2018 Subaru CROSSTREK problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
194 owner complaints analyzed
5 distinct recall campaigns
18,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2018 model year. Data snapshot: . 117 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Visibility/Wiper is the most frequently named component, appearing in 64 of 194 complaints (33.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 17 | 8.8% |
| Braking behavior | 14 | 7.2% |
| Engine operation | 13 | 6.7% |
| Transmission and shifting | 9 | 4.6% |
| Steering behavior | 8 | 4.1% |
| Fuel system concerns | 1 | 0.5% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Visibility/Wiper | 64 |
| Unknown Or Other | 41 |
| Engine | 32 |
| Electrical System | 31 |
| Power Train | 14 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 13 |
| Structure:Body | 9 |
| Visibility:Windshield | 7 |
Visibility/Wiper: 64; Unknown Or Other: 41; Engine: 32; Electrical System: 31; Power Train: 14; Vehicle Speed Control: 13; Structure:Body: 9; Visibility:Windshield: 7
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 73 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 27 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 13 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 4 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 73; 25,000 to 49,999: 27; 50,000 to 74,999: 13; 75,000 to 99,999: 4; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (73). 77 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 | 2 |
| 2018 | 23 |
| 2019 | 29 |
| 2020 | 44 |
| 2021 | 34 |
| 2022 | 18 |
| 2023 | 17 |
| 2024 | 12 |
| 2025 | 7 |
| 2026 | 8 |
2017: 2; 2018: 23; 2019: 29; 2020: 44; 2021: 34; 2022: 18; 2023: 17; 2024: 12; 2025: 7; 2026: 8
Pattern summary
Visibility/Wiper leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 17 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 14 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 13 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 11072072 · 2018-02-10 (February 10, 2018)
THE CAR BATTERY WAS DEAD AND RECHARGED BY SUBARU ROADSIDE ASSIST. WE RAN THECARFOR 40 MINUTES. THE FOLLOWING DAY THE CAR BATTERY WAS DEAD AGAIN. WE CALLED THE RYE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED THE CAR AND HAD IT TOWED THERE. THE PERSON WHO CHARGED THE BATTERY THE FIRST TIME TOLD US THAT SUBARU'S HAVING A LOT OF CALLS FORDEADBATTERIES BUT NOTADMITTING THERE'S A PROBLEM
Owner-reported narrative. 200 miles reported. Look up ODI 11072072 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11209567 · 2019-05-23 (May 23, 2019)
UPON STARTING CAR IN DRIVEWAY FOUND POWER STEERING SLUGGISH AND REQUIRING GREAT FORCE (OPERATIVE, BUT NO APPARENT BOOST). ENGINE SLUGGISN LIKE LIMP-HOME MODE. ADDITIONALLY MIL, TC AND OTHER LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON DASH. I TOOK PHOTO. I FORGET IF IT THREW ODB CODES, BUT I REMEMBER THAT IT TWO BATTERY DISCONNECT CYCLES, AND TWO ODB CODE CLEARING CYCLES, TO REGAIN NORMAL FUNCTION. I FORGET ID ANY ODB CODES WERE SET. HERE ARE THE CONDITIONS: DAYTIME MORNING, ABOUT 11AM, AMBIENT TEMPERATURE ABOUT 65 DEGREES. CAR PARKED IN DRIVEWAY. I PREVIOUSLY (ABOUT…
Owner-reported narrative. 24,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11209567 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11090261 · 2018-04-26 (April 26, 2018)
MY SAFETY CONCERN WITH THE 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK RESULTS FROM A HUGE AMOUNT OF ENGINE REV HANG ( REV HANG - A HIGH (OR 'HANGING') ENGINE RPM AFTER DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH PEDAL. REFERENCE - SUBARU OUTBACK SB# 11-174-17R DATED 6 23 17 ) WHEN SHIFTING UP THROUGH THE LOWER GEARS. AS A RESULT OF REV HANG, IT IS ESSENTIALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE THIS CAR SAFELY AND EFFICIENTLY IN TRAFFIC WITHOUT SEVERELY ABUSING THE DRIVE TRAIN. THE PROBLEM IS MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN DRIVING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC WHILE UP-SHIFTING FROM FIRST AND SECOND GEAR, WHERE REV…
Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 11090261 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11104508 · 2018-06-28 (June 28, 2018)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (RELIABLE SUBARU, 438 S INGRAM MILL RD, SPRINGFIELD, MO 65802, [phone removed]), BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 677.
Owner-reported narrative. 677 miles reported. Look up ODI 11104508 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11103802 · 2018-06-25 (June 25, 2018)
JUNE 2, 2018. PURCHASED A NEW 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK FROM MY LOCAL SUBARU DEALERSHIP AND DROVE THE CAR HOME. THE NEXT DAY (JUNE 3, 2018), ON MY FIRST TRIP OUT TO RUN ERRANDS THE CAR STALLED AFTER GOING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE AT SLOW SPEED IN A PARKING LOT. THE NEXT DAY (JUNE 4, 2018), THE CAR STALLED AGAIN TWICE IN RAPID SUCCESSION UNDER SIMILAR CONDITIONS IN ANOTHER PARKING LOT. THE SAME DAY (JUNE 4, 2018), I DROVE THE CAR TO MY LOCAL SUBARU DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. SUBARU ENGINEERS EVALUATED A SIMILAR PROBLEM ON OTHER CROSSTREKS AND DETERMINE…
Owner-reported narrative. 200 miles reported. Look up ODI 11103802 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11130655 · 2018-09-21 (September 21, 2018)
THERE WAS A RECALL ON MY CAR FOR THE ENGINE STALLING AND HESITATION. THE RECALL DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP TWO TIMES. THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE CONDITION. SUBARU DOES NOT WANT TO GET INVOLVED TO HELP MY DEALER REPAIR THE CAR. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE WHEN IT DOES LOSE POWER ITS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN.
Owner-reported narrative. 70 miles reported. Look up ODI 11130655 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11118186 · 2018-08-06 (August 6, 2018)
THE CVT TRANSMISSION IN THIS CAR IS JERKY, WILL OFTEN ACT AS IF APPLYING THE BRAKES WITH STOPPING, WILL HAVE TROUBLE SHIFTING DURING STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, RESULTING IN JERKING OF THE CAR. WILL OCCASIONALLY VIBRATE AS IF TRAVELING OVER ROUGH PAVEMENT. THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION WHEN THIS HAPPENS. CAN BE IN URBAN OR HIGHWAY TRAFFIC.
Owner-reported narrative. 7,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 11118186 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11376640 · 2020-11-27 (November 27, 2020)
WITH THE CRACK COVERING THE EYESIGHT SYSTEM, THE WARNING SIGNAL WAS ALWAYS FLASHING AND CAUSING MY STEERING TO PULL TO ONE SIDE. SINCE IT WAS DOING THIS IT WAS CAUSING THE CAR TO PULL TO ONE SIDE OR BRING MY TIRES COSTING ME AN ADDITIONAL $800 TO REPLACE THE TIRES BALANCE AND ALIGNMENT FOR MY CROSSTREK, PLUS THE DOWNTIME THAT I HAD TO TAKEOFF FROM WORK TO GET MY CAR WORKED ON AT THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP.
Owner-reported narrative. 60,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11376640 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11421294 · 2021-06-17 (June 17, 2021)
Purchased used in August 2019 - Premium 6MT. Issue has been present since purchase. There is hesitation with acceleration, not only with extremely slow acceleration, but jerking and surging at times. Dangerous when trying to pull out into traffic and driving in general. Appears to be an issue mostly between 2k-3k and then seems to rev properly after 3k, but have noticed jerking up around 4k and over. Had taken to dealer several times before issue was reproducible, then told to be issue with buildup of carbon in fuel lines. Had fuel lines blown,…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11421294 at NHTSA ↗