2016 Subaru Crosstrek Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 38,000 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

A/C Control Head and connector burned on both ends. Dealer service center stated it was a significant safety/fire hazard if we had not immediately taken in to be checked. No warning, no fuses out. Only indication something was wrong is a/c turned on but only on 1,2 and 4. Then, same day, only on 4. Next day took to Subaru service center.…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Battery drain Bought new battery Got dcm update Pulled dcm fuse Still battery goes dead Thousands of vehicles involved Suburu knows the cause To expensive to fix Please help3/3Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 40,000 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

2016 subaru crosstrek, key becomes stuck in ignition. Must move shift lever out of and into p(ark) position several times before key can be turned to the proper position to remove it. Commonly happens when parking vehicle.Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 60,000 miles

I put my car into park and I try to turn my car off the key turns half way and stops. I can't get the key out. I try again by turning the car on and off. Sometimes that works. Sometimes putting it into drive and and then park again works. It is becoming a problem more and more frequent. It can take up to 3 minutes of fidgeting to get the…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 53,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 80,000 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

The Crosstrek has a broken cam carrier. It is a design flaw and known issue of Subaru Crosstrek. A broken or leaking cam carrier is dangerous to the vehicle because it directly compromises engine lubrication, structural integrity, and electrical safety. The cam carrier acts as a structural housing that keeps the camshafts securely in…Owner complaint, filed 2026

While driving my 2016 Subaru Crosstrek (VIN: [XXX]) at approximately 70,000 miles, the vehicle experienced a sudden, catastrophic cooling system rupture on the roadway without any prior dashboard warning light. A radiator hose burst, resulting in rapid, complete loss of engine coolant and steam, creating an immediate safety hazard and…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 20,000 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

No power steering backing up after starting the car. Warning light came on. Turned engine off and back on still no power steering. Parked waited 15 minutes tried again and the steering worked only felt a little loose.Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 39,208 miles

Power steering fails when first starting vehicle.has happened on many occasions.loss iof power steering lasts from a few seconds to 10 to 15 seconds,resolves by itself.heard on several occasions from dealer that they can not reproduce problem. Feel it is a serious problem may lead to low speed accident.steering warning light does come…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 3,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 73,000 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 the highway with a quarter tank of gas, without warning, my vehicle's engine turned off. As I was in the left lane at the time, I was forced to pull over onto the small shoulder. There were two other occupants in the car and the nearest roadside assistance was an hour away. There were no warning lights or messages prior…Owner complaint, filed 2021

My vehicle (2016 subaru crosstrek, 74k miles) became completely unresponsive during highway speeds twice in one week. I was traveling approx. 80mph on the interstate when the gas pedal stopped working. My vehicle started to decelerate for a few seconds before completely shutting down and I was able to coast to the side of the road. The…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 73,441 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 18,000 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

This is a complaint about subaru dealers not responding to a recall in what I would call a timely manner. I cannot tell where on your website to submit this. It is very confusing. It says to submit a complaint of this type, but doesn't tell where. I got a recall for the brake light issue. I consider this a very high priority. The dealer…Owner complaint, filed 2019

Had to have rear brakes replaces on vehicle at 36,000 miles. Front brakes should wear out before rear brakes. Rotors were rusted out. Also the downhill alert light would come on randomly on flat surfaces which causes rear brakes to engage. Because the light is sporadic, dealer would not do anything.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 36,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that the windshield had cracked without impact. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 72,885.Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 72,885 miles

The glass of my sunroof exploded while I was driving on the freeway. I was not close behind any car and I was not going under an overpass. Luckily the inside of the sunroof was closed so the exploding class did not hit me.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 33,400 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 32,000 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

On freeway, car suddenly did not want to accelerate when pushing on the gas. Car then [VIN] until I pulled over on the side of the road, almost coming to a complete stop, and then I pushed on gas and it [VIN] again.Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 58,700 miles

I was driving to a town about 12 miles away via the highway. After 10 miles my accelerator no longer functioned and the ABS light, the vehicle dynamics control light, and the hill start assist warning light come on. I took the car out of gear so I could coast to a spot to pull off the highway and after pumping the accelerator a few…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 26,500 miles

Parts named most: Body (5).

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

How was your safety or the safety o others put at risk? On [XXX], I bought a 2016 Subaru Crosstrek. Unfortunately, I fell into the bad and abusive practice of buying a car as is since at no time did that used car dealer in Raleigh inform about the correction and rust that is underneath the car. If they had said so, I would not buy the…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Driving at 55 miles per hour and the hood safety latch failed. Hood smashed the windshield and rained glass down inside the car. The hood hyper extended damaging the fenders on the right and left. It also damaged the plastic around the wipers. Terrifying experience. Zero visibility caused me to slam on my breaks almost causing another…Owner complaint, filed 2024

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

Premature rear wheel bearing failure, both rear wheels at 29,000 miles. Dealer service technician states vehicle is unsafe to drive.Owner complaint, filed 2022

The whole control arm broke and the car only had 44 000 miles on it had to replace it and the radiator cracked too with so many little miles contacted subaru no answer they wont even reimburse me paid over 2 gran to fix it very unreliable carOwner complaint, filed 2021

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

On 3/30 my steering column started to make a grinding sound when I turned my steering wheel over 90 degrees to make a turn. On 3/31 the airbag light went on and I made an appointment to bring it in to get looked at by my nearest Subaru dealership (Tacoma Subaru). I was told the light meant the airbags would not deploy if I got into a car…Owner complaint, filed 2023

This is a suspected problem with the side airbags located in the driver/front passenger seats. The seat upholstery has two straps that guide the airbag into the upholstery seam when the airbag deploys. Over time, the straps chafe on the sharp edges of the seat frame and wear through. As a result, there is a risk that the seat airbag will…Owner complaint, filed 2021

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

While at posted highway speeds through twisting roads, the vehicle developed a wheel vibration. Stopped to inspect the wheels, found right rear wheel missing 4 of 5 lug bolts. Lug bolts were sheared off. Vehicle has 81,000 miles, tires rotated 7 months prior to this event.Owner complaint, filed 2023

When turning clicking noise was coming from wheel area. Car has only 50,000 miles. When I took car in for oil check mechanic checked it out for me. They ended up replacing the passenger cv axle.Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 53,000 miles

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

Tracking number 11217079:this is to add photos showing that seat height adjust lever after wear protrudes from seat base casting, and catches pants cuff on exiting causing tripping.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 500 miles

Lever to adjust driver seat height has tip at front edge of driver seat. Lever loosens and tip protrudes such that on exiting car it often traps pants cuff and has nearly dumped me onto highway if I am distracted and not concentrating on avoiding this. Subaru corrected on later models by moving tip 3 inches back out of cuff radius, which…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 200 miles