2026 Subaru Crosstrek problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Vehicle Speed Control (2) · Structure:body (1) · Seat Belts (1)
🧭 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 (1)
Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint 2026-10-19 · campaign 26V685000 · 8 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek and Forester vehicles. The castle nut on the left-front lower control arm ball joint may be improperly fastened, which can lead to the ball joint separating from the lower control arm.
Risk: A ball joint that separates from the lower control arm can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and replace the left-front lower control arm ball joint assembly, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 16, 2026. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRI26.
Service bulletins (60)
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 60 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-26 · Unknown Or Other“i rented this car and what i noticed is that the highly polished lcd display reflects sunlight into the driver's eyes. this was noticed while driving north at approximately 7:30am until 10:00am. the reflection is actually blinding. the screen should have a matte finish to minimize this blinding reflection.…”
2026-10-24 · Lane Departure: Assist“multiple times the vehicle has allowed lane crossing with no warning neither actual assist or beep into oncoming traffic. a vehicle abruptly stopped approximately 75 feet ahead of me the vehicle did not respond and i did have to slam my brakes. i was able to stop with only 3 feet between me and the stopped vehicle. automatic collision avoidance nei…”
2026-10-12 · Structure:body“the front door check strap / door detent mechanism (both front doors). the vehicle is in my possession and available for inspection upon request. vin and service records available. the front doors do not hold reliably in their intermediate detent positions. the door swings closed unintentionally, with no input from the occupant, on a near-daily ba…”
2026-08-05 · Vehicle Speed Control“on xxx while driving my brand-new 2026 subaru crosstrek with approximately 63 miles on the odometer, the vehicle suddenly lost acceleration. the at oil temp warning flashed, followed by the check engine light and multiple eyesight and driver assistance warning lights. i immediately pulled off the road because i did not feel it was safe to continue …”
2026-07-19 · Electrical System“the 2026 subaru crosstrek was sitting in the garage since 07/17/2026. i went out on 07/19/2026 to go to church. i tried to start it and it clicked rapidly like the battery didn't have enough juice to actually start it.…”
2026-07-13 · Unknown Or Other“the sunroof shattered for no apparent reason. the car was parked in my garage. something caused it to explode outwardly from within tempered glass fell going all over the front seats. some of the glass stood in place, but would come crashing down if i was to drive it from the wind force. …”
2026-07-12 · Vehicle Speed Control · 💥 crash“the aed, braking, cameras and lane centering systems failed and caused a crash into the highway barrier suddenly due to defects in the driver assist systems defect in the electronic safety systems causing the steering wheel to turn forcefully to the barrier striking it. this happened without any warning despite driver input to stop the sudden st…”
2026-07-12 · Unknown Or Other“my vehicle requires multiple restarts after the engine is turned off to go forward or reverse. this has been happening since april 2026. i purchased the vehicle on 02/28/2026. my dealer claims they have not found any issues. however, the problem persists.…”
2026-05-13 · Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking“on may 13, 2026 at approximately 2:50 pm, i experienced an unexpected activation of the eyesight pre-collision braking system in my 2026 subaru crosstrek while pulling into the chick-fil-a entrance area in [xxx] . the vehicle suddenly applied hard braking even though there was no imminent collision in front of me. the sudden braking created a haza…”
2026-02-26 · Seat Belts“not an 'incident' but seat belt does not adjust low enough for an average short woman (5'1") without draping across lower neck. i have adjusted the slide on side panel to lowest point but seat belt still cuts across neck (not collar bone area). this is standard for all similar cars and i feel a seatbelt across one's neck is a safety concern tha…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.