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Owner-Reported Problems · NHTSA

2016 Subaru Crosstrek — Problems & Complaints

NHTSA has 132 owner complaints on file for this vehicle. Every report below was filed by a real owner with the US government's road-safety agency.

132
Complaints
filed with NHTSA
4
Involved a Crash
owner-reported
3
Involved Fire
owner-reported
1
Injuries
across all reports
Years to Avoid

Subaru Crosstrek — Complaints by Model Year

Years flagged AVOID have at least twice this model's average complaint count — the strongest public-data signal of a bad year.

0 complaints

0 complaints

2 complaints

26 complaints

0 complaints

0 complaints

132 complaints

97 complaints

195 complaints

285 complaints

69 complaints

115 complaints

31 complaints

34 complaints

Problem Areas

What Owners Complain About Most

Electrical System 37 reports
Unknown Or Other 34 reports
Power Train 18 reports
Engine 14 reports
Steering 13 reports
Fuel/propulsion System 8 reports
Vehicle Speed Control 6 reports
Structure 5 reports
In Their Own Words

Recent Owner Reports

Power Train ODI 11162593 12/19/2018

TODAY WE HAD THE THIRD WHEEL BEARING REPLACED ON THIS CAR. AT 43K MILES THE RIGHT REAR BEARING HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND THE LEFT REAR BEARING ONCE.

Electrical System ODI 11162595 12/19/2018

KEY IS STICKING IN IGNITION. WAS INFORMED THAT THERE IS A KNOWN FIX FOR A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT HAPPENS BUT IT WILL COST OVER $400 TO FIX. THIS IS A KNOWN DESIGN FLAW WITH A KNOWN SERVICE BULLETIN THAT MAKES A CHANGE TO A PIECE OF PLASTIC IN THE SHIFTER.

Unknown Or Other ODI 11162213 12/18/2018

I MADE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE CAR NOT STARTING, TOO MUCH OIL CONSUMPTION ETC...THEN ON NOVEMBER 11, 2018, AT 3.42PM I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 87 WHEN CAR STOPPED SUDDENLY, SMOKE CAME OUT AND FLAMES. IT BURNED DOWN IN 15 MINUTES. POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME TO TURN THE FIRE DOWN. THE CAR IS TOTAL LOSS. I COULD HAVE DIED

Engine ODI 11162235 12/18/2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 SUBARU CROSSTREK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. COLONIAL SUBARU (761 E CHESTER ST, KINGSTON, NY 12401, (845) 339-3330) ADVISED THE CONTACT TO GO TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO HAVE OIL ADDED TO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO SENT A LETTER TO SCHEDULE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER. THE DEALER CHANGED T…

Electrical System ODI 11443862 12/15/2021

I have had three occurrences with my vehicle where I discovered a dangerous situation in the manual heater and air conditioner control module connector that resulted in the module connector and the wiring harness connector both becoming scorched and melted due to excessive heat. I believe that this is probably occurring due to high electrical current at the connector. In all…

Same Vehicle

Recalls & Crash Tests

Complaints are one half of the picture — see the official recalls and NHTSA crash-test stars for the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek, or check your exact car by VIN with the free VIN lookup.

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Problems Checker

Any year, make and model: open the Car Problems Checker. Data: NHTSA (US DOT, public domain), cached up to 7 days.

Questions

FAQ

Is the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek reliable?
Owners have filed 132 safety complaints with NHTSA for the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek, most often about electrical system. Compare the complaint counts across model years above — a year with far more complaints than the model's average is the strongest 'avoid' signal in public data.
Which Subaru Crosstrek years should I avoid?
The rule of thumb used by analysts: a model year whose complaint count is well above the model's own average (we flag 2× or more) usually had a real manufacturing or design problem — not just noisy reporting. Use the year-by-year strip on this page.
Where do these complaints come from?
Directly from NHTSA, the US government road-safety agency. Any owner can file a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire; NHTSA publishes them as public domain data. We cache each lookup for up to 7 days.
Do complaints mean a recall is coming?
Sometimes. NHTSA opens defect investigations when complaint patterns emerge, and investigations can end in recalls. Check the recalls page for this vehicle to see what has already been recalled.