2013 Subaru Crosstrek — Known Issues & Recalls

Your Crosstrek was subject to a recall for a defective valve spring in the engine that could fracture and cause engine failure. When you contacted both the local Subaru dealership and Subaru corporate, they told you they couldn't schedule an appointment until 2020 due to the high volume of affected vehicles. You're requesting that Subaru either replace the part immediately, reimburse you for repairs at another shop, or offer you a fair trade-in value for your vehicle.

Your vehicle has a recall issue that needs to be fixed, but your dealer can't schedule the repair until August 28, 2019 due to a backlog of work. You're unable to renew your vehicle registration until this recall repair is completed.

After the dealership replaced your valve springs as part of a recall, you noticed oil mixing into your coolant—a problem that started the same day you picked up the car. The dealership flushed and refilled the coolant to test if the issue would resolve, but the oil-coolant mixing continued. They're now claiming this is a preexisting condition rather than something caused by their service. You're concerned the engine could overheat or catch fire if left unaddressed. This likely requires the dealership to identify whether their valve spring replacement work damaged a gasket or seal that's allowing oil to enter the cooling system.

You received a recall notice in December 2018 for an engine issue, but when you called your dealer for an appointment, you were told the earliest available date was December 2020—nearly two years away. The dealer said they could move it up only if you dropped the car off and arranged a loaner or rental vehicle while waiting approximately one month for the repair. Since you live 80 miles from the nearest dealer, you're concerned about driving that distance with an unrepaired recalled vehicle.

Your engine's valve springs may fracture, which could cause your engine to malfunction or stall while driving. This is a known issue affecting 2012-2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek models. You should contact a Subaru dealership to have the valve springs inspected and replaced if needed.

You've been trying to schedule a safety recall repair (WTY-84) at your local Subaru dealership since January, but after multiple calls, you're being told there's a 15-person waiting list and it could take 1-2 weeks more to get an appointment — with no guarantee. You're concerned enough about potential engine stalling that you've avoided long-distance driving, worried you could be held liable if the engine fails and causes an accident.

While driving at 65 mph, your check engine light came on and you heard knocking in the engine. Your RPMs were running high, the traction control light appeared, and cruise control stopped working with its indicator flashing on and off. You discovered this may be related to a known recall (campaign 18V772000) involving engine valve stems. The dealer said they couldn't cover the repair without a recall letter, which you didn't receive due to military moves. The repair will likely involve inspection and replacement of the engine valve stems.

Your 2013 Subaru Crosstrek was subject to a recall (NHTSA Campaign 18V772000) for an engine and cooling system issue. When you tried to get the recall repair done at Ocean Subaru in Fullerton, California, they told you the necessary parts weren't available. Subaru couldn't tell you when the parts would be back in stock, leaving your recall repair on hold indefinitely. The repair will likely involve replacing engine or cooling system components once parts become available.

Your car lost about a quart of antifreeze every 7,500 miles, but the dealer's pressure tests didn't identify the source and you were repeatedly told nothing was wrong. At 74,000 miles, the transmission failed completely, requiring an $8,000 repair that Subaru partially covered. After the transmission was replaced, the antifreeze loss stopped, suggesting the two issues were related.

Your car's CVT transmission developed a cracked solenoid valve after about 6.5 years and 140,000-160,000 miles. After the initial repair, the same component failed again just one year later, this time requiring a complete transmission replacement. Both failures occurred while accelerating—once from a stop and once on the freeway at 70 mph. This issue may require diagnosis and replacement of the solenoid valve or potentially the entire transmission assembly.

You hear a clicking sound from the right front of your car when turning right. A garage replaced your right front axle at 74,141 miles, and the first garage mentioned they'd seen this same problem on two other 2013 Crosstreks recently. When you contacted a Subaru dealer, they said they weren't aware of this being a known issue. The fix involves replacing the front axle assembly.

Your car caught fire while parked, with the fire starting in the rear driver's side of the trunk area. Electrical wiring melted through the interior panels, hot plastic dripped onto items in the trunk, and soot covered the entire interior and windows. The trunk became too hot to open, though the fire remained contained inside the vehicle with no external damage visible.

Your fuel gauge stops showing the correct fuel level after you refuel, even when the tank is only 3/4 full. The dealer replaced the fuel sending unit, but the problem continued. This issue has caused fuel to leak and spill when you're adding gas to your vehicle.

Your brakes failed while driving at 20 mph — you pumped the pedal multiple times but the car wouldn't stop, though it eventually came to a complete stop after several attempts. After brake pads were replaced at one dealer, all your warning lights came on while driving, but the cause couldn't be determined at a second dealer. The issue may be related to electrical or engine cooling problems identified in Subaru recalls, though parts weren't available to complete the repairs.

Your passenger seat occupancy sensor is triggering the airbags and seat belt pretensioner at weights well below what it should. For example, it activated for just two 20-ounce soda bottles while you were driving on a city street. This could cause airbags to deploy unexpectedly during normal driving, creating a safety hazard. The sensor likely needs to be recalibrated or replaced to restore proper weight threshold detection.

Your passenger door's electrical system caught fire while driving, with flames visible inside the door panel within minutes of detecting smoke. The fire appeared to be caused by an electrical short circuit that didn't trigger any fuses. After cutting the positive power wires to stop the fire, the vehicle restarted without smoking, but the repair costs exceeded your insurance estimate. This type of electrical fire could have caused serious injury to a passenger.

While pulling into a parking space at work at very low speed (5 mph or less), your vehicle suddenly lunged forward and hit a tree. The engine appeared to slow down and then rev up suddenly, and the brakes did not stop the vehicle as expected. This could involve issues with the throttle control system, engine management, or brake responsiveness that need immediate inspection.

You received recall notices for your 2013 Subaru Crosstrek covering exterior lighting and engine cooling issues, but the dealership couldn't get the required parts. Subaru told you the car was unsafe to drive, but couldn't tell you when parts would be available, leaving you waiting about 6 months for the repair to be completed. The manufacturer has a parts supply problem that's preventing timely recall repairs.

Your CVT transmission is experiencing problems and requires an estimated $8,000 repair, but your car has 123,000 miles and exceeds Subaru's 10-year/100,000-mile extended warranty coverage. You're concerned that the transmission may stall or fail while driving, creating a safety risk. The dealer has indicated they cannot service the transmission, raising questions about whether this is a known defect issue.

Your car is consuming oil much faster than normal—you need to add oil every 1,200 miles and your low oil warning light keeps coming on. The dealership said they needed to run a consumption test but didn't perform any repairs. This started happening around 55,000 miles on your vehicle.