2023 Subaru Crosstrek problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Visibility/Wiper (6) · Service Brakes (4) · Engine (3)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Subaru Crosstrek model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year (campaigns announced since 2010).
Service bulletins (206)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-10-05 · SubaruNet Announcement (M · Other
this announcement provides information on a new software update for the midtronics dss and dca machines.
Power Train 2026-09-28 · SubaruNet Announcement (T · Other
this announcement provides information on an enhancement of the techshare cvt diagnostic assitance application.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-18 · 13-109-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles.
Electrical System 2026-09-18 · 18-244-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
"this bulletin announces additional troubleshooting steps for the following dtcs: dtc c1956: rh actuator circuit dtc c1957: lh actuator circuit"
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-15 · SubaruNet Announcement (C · Other
this announcement provides an update to all 2027 model year subaru warranty coverages for wear items and adjustments.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-14 · 15-333-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. this is an revised version of the original bulletin.
Showing the 6 most recent of 206 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-29 · Lane Departure: Warning“i filled up my 2023 subaru crosstrek with gasoline and a short time later the check engine light came on as did the warning lights that the safety features associated with the eyesight system indicating it was no longer functioning. it encouraged me to get the car checked immediately. it turned out that i had not completely tightened the gas cap. …”
2026-10-18 · Power Train“2023 subaru crosstrek, 88,000 miles. oil temperature warning light illuminated on october 5, 2026; dealer diagnosed cvt torque converter failure requiring replacement ($2,954 repair). this is the second cvt failure in two months: the same dealer replaced the cvt valve body in august 2026 (~$3,400) for the same warning light. vehicle has remained pa…”
2026-09-01 · Service Brakes“often the brakes are squishy. they require me to push almost all the way down on the brake pedal to engage. this has happened several times of the last year.…”
2026-08-23 · Electrical System“the battery and electrical system died while i was at a red light in traffic on my way to work. i was stuck on a major road with trucks and traffic behind me while i was stuck in the middle lane. i had to wait for help to be pushed out of traffic to the sidewalk and wait for a jump. the subaru dealership confirmed this was an issue with their bat…”
2026-05-14 · Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking · 💥 crash“purchased vehicle 8/27/2025 within 1 day and 1 month of 2 separate class action lawsuits. purchased from carmax wilmington. car produced electrical shock to my hand first time i attempted to pair the vehicle. parkway stated at that time i was under an additional warranty but the vehicle would require constant “updates”. this was an intentional dece…”
2026-05-07 · Unknown Or Other“replaced battery 3 times. believe this car has the parasitic battery issue. attached on of the bills. looking for the other 2. …”
2026-05-04 · Service Brakes“the rear brakes keep engaging while the car is driving. we purchased the car in november 2022. this happened in december 2024 & at the time a dealership in [xxx] area (where my son attended college), said it was an issue and replaced parts in the brake system. yesterday while we were driving back from [xxx] to houston - the brakes started to m…”
2026-03-02 · Engine“passenger side valve cover gasket and spark plug seal failure.…”
2026-01-31 · Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking“i was driving today january 30th 2026 on the road going 35 mph into the sunlight and all of the sudden my vehicle acted like i slammed on my brakes and i jerked forward almost hitting my chin in the steering wheel. luckily no one was close behind me or i could have easily been hit. there was nothing in front of me so emergency brakes should not hav…”
2025-12-11 · Suspension“i've never taken my 23 crosstrek off the pavement i'm driving down hyw and my rear struts break my crosstrek has 38 thousand miles on it and it's only 3 and 1/2 years old i've owned many cars were if drove hundreds of thousands mile and none of them broke there struts going down the hyw…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.