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Subaru · NHTSA safety record

2014 Subaru Crosstrek

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

16

Complaints

2

Crashes

1

Fires

0

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2014 Subaru Crosstrek have filed 16 safety complaints with NHTSA between July 2017 and July 2019. The most complained-about system is the power train, named in 7 of them (44%). The typical failure was reported at 60,000 miles, the median across the 13 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 1 recall covering this vehicle.

Recalls (1)

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

19V149000 · February 28, 2019

The defect
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.
The risk
Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
The remedy
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.

Subaru of America, Inc. · up to 1,303,530 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 16.

POWER TRAIN 7 44%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 19%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2 13%
ENGINE 2 13%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 13%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 13%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 13%
STRUCTURE 1 6%
SUSPENSION 1 6%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2019 at 8.

2017 2019
2017 to 2019

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire · 53,000 miles

ON NOVEMBER 11TH, 2017 AT 12:30AM A POLICE OFFICER WOKE US UP TO INFORM US THAT OUR HAD SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON A CITY STREET, TURNED OFF, AND NOT MOVING. THE CAR HAD BEEN PARKED AND TURNED OFF FOR FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 HOURS BEFORE IT CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RULED THAT IT WAS A MECHANICAL FAILURE AND NOT ARSON. THE FIRE ALSO TOTALED THE CAR THAT WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF IT. THE REASON FOR THE FIRE IS CURRENTLY UNKNOWN ALTHOUGH THE INSURANCE COMPANY IS ASSIGNING AN INVESTIGATOR TO FOLLOW UP ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S REPORT. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED AS A PRE-OWNED LEASE AND HAD 53,000 MILES ON IT. WE ALSO HAD ROUTINE MAINTENANCE PREFORMED AND OIL CHANGES

NHTSA complaint 11045364, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

crash · 90,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU CROSSTREK. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY REVVED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A CONCRETE BARRIER. THE DEALER (DELLA SUBARU, 5105 U.S. AVE, PLATTSBURGH, NY 12901, (518) 324-8400) DENIED ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA complaint 11161315. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

crash · 60,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU CROSSTREK. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED AND DID NOT STOP THE VEHICLE IN TIME TO AVOID A REAR END COLLISION. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V149000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ON MAY 28, 2018 AND HAD NUMEROUS FAILURES, INCLUDING THE CLUTCH FAILING AND THE BUSHING ON THE FRONT CONTROL ARM WAS CRACKED AND RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS SOLD CERTIFIED BY SUBARU EL CAJON (900 ARNELE AVE, EL CAJON, CA 92020, (619) 440-0404) WHO STATED THAT ANY FAILURE THAT OCCURRED WOULD BE REPLACED AT NO COST. THE DEALER

NHTSA complaint 11205309, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
2014 SUBARU XV CROSSTREK. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO NHTSA SAFETY RECALL 19V-149. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE RECALL PERFORMED. *JS

NHTSA complaint 11231295. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

114,000 miles

THIS LETTER IS TO DOCUMENT AN INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED ON 6/27/19 AT APPROX. 2 PM EST IN DANBURY, CT ON I84. I WAS PROCEEDING WEST ON I84 IN MY 2014 SUBARU CROSSTREK WHEN THE VEHICLE SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC INTERNAL FAILURE OF THE CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION (CVT) ASSEMBLY, RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF WHEEL ROTATION (WHEELS LOCKING UP) WHICH LASTED FOR ALMOST 2 SECONDS. I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND, WHILE ALMOST STRUCK BY A TRACTOR-TRAILER THAT WAS FOLLOWING ME IN THE CENTER LANE, WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO COLONIAL SUBARU IN DANBURY, CT WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A COMPLETE INTERNAL FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION REQUIRING A REPLACEMENT. I

NHTSA complaint 11229075, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY

104,000 miles

THE HOOD OPENED ON MY 2014 SUBARU CROSSTREK WHILE DRIVING CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. CURIOUS ABOUT OTHER REPORTS AND WHO TO CONTACT AT SUBARU?

NHTSA complaint 11219814. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

49,500 miles

LOSS OF POWER/VEHICLE DIES WHILE IN DRIVING. DASHBOARD LIGHTS COME ON. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, VEHICLE DYNAMICS CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON. HILL START ASSIST LIGHT COMES ON. VEHICLE HAS NO POWER.

NHTSA complaint 11207608. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

99,950 miles

ALL DASH LIGHTS CAME ON AT AROUND 99980 MILEAGE, INCLUDING BLINKING OIL AT TEMPERATURE DASH LIGHT, ABS LIGHT, HILL LIGHT, TRACTION CONTROL AND CHECK ENGINE LINE. IT IS ALSO SLUGGISH UPON ACCELERATION WHEN I FIRST START. AT FIRST START ONLY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON THEN AFTER SLUGGISH ACCELERATION ALL THE LIGHTS ABOVE COME ON. CRUISE LIGHT FLASHES AND CRUISE DOESNT WORK AND SHIFTING PADDLES DONT WORK. ALL LIGHTS CAME ON WHEN I TURNED ON CAR TO MOVE IT.

NHTSA complaint 11204483. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Subaru Crosstrek

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 43 0 —
2024 110 2 —
2023 32 0 —
2021 112 1 —
2020 68 0 —
2019 284 7 —
2018 194 5 —
2017 94 1 —
2016 131 1 —
2015 17 1 —
2013 25 1 —

Other 2014 Subaru models

Forester 403 Outback 208 Impreza 108 XV Crosstrek 81 Legacy 53

Every Subaru on this site — 97 vehicles, 147 recall campaigns and 1 open investigation .

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst