2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
5/5
Safety Rating
247
Owner Complaints
5
Recalls
59
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK
The 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK has received a total of 247 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 10 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM):SOFTWARE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION. 59 technical service bulletins have been issued by Subaru of America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Visibilitywiper (64 complaints), Unknown Or Other (39 complaints), and Engine (30 complaints).
Recalls for the 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK
NHTSA has recorded 10 recalls for the 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK, potentially affecting up to 3,415,235 vehicles.
Recall 21V264000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
| 466,205 vehicles affected
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Subaru Impreza and 2018-2019 Crosstrek vehicles. The Engine Control Module (ECM) may continue to power the ignition coil after the engine is shut off, causing a short circuit.
Consequence: A short circuit in the ignition coils may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will update the ECM software, replace the ignition coils and, if necessary, the front exhaust pipe, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning June 1, 2021. Owners can contact Subaru customer service...
View full details →Recall 21V264000 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM):SOFTWARE
| 466,205 vehicles affected
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Subaru Impreza and 2018-2019 Crosstrek vehicles. The Engine Control Module (ECM) may continue to power the ignition coil after the engine is shut off, causing a short circuit.
Consequence: A short circuit in the ignition coils may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will update the ECM software, replace the ignition coils and, if necessary, the front exhaust pipe, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning June 1, 2021. Owners can contact Subaru customer service...
View full details →Recall 21V264000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
| 466,205 vehicles affected
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Subaru Impreza and 2018-2019 Crosstrek vehicles. The Engine Control Module (ECM) may continue to power the ignition coil after the engine is shut off, causing a short circuit.
Consequence: A short circuit in the ignition coils may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will update the ECM software, replace the ignition coils and, if necessary, the front exhaust pipe, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning June 1, 2021. Owners can contact Subaru customer service...
View full details →Recall 21V264000 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
| 466,205 vehicles affected
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Subaru Impreza and 2018-2019 Crosstrek vehicles. The Engine Control Module (ECM) may continue to power the ignition coil after the engine is shut off, causing a short circuit.
Consequence: A short circuit in the ignition coils may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will update the ECM software, replace the ignition coils and, if necessary, the front exhaust pipe, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning June 1, 2021. Owners can contact Subaru customer service...
View full details →Recall 21V263000 — SUSPENSION:REAR
| 408,271 vehicles affected
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Subaru Crosstrek, 2019 Crosstrek Hybrid, and 2019 Forester vehicles. The rear stabilizer bracket bolts may loosen and detach.
Consequence: Missing bolts may allow the rear stabilizer bracket to shift, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will retorque and replace any missing bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 17, 2021. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRD-21.
View full details →Recall 19V743000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
| 466,205 vehicles affected
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Impreza and 2018-2019 Crosstrek vehicles. The Engine Control Module (ECM) may continue to power the ignition coil after the engine is shut off, which could result in a short circuit and blown fuse.
Consequence: If a short circuit occurs while driving, the vehicle may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will update the ECM software and inspect and replace the ignition coil, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, on vehicles with confirmed ignition coil damage and a certain stored diagnostic trouble code (DTC),...
View full details →Recall 19V743000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
| 466,205 vehicles affected
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Impreza and 2018-2019 Crosstrek vehicles. The Engine Control Module (ECM) may continue to power the ignition coil after the engine is shut off, which could result in a short circuit and blown fuse.
Consequence: If a short circuit occurs while driving, the vehicle may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will update the ECM software and inspect and replace the ignition coil, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, on vehicles with confirmed ignition coil damage and a certain stored diagnostic trouble code (DTC),...
View full details →Recall 19V744000 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV)
| 205,000 vehicles affected
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Impreza and 2018 Crosstrek vehicles equipped with an aluminum Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve. The PCV valve may come apart, allowing the separated components to enter the engine, possibly resulting in a loss of power while driving.
Consequence: An unexpected loss of power while driving can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the PCV valve, free of charge. If the PCV valve has separated and the components cannot be found, the engine will be replaced, free of charge. The recall...
View full details →Recall 17V701000 — SERVICE BRAKES
| 2,367 vehicles affected
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Crosstrek vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with an incorrect floor mat retention bracket, allowing the floor mat to move out of position and interfere with the accelerator or brake pedal operation.
Consequence: If the floor mat moves out of position and interferes with the accelerator or brake pedal operation, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the floor mat retention bracket and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 14, 2017. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall...
View full details →Recall 17V701000 — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
| 2,367 vehicles affected
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Crosstrek vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with an incorrect floor mat retention bracket, allowing the floor mat to move out of position and interfere with the accelerator or brake pedal operation.
Consequence: If the floor mat moves out of position and interferes with the accelerator or brake pedal operation, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the floor mat retention bracket and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 14, 2017. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK
247 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
Most Recent Complaints
Vehicle was maintained by dealer and out of the blue, started bucking intermittently while driving resulting in an unsafe driving experience. took it to the dealer to evaluate, told us, "They could change the transmission fluid and filter to see if that fixes the problem." they were not sure that would fix the issue. After researching issue, saw there were numerous complaints about the transmission in the 2018 crosstreks. Call a professional transmission shop and will be making an appointment with them in the near future. They told me (and I found out through my own research) if is was the transmission filter and fluid, it would act up all the time, not just intermittently. And... the dealer wanted to charge me $665 to change the filter/fluid and not sure it would fix the problem, seriously? so now I have to wait and see what the transmission shop says. I have also seen post about the ignition box also gives issues, so who knows, maybe it is the ignition cutting out causing it to "buck" every here and there. Either way, the vehicle is unsafe to drive and could potentially cause a major accident if the transmission locks up or the ignition totally cuts out. Should be a recall either way and Subaru should be responsible for it. This is nothing we have done that could've prevented this issue.
The front windshield spontaneously developed a crack about 5 inches long which later suddenly increased to about 15 inches in length. It is our understanding that this problem has occurred in the windshields of other Subaru models. The internet states that Subaru windshields have had a tendency to crack without impact due to the windshield's angle or thinness to accommodate Eyesight technology.
All four tire pressure monitoring sensors failed on my 2018 Subaru Crosstrek at approximately 69,000 miles. The TPMS light remains illuminated, and the system no longer provides low-tire-pressure warnings. Subaru of America acknowledged the issue but declined full repair coverage, offering only partial “Goodwill assistance.” Because TPMS is a federally mandated safety system, a full-system failure poses the risk of operating the vehicle without tire-pressure warning capability. The dealership quoted approximately $1,000 to restore the system. Subaru’s decision to deny full coverage leaves the safety defect uncorrected.
Driver seat has came loose from its structure, this has been reported by many other owners, the seat track fail and the seat rock back, hopefully it don't fall off track while driving and injure someone, VERY UNSAFE! the other SAFETY issue with our Subaru is the Infotainment system goes on and off intermit with no warning while driving and radio goes on HIGH VOLUME creating health and HEARING damage, very unhealthy for anyone in vehicle when this happens, Dealership says there is no recall for these items, well there should be, let's keep AMERICA safe again, thanks!
Driver seat has came loose from its structure, this has been reported by many other owners, the seat track fail and the seat rock back, hopefully it don't fall off track while driving and injure someone, VERY UNSAFE! the other SAFETY issue with our Subaru is the Infotainment system goes on and off intermit with no warning while driving and radio goes on HIGH VOLUME creating health and HEARING damage, very unhealthy for anyone in vehicle when this happens, Dealership says there is no recall for these items, well there should be, let's keep AMERICA safe again, thanks!
Safety Rating for the 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK
The 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK
Subaru of America, Inc. has issued 59 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
09-120-24 — ENGINE
"This bulletin announces availability of new reprograming files for the Engine Control Module (ECM) developed to remedy the following DTCs: P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0087."
FAQ 15-317-24R — EQUIPMENT
T16 Warranty Extension (15-317-24R) Frequently Asked Questions.
15-317-24R — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Subaru has extended the Data Communication Module (DCM) warranty from 3 years 36,000mi to 8 years or 100,000mi. In rare cases, customers may experience a dead battery as a result of the DCM continually trying to access the 3G network.
Subaru notice to — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This letter provides information regarding the warranty extension for the Telematics Data Communications Module (DCM).
12-236-23 — STEERING
This bulletin announces the design change made to the leather wrapped steering wheels.
18-230-22 — EQUIPMENT
The purpose of this bulletin is to provide a description of current changes to Service Manuals.
WRE-21R — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM):SOFTWARE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 model year Impreza and 2018-2019 model year Crosstrek vehicles to check and, if necessary, update the ECM programming, and to replace all four ignition coils in each vehicle.
06-82-21 — SUSPENSION
This bulletin provides a service procedure to address a squeaking-type sound from the rear suspension area customers may hear when going over bumps.
12-299-20R — SEATS
This bulletin announces a design change made to the outer hinge cover on the driverâs 10-way adjustable power seats.
10-98-20R — EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
This bulletin announces availability of new A/C compressor assemblies designed to address customer concerns of reduced system performance accompanied by a rattling and/or scraping type sound.
Showing 10 of 59 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the SUBARU CROSSTREK
- 2013 SUBARU CROSSTREK — 35 complaints
- 2014 SUBARU CROSSTREK — 22 complaints
- 2015 SUBARU CROSSTREK — 27 complaints
- 2016 SUBARU CROSSTREK — 164 complaints
- 2017 SUBARU CROSSTREK — 132 complaints
- 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK (current)
- 2019 SUBARU CROSSTREK — 349 complaints
- 2020 SUBARU CROSSTREK — 73 complaints
- 2021 SUBARU CROSSTREK — 135 complaints
- 2022 SUBARU CROSSTREK — 41 complaints
- 2023 SUBARU CROSSTREK — 44 complaints
Other SUBARU Models
- SUBARU OUTBACK — 12,068 total complaints
- SUBARU FORESTER — 8,432 total complaints
- SUBARU LEGACY — 4,117 total complaints
- SUBARU IMPREZA — 3,406 total complaints
- SUBARU ASCENT — 1,230 total complaints
- SUBARU WRX — 1,207 total complaints
- SUBARU SVX — 373 total complaints
- SUBARU XV CROSSTREK — 354 total complaints