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Subaru · NHTSA safety record

2021 Subaru Crosstrek

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

112

Complaints

8

Crashes

2

Fires

6

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek have filed 112 safety complaints with NHTSA between December 2020 and July 2026. The most complained-about system is visibility and the wipers, named in 29 of them (26%). The typical failure was reported at 2,460 miles, the median across the 17 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 1 recall covering this vehicle.

Recalls (1)

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH

23V755000 · November 9, 2023

The defect
Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
The risk
An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WRQ-23.

Subaru of America, Inc. · up to 95,830 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 112.

VISIBILITY/WIPER 29 26%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 24 21%
ENGINE 16 14%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 15 13%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 14 13%
POWER TRAIN 14 13%
LANE DEPARTURE 5 4%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4 4%
VISIBILITY 4 4%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 3 3%
SEATS 3 3%
SERVICE BRAKES 3 3%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2021 at 25.

2020 2021 2026
2020 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

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

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

2 injured · crash · towed

While driving on the highway in the slow lane (furthest to the right), traveling at approximately 50 mph, I came to be behind a tractor trailer. Before I had a chance to pass the tractor trailer, it switched lanes abruptly. My vision past/beyond (in front of) the tractor trailer was heavily obstructed by the massive vehicle itself, so I could not see that in front of the 18-wheeler there was a mid-size sedan traveling at approximately 5-10 mph in the same active highway lane I was in. I had almost no time to react, and neither the Automatic Emergency Braking system nor the Forward Collision Warning system engaged. Both of these systems should have activated to prevent the collision and/or

NHTSA complaint 11538947, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEAT BELTS

2 injured · crash · towed

We were rear ended on the interstate. Cars in front of us stopped and we also came to a complete stop and a few moments later we were hit. During the collision, none of the airbags were deployed. Both our front seats fully reclined backwards. None of our seatbelts locked. Only the two seats that no one was in locked. Also, my headrest completely broke off. Our car was later determined by the insurance to be totaled.

NHTSA complaint 11673646. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

1 injured · crash · towed · 1,300 miles

The contact owned a 2021 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while parking and the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle accelerated unexpectedly and collided with a wall. The collision was at the front of the vehicle. The air bags deployed. The driver sustained arm, leg, thumb, back, and nose injuries. Medical attention was needed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,300.

NHTSA complaint 11545362. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

1 injured · crash

In the winter of 2021-22, while parallel parking, backing up, then pressing the brake, my Crosstrek spontaneously accelerated in reverse and rammed into the truck already parked behind me. The Crosstrek paused, then rammed again, as I pressed harder on the brake. I put the car into “park” and turned off the engine. I was baffled and had no explanation for what happened. Thank goodness a person wasn’t between my Crosstrek and the truck. More recently, on October 4, 2022, I was at the post office mailbox drop-off. My Crosstrek was stopped with my foot on the brake. Some mail had fallen out of the overstuffed mailbox, I opened my door, set my foot outside, leaned over to pick up the mail, and

NHTSA complaint 11492507, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Was driving on highway when all of the lights on my dash illuminated. Eventually I got a warning for oil at temp alarm. Was giving code P2757 and P0700. Looks like this a common issue in Subarus but doesn’t look like it covers anything after 2020.

NHTSA complaint 11754078. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
- Rod #4 failure of unknown cause, although there is speculation that current failure may be related to a major repair in oil system a year ago. - My safety along with my unborn child’s, husband’s and brother in law’s were all at risk. Another driver had to take evasive action to avoid hitting us in an active fast lane on I-70 going between 65-70 mph. There was no shoulder available to pull off on until a half mile up the road. - Yes the problem has been confirmed from the dealership partially. They did not identify a cause for the sudden failure. However stated it could not be determined if this failure is or is not related to a previous major engine repair made a year ago. - The engine

NHTSA complaint 11750897, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION

85,000 miles

The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds and turning to the right or the left, the steering wheel and the vehicle were shaking and vibrating abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the control arms and struts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

NHTSA complaint 11750237. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Viscous Coupling and center differential failing. unable to turn at low speeds. Low mileage vehicle, under 40,000. This is a several 1000$ repair that happens right after warranty

NHTSA complaint 11750393. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Thermo Control Valve (TCV) causes a check engine light to come on and disables eyesight issue started May 29, 2026. The check engine would go on and off. Now it just stays

NHTSA complaint 11748542. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The DCM on our 2021 Subaru Crosstrek is causing a parasitic drain on the battery. It left us stranded several times. We replaced the battery twice in the past 15 months. There is a class action lawsuit against Subaru for this exact problem, but they won't replace it on our vehicle because it has over 45,000 miles. A defective DCM is a widely known problem with many Subaru models. We never received notice of this problem from Subaru, nor were there any warnings, messages, or indications that this was a problem, until we took it to a mechanic for service, who sent us to a Subaru dealer because it had to be repaired by them.

NHTSA complaint 11743228. 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 —
2020 68 0 —
2019 284 7 —
2018 194 5 —
2017 94 1 —
2016 131 1 —
2015 17 1 —
2014 16 1 —
2013 25 1 —

Other 2021 Subaru models

Outback 294 Forester 207 Ascent 100 Legacy 31 Impreza 14 WRX 13

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