2014 Subaru Crosstrek Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 60,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2014 Subaru Crosstrek on May 22, 2026. The sale was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was recorded at 77,441. The contact later purchased a CARFAX report which was reported at 214,767 in February 2026. The contact reported the information to the local authorities.Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 77,441 miles

Ignition key keeps intermittently locking into ignition when trying to retrieve key. Putting vehicle in park, key will turn engine off, but then will not turn all the way to release the key. Key has a key fob, vehicle is placed on parking gear. Sometimes restarting vehicle can help, sometimes shifting gears and driving vehicle again can…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 74,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

The clutch throw out bearing and clutch needs to be replaced at 54,000 miles because of failure. This is a $2000 repair! This is a KNOWN issue, why isn’t this a recall?Owner complaint, filed 2021

On June 11, 2021, my wife and I were driving our 2014 Subaru Crosstrek (120,000 miles) from Milwaukee to Manitowish Waters, WI. About 20 miles north of Milwaukee on I-41 Northbound, my wife was driving at 70 mph when suddenly we both noticed a strong lurching from the CVT transmission. This was followed a few seconds later by a complete…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 120,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 60,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

Rear brake rotors and pads are wearing prematurely. Repairs to replace both were done in 2020 with mileage of 50,786. They needed to be done again in 2022 with mileage of only 63,000.Owner complaint, filed 2022

Rolling into a stop sign, the brakes did not work and was stuck- extremely difficult to step on. It eventually loosened after about 7 seconds and I was able to stop, but had to run the stop sign and almost hit a car. This occurred when the temperature was about 25 degrees F outside. Upon reading on forums and in a Subaru bulletin (#…Owner complaint, filed 2021

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 82,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

I am reporting a complete engine failure on my 2014 Subaru Crosstrek at 140,000 miles due to a valve spring issue that appears to match Subaru’s Recall WTY-84 (NHTSA Campaign 18V772000). I checked my VIN and it currently shows no open recalls, but I’ve reviewed Subaru’s own documentation that lists 2013, 2016 Crosstreks as affected by…Owner complaint, filed 2025

There is a problem with 2014-2016 with ac compressor and clutch. Its an expensive fix and they will only fix if you have an extended warranty. They updated the part but no one can afford it. Mine is starting to go, it gets extremely loud. It is stationary and while driving. Here is the link…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 119,500 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 48,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

Airbag deployed for no reason, while pulling forward slowly from a parking spot. An airbag that deploys when there is no impact or collision is a clear risk to the safety of the driver, passengers and other drivers on the road.Owner complaint, filed 2023

The passenger side air bag shuts off after driving in the vehicle for 45 mins or more. The vehicle is still in motion when the air bag symbols on the dashboard signals it is now shut off. The passenger is still seated in the seat. The vehicle may be on city street or highway, it makes no difference.Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 150,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 14,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Started the car and a warning light came on and the steering froze. I turned it off for the day. The next day I started it and it didn’t freeze again. I’m concerned that while driving the steering will lock up and cause an accident and possible injury or kill me. My uncle reached out to Subaru of America. They didn’t offer any help. They…Owner complaint, filed 2023

The vehicle had 51666 miles on it when I last serviced it for an oil change in Oct. of 2021. The owner puts very few miles on the vehicle. The vehicle would be available for inspection by your agency. At this time, no specific component has been identified in the intermittent failure. 2016 and newer Subaru's have recalls on similar…Owner complaint, filed 2022

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 37,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

I was driving on the turnpike, all my dash lights went on, & the car started bucking like an unbroken horse at 70 miles an hour while I was surrounded by tractor trailers. I managed to get home by switching the car to manual shifting. Taking the car to the subaru dealer, I was told by the service department: 1. That rodents had eaten…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 37,000 miles

The contact owns a 2014 subaru xv crosstrek. While backing the vehicle into the garage, the vehicle [VIN] rapidly and crashed into the garage beam. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 5,000.Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 5,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 60,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

It is october 2018 and I have replaced my headlights three times since february 2018. The lights continuously burn out. I have read forums online of others complaining about this, as well.Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 60,000 miles

I was driving to a job sight from Houston to Corpus Christi. About 10 min from the job sight I here a loud pop on top of my roof. I opened up my sunroof viser to see what had happened. The glass broke. Nothing hit the glass. It just broke! Luckly I had the roof viser closed when it happened.There are thousands of forums stating the same…Owner complaint, filed 2023

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

Metal Frame of side torso area of seat wore through foam. very sharp and painful could possibly cut skin and impact in crash could be medically dangerous.Owner complaint, filed 2026

The driver headrest. I am a 72 year old driver who is 5'. I just purchased this used car on 9/4/15, have gone maybe 20 miles so far, and my neck is killing me. The headrest just dosen't hit the back of my head or top of my head at any point that is comfortable and now, so soon, my neck hurts! I feel less in control of this car because I…Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 3,842 miles

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

While driving straight at approximately 35 MPH on a 34 degree day on a clear road, we heard a loud noise from the roof. We pulled over and saw that the sun roof had spontaneously ruptured and exploded outward. Luckily the sliding door to the sun roof was closed. When examining the sun roof, there was no evidence of anything hitting the…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 60,000 miles

The hood opened on my 2014 subaru crosstrek while driving causing extensive damage. Curious about other reports and who to contact at subaru?Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 104,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

While driving on highway the engine died, I was able to pull over and stop safely. The engine turned over when I turned the key but would not start. The fuel gauge showed one full bar of fuel and the fuel mileage reading showed 60 miles till empty. I contacted roadside assistance and after 2 hours was able to put 4 gallons of fuel in the…Owner complaint, filed 2023

I own a Subaru Crosstrek XV Limited which I purchased new in November 2014. I was in a line of vehicles on a street waiting to enter a business parking lot and drive-thru. There was an incline from the street into the parking lot. The vehicle in front of me reached the top of the incline and turned right into the parking lot. With my…Owner complaint, filed 2021

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

Around sept. 2019 my 2014 subaru crosstrek started making a clicking noise when I made a left or right turn from a stop. My subaru had 47,000 miles on it. The noise continued to get worse and it started having a vibration in it. Its now starting to catch when you make a left or right turn from a stop. I had it checked out and was told my…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 47,000 miles

My vehicle was purchased by me at 24k miles I have driven now to 70k miles and need 2 new front axels. I have been sitting at the dealership for 3 hours and they have gone through 3 different [VIN] axels on the left side. This is not the first time this car has given me issues but being less than 100k miles and needing 2 new axles?? That…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 69,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Ask for a hybrid battery health report from a dealer or hybrid shop.
• Watch for warning messages at startup and on the test drive, and confirm the car switches between gas and electric smoothly.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Check Hybrid System" message was displayed on the instrument panel before the hybrid system shut off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with high voltage battery failure due to the battery being filled with…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 77,800 miles