2024 Subaru Crosstrek
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Exterior lighting is the leading concern among 118 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 4th highest complaint count among 14 Crosstrek model years with reports.
Of the 2024 reports, 10 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 3 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Power train, driveline, driveshaftNov 9, 2023
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2024 Crosstrek, Impreza, 2023-2024 Forester, and 2023 WRX vehicles. The front driveshaft assemblies' outer race may develop cracks and break.
A broken driveshaft can cause a loss of drive power while driving or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is in park without the parking brake engaged. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect and replace the left and right front driveshafts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRP-23.
Campaign 23V754000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, instrument cluster/panelAug 4, 2023
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2024 Crosstrek and Impreza vehicles. Due to insufficient clearance, the instrument panel harness may contact the steering beam bracket, damaging the wire insulation and causing a short circuit.
A short circuit may cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect the harness and install an additional clamp on the steering beam bracket. If damage is found, dealers will add protective tape or replace the instrument panel harness, as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 3, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRL-23.
Campaign 23V551000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: service brakes
10 reports, newest first. Show all
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Sep 22, 2026, crash
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.
Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Sep 21, 2026, crash
I was backing out of my driveway at 630 am this morning, September 21, 2026 when I heard what sounded like a loud crash. However, if anything had been in my car’s line of vision a beep would go off to alert me and that didn’t happen. I pulled back into my driveway to check if anything had somehow been behind me and then discovered I had no brakes! My driveway goes down a steep incline and I kept trying to apply my brakes to no avail and I crashed into some trees at the bottom of the driveway. I was not hurt and ran back up the driveway to make sure my car had not hit anyone or anything and there was nothing at all at the top of the driveway. I went back down and saw all the damage on my car: Front bumper and hood were smashed in as well as the driver’s side front and the passenger’s side front areas. I called the local police, my dealership where I leased this car, Patrick Motors in Shrewsbury, Ma, Subaru of American and my insurance agency, Liberty Mutual. At this time, I have nothing available to upload. I wanted to alert you to this situation because after I researched what happened to me and my 2024 Subaru Crosstek Wilderness Model this morning, I discovered that something called Reverse Automatic Braking (RAB) has frequently occurred with the Crossteks. I am fortunate that this happened to me in my own driveway and not going down any other street where I could have hit a person or vehicle or gone into a lake because the brakes stop working when RAB occurs!
Service brakes, Feb 18, 2026
On 2/5/2026, my "brake booster" failed while trying to leave the parking lot of a restaurant. When I put car in reverse I had my foot on the brake, I heard an usual sound and quickly realized the brake was not holding as I was moving backward. I had to reapply brake pressure HARD in order to stop, once while backing up and once again to pull forward so I wasn't blocking anyone from maneuvering around me. I was towed to Hanania Subaru where they identified the "brake booster" failed. My vehicle is ready today, 2/18/2026 to pick up and I'll return the Subaru loaner vehicle. Apparently the problem was an electronic failure code and replacing the brake booster was all that was needed. Fortunately, I was not driving in traffic when it failed and I'm told this type of failure is extremely rare. I do appreciate the ability to document this potential hazard to NHTSA.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Dec 29, 2025, crash
The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek brakes engaged TWICE without the driver pushing on the brakes, slowing the car down significantly. The initial vehicle speed was around 65 mph on the highway, and slowed to around 45 mph after the second automatic braking incident occurred. Adaptive cruise control was NOT on. The car in front of the Crosstrek was 8-10 car lengths away. Then while the Crosstrek was still moving, a truck hit the back right bumper of the Crosstrek and pushed it into the next lane to the left. (I), the driver of the Crosstrek, was able to steer back into the original lane of travel to the right. After the Crosstrek was steered back to the original lane of travel, it came to a stop due to right rear axle damage. The Crosstrek driver was able to creep to the shoulder to wait for emergency personnel to arrive. The safety of myself and others, due to the Crosstrek (Eyesight?) malfunction, is extremely important to investigate. This safety feature when engaged unexpectedly is dangerous. When drivers do not have control over the braking system of the car, sudden and unexpected slow-downs can lead to rear-end accidents, and even the loss of life. When I was pushed to another lane of travel, a secondary accident could have occurred, or a chain-reaction with many cars. I did not see or hear any warnings, messages, or experience any unusual symptoms before the car braked on its own and I was rear-ended. After I crept to the right shoulder of the interstate, the Crosstrek was still running and there were no warnings or messages. Since the Nov 11 accident, Dean Team Dealership in Ballwin MO has reported the issue. State Farm Insurance has totaled the 24 Subaru Crosstrek, recovered data from the Event Date Recorder (EDR), and is discussing the vehicle losses with Subaru Corporation. [XXX] is receiving chiropractic care also. Additionally, there similar reported incidents on websites—Reddit and [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 19, 2025
Automatic braking: One incident of the automatic braking system engaging on a side street when the road was clear of obstacles. The road surface had been prepared for some kind of minor work in the center of the road - there were regularly intermittent disturbances to the otherwise smooth surface. These appeared to be small prox 6-8” square cuts in the surface. On two occasions the car braked suddenly and sharply in front of these disturbed areas. Potential risk from a following car.. Steep, windy road with cars parked on either side. Weather clear. I have not yet reported this to the dealer so it has not yet been inspected. I did not notice any other signs or warning systems prior to this event and during the event I was distracted by the event itself and too busy looking for vehicles that might hit me from behind,etc. to notice.
Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 30, 2025, crash
I had a frontal accident on March 6, 2025. When I turned to pull into the driveway of my rental apartment, I lost control of the vehicle. It surged forward, climbed a low retaining wall of about 14" and then hit a support post. I sat there stunned thinking "what just happened and how?" At first, I thought it was me, but thinking about it more, I'm wondering if this could be a potential safety problem. I have read several other similar instances on the internet, and someone I know had a similar accident which was attributed to her age. Collision repair for the Crosstrek was $10,358 done by a local facility, not Subaru. Repair of damage to the support post was $1,340. I reported this to Subaru, but after several follow-ups (last one on July 29, 2025), I still have not received a reply from Subaru. I can forward the email string to you if you want. I don't know how to attach it in one of the acceptable formats.
Wheels, Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Jun 30, 2025
The affected component of this vehicle is the braking system. When rocks or gravel get stuck to, in, on, or around the brake pads/brakes the braking system is compromised. Yes, The vehicle is available for inspection. When gravel gets stuck in, on, and around the brake pads, the safe operation of the braking system malfunctions. If the vehicle braking system does not work as designed/intended, lives are at risk. When you need to brake, the braking system needs to be reliable. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, upon taking the vehicle back to the dealer, the service manager confirmed this is a known defect by both sales and service teams. The service manager said this happens often and we should expect it to happen again. The service manager told me this vehicle is not to be driven on gravel. This was not disclosed at the time of purchase. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The dealer service department inspected the vehicle when it was towed back to them for service related to this problem. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No, there was no warning. The brakes failed to operate properly, they did not completely fail.
Service brakes, Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Oct 15, 2024
My 2024 Subaru Crosstrek was stopped at a red light behind a car. My cruise was disengaged after the car stopped and my foot was on the brake. Suddenly, the car lurched forward on its own and only stopped when I pressed hard on the brake and moved transmission from drive to park.
Service brakes, Sep 5, 2024, crash
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.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 5, 2023
- Pre-collision braking has deployed a number of times without cause (no one in front of vehicle, no collision threat at all. Most recently at 35mph, but at up to 55 mph prior. Feel free to inspect. - Brakes are automatically deployed HARD and without the warning that is supposed to occur. This has thrown me into the seatbelt a few times and poses a significant risk of getting rear ended. I'm afraid the automatic steering system is going to throw me into a ditch. - The dealer can't reproduce it and no log is recorded by the car because it isn't registered as a malfunction, rather the vehicle thinks it's doing the right thing. I've taken it in twice for this and a few other issues. - The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone else as there has been no damage yet. - No signals were given and there have been no other symptoms other than the adaptive cruise control slowing down for no reason on occasion, presumably it thinks there are ghost cars in front of me?