Practically a lifted Impreza hatchback, the Subaru Crosstrek is an adventure-loving crossover on a budget. The 2021 Crosstrek has zero recalls and 34 complaints to its name to date, making it a semi-decent scorecard. The Crosstrek did run into several issues in its recent past, with the 2019 model year facing seven recalls and 210 complaints. The 2021 model has faced a majority of complaints regarding the infamous windshield cracking problem that has plagued other vehicles from Subaru as well. Apart from a few powertrain and electronic system-related complaints, the latest version of the Crosstrek has a good enough reliability department. The vehicle starts at a base price of $22,245 and competes against the Kia Seltos, the Honda HR-V, and the Hyundai Kona.
Subaru Crosstrek user complaints and problems
Engine problems
- Engine bogging down and shuddering: A handful of owners complained about the powertrain and powertrain-related issues with their Crosstreks. A complaint stated that while driving, the engine randomly bogged down and refused to accelerate when the gas pedal was pressed. After restarting the vehicle, the issue recurred intermittently. There were some reports stating that the affected vehicles would shudder or jerk while driving. In some instances, the transmissions resulted in the issues whereas the auto start-stop system was faulty in a few cases.
Electrical problems
- Battery dying issue: A couple of complaints were registered regarding this issue. The owners said in their reports that the battery of their Crosstreks died completely while the vehicles were parked overnight. This problem was also seen on other popular Subaru vehicles such as the Outback.
Safety problems
- Faulty lane-keeping assist: The complaint regarding this issue stated that the lane-keeping system of the vehicle forced it to steer to the centerline. The malfunction occurred at various speeds. In addition to that, the forward collision avoidance system also malfunctioned on the vehicle while driving by failing to detect a vehicle at the front.
Exterior problems
- Windshield cracking issue: Plenty of owners of the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek were affected by this problem and it has been troubling earlier models of the Crosstrek as well. All the owners complained that the windshield cracked randomly without any external impact or after getting hit by minute stones while driving. In several cases, the owners had to replace the windshields multiple times after driving a few thousand miles.
2021 Subaru Crosstrek recalls
The 2021 Subaru Crosstrek has not faced any recalls to date.
Should you buy a used Subaru Crosstrek?
The Subaru Crosstrek is among the few budget crossovers that aren’t afraid to take on dirt roads. Furthermore, opting for a used example of the Crosstrek makes it even more sensible since the vehicle retails at an already affordable price tag. The Crosstrek isn’t flawless and has seen plaguing issues such as the infamous windshield cracking issue. Apart from that, the latest iteration of the vehicle has a pretty solid reliability department however, going for a used model older than the 2020 model year is not highly recommended.
