FASTER WITH HOW THE WINDSHIELD WASHER SOLUTION WILL REMAIN ON THE WINDSHIELD AND WIPER ARMS AT HIGHWAY SPEED...... HIGHWAY SPEED IS ANYWHERE FROM 60-80 MPH.
Visibility/wiper, Dec 21, 2018
SUNROOF EXPLODED AND SHATTERED WITHOUT ANY CONTACT
Visibility/wiper, Jul 26, 2018
CRACK APPEARED IN LOWER DRIVER'S SIDE PORTION OF WINDSHIELD. CAR WAS PARKED WHEN CRACK APPEARED. NO KNOWN SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO WINDSHIELD. CRACK APPEARS TO HAVE STARTED UNDERNEATH WINDSHIELD WIPER AT THE DE-ICER AREA AND THEN SPREAD UPWARDS.