2023 Subaru Crosstrek problems and complaints

Owners have filed 34 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek. The most-reported areas: Unknown Or Other (11), Electrical System (6), Visibility/Wiper (6).

Key takeaways

  • 34 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
  • 4 involve a crash, 0 a fire, 4 reported injuries.
  • Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
Complaints by component
ComponentComplaintsShare
Unknown Or Other1132%
Electrical System618%
Visibility/Wiper618%
Forward Collision Avoidance515%
Engine515%
Service Brakes412%
Lane Departure39%
Air Bags26%
Back Over Prevention13%
Suspension13%
Visibility13%
Seat Belts13%

One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.

NHTSA 5-Star crash ratings
VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
2023 Subaru Crosstrek SW AWD5/54/55/54/5

Latest complaints, as filed

Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.

Service Brakes - filed 2026-09-01

Often the brakes are squishy. They require me to push almost all the way down on the brake pedal to engage. This has happened several times of the last year.

Electrical System - filed 2026-08-23

The battery and electrical system died while I was at a red light in traffic on my way to work. I was stuck on a major road with trucks and traffic behind me while I was stuck in the middle lane. I had to wait for help to be pushed out of traffic to the sidewalk and wait for a jump. The Subaru dealership confirmed th...

Electrical System,back Over Prevention,forward Collision Avoidance - filed 2026-05-14

Purchased vehicle 8/27/2025 within 1 day and 1 month of 2 separate class action lawsuits. Purchased from CarMax Wilmington. Car produced electrical shock to my hand first time I attempted to pair the vehicle. Parkway stated at that time I was under an additional warranty but the vehicle would require constant “updates”...

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More for the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek

Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.