2017 Subaru CROSSTREK problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
94 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
27,900 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2017 model year. Data snapshot: . 60 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Unknown Or Other is the most frequently named component, appearing in 33 of 94 complaints (35.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 13 | 13.8% |
| Transmission and shifting | 8 | 8.5% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 7 | 7.4% |
| Engine operation | 4 | 4.3% |
| Steering behavior | 4 | 4.3% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | 33 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 22 |
| Electrical System | 17 |
| Power Train | 12 |
| Engine | 10 |
| Service Brakes | 5 |
| Steering | 5 |
| Wheels | 4 |
Unknown Or Other: 33; Visibility/Wiper: 22; Electrical System: 17; Power Train: 12; Engine: 10; Service Brakes: 5; Steering: 5; Wheels: 4
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 27 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 20 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 10 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 1 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 27; 25,000 to 49,999: 20; 50,000 to 74,999: 10; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 1
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (27). 34 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 23 |
| 2020 | 33 |
| 2021 | 13 |
| 2022 | 7 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 |
2017: 3; 2018: 4; 2019: 23; 2020: 33; 2021: 13; 2022: 7; 2023: 5; 2024: 3; 2025: 3
Pattern summary
Unknown Or Other leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 13 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 8 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 7 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11209246 · 2019-05-22 (May 22, 2019)
I RECEIVED A SUBARU CRITICAL SAFETY RECALL NOTICE REGARDING THE BRAKE LIGHTS. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT SCHEDULE WORK FOR OVER 6 WEEKS. BLOOMINGTON, MN SUBARU. SEE COPY OF EMAIL I SENT FOLLOWING: [XXX] 9:46 AM (1 HOUR AGO) TO BLOOMINGTON "I LEFT A MESSAGE THIS MORNING WITH YOUR SERVICE MANAGER, REGISTERING MY EXTREME DISPLEASURE AND OUTRAGE THAT WHEN I CALLED YOUR SERVICE DESK OVER TWO WEEKS AGO TO SCHEDULE SERVICE ON THIS "URGENT CRITICAL SAFETY RECALL", THAT THE EARLIEST DATE I COULD GET WAS JULY 9. WHEN I EXPLAINED MY C…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11209246 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11218035 · 2019-06-05 (June 5, 2019)
VEHICLE IS ONLY 2YRS OLD AND HAS ROUGHLY 6200 MILES ON IT. THE BRAKES WERE MAKING AN AWFUL RUBBING/ GRINDING NOISE AND SMELLING LIKE THEY WERE BURNING. SUBARU DEALER IS OVER AN HOUR AWAY FROM HOME AND DIDN'T FEEL THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE VEHICLE THERE. TOOK IT TO A LOCAL GARAGE AND HAD TO HAVE ALL FOUR ROTARS AND SETS OF BRAKE PADS REPLACED. BURLINGTON SUBARU SAID TOO BAD CAN'T HELP YOU SHOULD HAVE HAD CAR TOWED TO US AND WE COULD HAVE MAYBE COVERED SOME OF IT UNDER WARRANTY. CAN'T HELP YOU NOW. WE FEEL THAT THIS IS WRONG AND BAD CUSTOMER SER…
Owner-reported narrative. 6,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 11218035 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11271679 · 2019-10-28 (October 28, 2019)
THE WINDSHIELD ON MY 2017 CROSSTREK CHIPS TOO EASY. I HAVE NEVER HAD CHIPS ON ANY OTHER VEHICLES WINDSHIELD. THE GLASS MUST BE TOO SOFT. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MY CROSSTREK A FEW TIMES WHILE IN MOTION. MY TRANSMISSION FEELS LIKE IT SOMETIMES SLIPS, AND SHUDDERS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION.
Owner-reported narrative. 20,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11271679 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11325722 · 2020-05-24 (May 24, 2020)
WHEN PUTTING MY 2017 SUBARU CROSSTREK INTO PARK THE KEY REMAINS STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THE ONLY WAY TO REMOVE THE KEY IS TO SHIFT INTO AND OUT OF PARK. SOMETIMES THIS TAKES MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS. THIS APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 40,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11325722 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11267937 · 2019-10-11 (October 11, 2019)
MY BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED AND TURNED OFF. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE AFTER WORK, THE BATTERY WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY DISCHARGED. I WAS ABLE TO CALL FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE THROUGH SUBARU AND RECEIVED A JUMP START. (THE SAME THING HAPPENED WHILE I WAS BACKPACKING THE WEEKEND OF 9/21-9/22, BUT THE BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DISCHARGED. ANOTHER ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF OUR SCOUT TROOP WAS ABLE TO GIVE ME A JUMP START. PREVIOUSLY, I HAD BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH THE BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATING, BUT HAD BEEN ABLE TO CATCH IT IN TIME…
Owner-reported narrative. 15,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11267937 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11324797 · 2020-05-16 (May 16, 2020)
ON THREE OCCASIONS IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS, THE BATTERY DIED AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I CALLED SERVICE AND THE CAR WAS JUMP STARTED. THREE DAYS LATER I HAD THE SAME ISSUE. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. SINCE THAT TIME, I HAVE HAD TO START MY CAR EVERY DAY, OR JUMP START IF THE CAR SITS FOR THREE DAYS. LUCKILY, THE CAR IS PARKED ON MY DRIVEWAY. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 17,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11324797 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11104004 · 2018-06-26 (June 26, 2018)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 SUBARU CROSSTREK. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE AND APPROACHING A STOP, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AUTONATION SUBARU SCOTTSDALE (15678 N NORTHSIGHT BLVD, SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85260), BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11.
Owner-reported narrative. 11 miles reported. Look up ODI 11104004 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11279186 · 2019-11-09 (November 9, 2019)
CAR STALLS RANDOMLY UPON ACCELERATION FROM A STOPLIGHT OR STOP SIGN. TAKES 3 TO 4 SECONDS TIL THE CAR ACCELERATES. DURING ALL THIS TIME THE ENGINE IS STILL RUNNING. HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES WITHIN THE PAST YEAR. AFRAID THIS MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, AS YESTERDAY I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GET T-BONED. WILL NOT DRIVE MY GRANDSONS IN THIS CAR.
Owner-reported narrative. 7,591 miles reported. Look up ODI 11279186 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11299117 · 2020-01-13 (January 13, 2020)
KEY GETS STUCK IN IGNITION AND THE CAR NEEDS TO BE RESTARTED IN ORDER TO REMOVE KEY. THIS OCCURS WHEN STATIONARY AND TRYING TO REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION. HAD THIS ISSUE FOR A ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE I TOOK IT IN AS SUBARU HAD A RECALL FOR WUE90 STOP LIGHT SWITCH REPLACEMENT AND I THOUGHT IT MAY BE RELATED AS DID MY SERVICE PROVIDER AT NORTH PARK SUBARU OR MAYBE HAD TO DO WITH STEERING. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT SOLVED, THE REPAIR WAS OUT OF MY POCKET. THE SERVICE PROVIDER REPORTED 'ERRATIC OPERATION OF PARK SWITCH ON SHIFTER' AND THE SHIFTER WAS RE…
Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11299117 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11300655 · 2020-01-21 (January 21, 2020)
THE CAR LOST POWER STEERING SHORTLY AFTER CAR WAS STARTED TO GO ON S SHORT TRIP. WE WERE STILL N OUR DRIVEWAY WHEN IT HAPPENED. I COULD STILL DRIVE IT, BUT TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT ON CURVES ON BACK ROADS AND HIGHWAY TO THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE 32 MILES AWAY. I HAVE HEARD OTHER SUBARUS HAVE HAD SHORTS IN THE ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM.
Owner-reported narrative. 30,758 miles reported. Look up ODI 11300655 at NHTSA ↗