Complaint volume
193 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2018 Subaru Crosstrek Complaints
193 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Subaru Crosstrek, grouped by component category.
193 Total complaints
10 Crash reports
1 Fire reports
1 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are visibility/wiper, unknown or other, electrical system. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 10 crash reports, 1 fire report, 1 injury report, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 117 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 23,314 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to visibility/wiper, unknown or other, electrical system?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2018 Subaru Crosstrek?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2018 Subaru Crosstrek complaints?
10 Crash
1 Fire
1 Injury
0 Fatality
6 Towed
1 Medical attention
What are the most common 2018 Subaru Crosstrek complaint categories?
VISIBILITY/WIPER 56
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 25
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 18
ENGINE 15
POWER TRAIN 6
VISIBILITY 6
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 5
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 4
STRUCTURE 4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3
193 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2018 Subaru Crosstrek rapidly accelerated unexpectedly while pulling into a parking space with the foot on the brake. Hit a concrete pole and sustained vehicle damage and injuries. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Medical attention | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 3/3!2026 while driving heat stop working. Called Milea Saburu spoke to Christian made an appointment for 3/5/2026 they had nothing sooner. Told her what happened. Brought in they gave me loaner 12 days later on 3/18/2026 pick up car. Paid bill they told me everything done no problems. I would get my 250 dollars for the car back in 30 days. Even though they said it was a hold it went through. I live 15 minutes from home. I got in the car heat was blasting turned it off and waited turned it on it worked. Pick up time 4 pm. Drove home parked next day 3/19/2026 turned on car made a tapping nouse after five minutes went away call dealer left message on Andrew manager answering service. Car parked at work 8 15 am to 3 40 pm. Drove home got home at 3 50 am turned off heat heart rushing water like down a creak. Turned off car looked in the front some liquid gushing out car smelled like it was burning. Put paper under car with rock to see color of fluid it was blue new it was coolant call dealer againt went to voice mail manager Andrew hung up went to dealer. Arrived at 4 40 pm Chris service Advisor check said was not save to drive burning smell still there got another loaner another 200 dollar on top of the 250. Called saburu customer advocacy this morning spoke to Latoya 11 15 am 3/20/2026 case number XXX-XXX waiting for someone to call me by Tuesday. I requested a 3 year gold plus warranty as a goodwill gesture to restore my confidence in the vehicle and protect my engine integrity. I am deeply concerned that the gushing coolent damaged the internal engines seals or may have been compromised due to the heat, the hoses or gadgets now or over time. I have puctures and documents that the system won't allow download. If the car continues to have reoccurring issues due to this complete repair failure. I am asking them to replace my 2018 saburu crosstrex that has only 52, 315 miles with an equal value car without issues. My car is 10 years old low mileage. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | ENGINE | Dangerous stall in traffic due to ignition coil failure. Ignition coils and spark plugs were replaced during the WRE21 recall campaign only 13k miles ago back in 2021. Stopped at red light awaiting to turn left when the vehicle started shaking violently. No check engine light came on though. When the light turned green, the vehicle was barely able to move forward then it completely stalled before pulling over to the curb. Since the tail of the car was sticking out into traffic a bit, it was a downright dangerous situation. Car had to be towed to dealership and took them 5 days to diagnose and fix the problem. Ignition coil and spark plug replacements costed 1500. Don't think the recall fixed the root problem and this could potentially happen again. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | SUSPENSION | Starting at around 75,000 mileage on my 2018 Subaru Crosstrek, a persistent howling noise is heard while driving. This noise comes from the rear of the vehicle and occurs at nearly all driving speeds, measuring at around 90.0dB while on a highway (a dangerous level for prolonged exposure). A service shop and the dealership have both diagnosed the noise as an issue with the rear wheel bearings (consistent with Subaru Service Bulletin 05-70-19R). In January 2026, my low tire pressure warning light appeared on my dashboard. I checked the tire pressure with a gauge and found no issue. I assumed (and later confirmed while getting a tire changed) that the tire pressure sensor had a dead battery, and that the warning light was related to this dead sensor rather than an issue with the tire pressure. Before getting the sensors replaced, I drove for a week with the low tire pressure warning light on my dashboard. I ignored this sensor because I confirmed daily with a pressure gauge that the tire pressure was fine. However, one day while driving in February 2026, I got a flat tire on the front passenger side. I drove with this flat tire for at least six miles, not knowing I had a flat. The howling noise from the rear wheel bearings masked the noise from the flat tire, and I could not audibly distinguish anything out of the ordinary with my car. Unfortunately, this occurred in the same period of time that my tire pressure warning light was giving false flags for low tire pressure. I feel it important to log this issue because - had my rear wheel bearings not been making a howling noise - I would have noticed the flat tire immediately and would not have posed a safety risk to myself or other vehicles. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlight warning light illuminated, and the contact noticed that the passenger's side LED headlight had become inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where a headlight assembly replacement was recommended. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 90,000 |
| Feb 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Wheel bearing issue in 2018 Subaru Crosstrek Identified by Subaru but not full recall We were not informed Risk REAR WHEELS WILL FALL OFF Contacted Subaru Advocacy after determining the backing plate was modified due to risk of failure Internet indicated courtesy repair for vehicles under 100,000 miles with new corrected part Repair was denied without full payment not even willing to supply NON DEFECTIVE part at no cost | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | POWER TRAIN | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | SEATS,LANE DEPARTURE | 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! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | factory alarm is triggered late in the evening while in my garage regardless if vehicle is locked or unlocked | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | ENGINE | I have a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek, I am the second owner, the first owner bought it in 2019, I am having acceleration problems, I have already taken it to two different mechanics, they say it is a problem with the computer, they have already checked and scanned it and they tell me that you have to reprogram the ECM for DTC P1603 / Engine idle drop or stall, when the car accelerates it makes a jerky or knocking noise when I go 15 miles or stop and move forward again the car locks, this only happens when the car is already warm and has been used for about 10 minutes | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I have had my car jumped twice in the last 7 days. Today I will be replacing the battery with AAA. Is there a recall on my vehicle? I saw an article there is a recall for starting issues and the coils. Please advise. Thank you. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2025 | POWER TRAIN | I am writing to formally raise a significant safety concern regarding my 2018 Subaru Crosstrek. I recently discovered a malfunction in the transfer case (pictures attached), specifically involving the center differential gear set, which necessitated immediate replacement. This issue first became apparent while driving at low speeds when I heard a loud, distinctive "clunking" noise, indicating a possible malfunction within the transmission. As a precaution, I took the vehicle to my service mechanic for further diagnosis. After thorough inspection, my mechanic at Roberts Auto Shop (invoice attached) promptly identified the transfer case as the source of the problem. Subsequently, I contacted my local Subaru dealership, North Tampa, where I have previously serviced my vehicle, to inquire whether this issue is known to affect earlier models of the Crosstrek. The service manager expressed surprise that this problem occurred in my manual transmission vehicle, noting that it is typically documented in vehicles with CVT transmissions but rarely in manual models. I further inquired about the availability of any extended warranties or safety recalls related to this known issue. The manager informed me that the vehicle's powertrain warranty covers only up to 60,000 miles or five years, both of which I have exceeded, as my vehicle currently has just over 70,000 miles. My primary safety concern arises from the discovery of metal shavings inside the defective transfer case during its replacement. While the amount is currently minimal, there is a significant risk that this could quickly escalate into a complete transmission failure, posing a considerable safety hazard. I am planning to report this issue to Subaru of America for further investigation and would appreciate your assistance in investigating this matter. I also request that Subaru be held accountable for this known defect, particularly given its potential to jeopardize vehicle safety. Thank you for your support. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | My car randomly blows white smoke put of the exhaust and supposedly had the PCV valve replaced in Jan 2020 by the Subaru service center. I am noticing drastically lower mileage as more white smoke seems to be coming out of the exhaust and cannot help but feel these are all related. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION | The main head unit display (8") that controls the climate, audio and other control functions as well as the backup camera video feed is poorly made and subject to rapid delamination at edges and center. We reported and showed this problem to a Subaru dealer multiple times in past and they simply indicated it as 'temporary moisture' yet it is NOT moisture related and a design/manufacturing flaw. The car is now out of warranty and the problem only exacerbated with time to point where rear view camera functionality / visibility is impaired ... not ot mention the unsightly look of the main center display. This is a common widespread problem among many Subaru users as reported in various online forums, however, Subaru continues to deny fault/liability with fixing what is surely inferior design/quality on their side. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | SEATS | The driver seat has been rocking back and forth a bit for a for a couple of weeks and lately started rocking a lot, enough that it rocks back while accelerating and rocks forward while braking causing unintentional excessive breaking. This feels like a safety issue. This is a 2018 car and my previous car (Audi A4) that I had for 14 years never had such a thing ever happen, so this is not normal. Here's a video of the rocking: [XXX] I called the dealer (Eastside Subaru, Kirkland WA, phone: (425) 820-8993) to see if there are any safety recalls about it but they said there are not any, and they are not providing priority appointment to inspect/fix even though I told them . I feel there should be a recall for this .. if the seat breaks while driving, it can cause accidents. A google search reveals a few others complaining about it as well. [XXX] Can you please look into this issue, and if you also feel it is a safety problem, ask Subaru to investigate, recall and fix? Thanks, INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | I was driving to a friends house . When the engine started sputtering billowing blue smoke , the engine just stopped . I had it towed to my mechanics shop.maui fix auto 808-877-3731 Wailuku Maui Hawaii . He told me engine failed , extended warranty thru geico would not cover. I work as the equivalent of a park ranger. For the state of Hawaii being a first responder this is techically my 3 Subaru purchased from the dealer . This vehicle died at 60,000. Miles and 5 years I bought this car for reliability , to get to work and respond asap . My car is dead I wish some one in Subaru had “love “ like they do in commercials. I need help fixing my car please . | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The passenger window switch on the drivers side door panel is loose and is jammed (will not depress). Nearly impossible to get passenger window to go down. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2024 | STRUCTURE | While driving on a 71 degree, clear day on 16 May 2024, out of nowhere and without prior warning, my sunroof/moonroof glass on my 2018 Subaru Crosstrek limited, (50th anniversary edition) just exploded. See pics attached. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Hello, My subaru crosstrek 2018 has been brought to Subaru service departments in both CA and MA for the same issue. I have brought in my car 3-4 times for recurrent problems where the battery in the car dies. The battery has been replaced multiple times and I have brought it to Subaru Service departments both in Massachusetts and California, all of whom tell me that the battery needs to be replaced, over and over again. I called and filed a report with Subaru of America who directed me to a third party representative who deals with claims regarding subarus and their recurrent battery issues and was informed that my subaru is not eligible for reimbursement for recurrent issues with batterys, nor is it a model that is eligible for an extended warranty given the battery issues. This is a huge safety issue for me. I have found myself in empty parking garages at night with a dead battery where I have had to stay locked in my car while I call a tow/AAA service to come and jump my car. I have missed countless days of work due to this issue. I have been late to pick up my child from daycare. I have spent thousands of dollars missing work, getting ubers while my car is in the shop, using rental cars, calling tow companies while this issue has been ongoing for two years. In addition, I have spent hundreds of dollars on portable battery chargers so that I do not get stranded with a battery-less car. I have raised this issue to the Subaru service departments multiple times, as well as Subaru of America with no solution. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | WHEELS | On [XXX], 1 wheel lug nut seized up on the lug and then the lug snapped off when trying to remove the nut. On [XXX], 3 lug nuts seized up on the lugs when attempting to remove the lugs. On both occasions, I have had to bring the vehicle in for repairs to have the lugs and nuts replaced. Total cost of these repairs approx $250. On [XXX], I called Subaru of America (1-800-782-2783) to report the issue of lugs nuts seizing up on my Subaru (3 today and 1 in December 2022). The representative took down my information but other than that, was not very helpful. I asked if she could have an investigation done to see if this is a systemic problem with the 2018 Crosstreks or with Subaru in general. Her response was for me to “Google the issue myself” and then call them back if I found out anything. She offered essentially no help. In more than 40 years of working on cars, I have never had a lug nut seize up on a lug stud. Since this has now happened 4 times in the last 15 months, on the same vehicle, this seems to be a systemic problem and should be investigated. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | While driving home in the evening, I was startled by a sudden cracking sound that I heard. Although nothing appeared to have impacted the windshield, I speculated that it may have been caused by a plastic bag in which I stored trash in my vehicle on occasion. The following day, my partner noticed a significant crack in the windshield as he loaded bags into the car. I recounted the previous night's experience of hearing the disturbing sound that had caught my attention. The crack in the windshield continued to expand, causing me great distress and anxiety about the potential safety implications. As someone who relies on my vehicle for work-related commitments, the thought of the windshield shattering while I was driving deeply concerned me. This experience exacerbated my chronic pain and added financial worries due to the unexpected repair costs. Despite the absence of any apparent cause for the crack, I sought assistance from my car dealership, only to be advised that an independent service center would offer a more cost-effective solution and repair quicker. Following the windshield replacement process, which was completed by an independent service center. I have documented the progress of the crack through photographs. This unforeseen issue, with no prior indicators, caused significant distress for someone who struggles with change and is reluctant to have their vehicle undergoing repairs, beyond routine maintenance. While the windshield has been successfully replaced, I remain vigilant due to the abrupt nature of the initial damage. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I noticed that my 2018 Subaru Crosstrek battery keeps draining when the car sits for several days (something that typically has not happened in the past until my son recently went off to college). I called AAA and they checked out the battery and indicated that the battery was good still, but was borderline. Would likely need to be replaced soon. Since it was the original battery and it would need to be replaced soon - I had them replace it. Even after the battery replacement - the battery drains when the car sits for a few days. I took the car in to my local Subaru dealer and they indicated parasitic drain from DCM is depleting the battery. They tried performing a factory reset on the DCM, but it was unsuccessful. The dealer quoted me $1200 to replace the DCM and had to order it. I also noticed several class-action lawsuits for other Subaru models (which sound like the same issue). I called Subaru Customer Advocacy to inform them of the situation and currently awaiting a response. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Dealer indicated control arm bushings needed to be replaced because they were cracked. I've owned about 20 cars and have never replaced a control arm bushing...much less on a car that is only a few years old (2018). I was told this needed to be fixed because the failing control arm bushings could cause me to lose control of the car. I realize things breakdown and need to be repaired, but as I said I've had about 20 cars over my lifetime and never replaced or been told that I needed to replace a control arm bushing. I question if that part is defective on Subaru Crosstrek (especially when I consider that my local mechanic indicated Subaru has had all kinds of problems with their control arm bushings). | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |