2018 Subaru Crosstrek Electrical Problems

Your heating system stopped working while driving on 3/3/2026. After repair, the heating appeared to work initially, but the next day you heard a tapping noise and then noticed blue coolant gushing from the front of the engine with a burning smell. The dealer deemed it unsafe to drive. You're concerned the initial repair failure may have damaged internal engine seals or cooling system components. The repair will likely involve diagnosing and fixing the coolant leak source, which could be the water pump, hoses, thermostat, or engine gaskets.

All four tire pressure monitoring sensors failed on your 2018 Subaru Crosstrek around 69,000 miles, leaving the TPMS warning light on and disabling low-tire-pressure alerts. This is a federal safety requirement, so losing this capability means you won't be warned if a tire loses pressure while driving. Subaru acknowledged the problem but only offered partial coverage instead of a full repair, which the dealership quoted at around $1,000. Fixing this will require replacing the failed TPMS sensors in all four wheels.

Your 2018 Crosstrek's battery keeps dying repeatedly, even after multiple replacements at authorized Subaru service centers. You've experienced this problem over two years across multiple service visits in different states, leaving you stranded in parking lots at night and causing you to miss work and childcare pickup. Subaru has denied a warranty claim and says your vehicle isn't eligible for an extended battery warranty. The fix would likely involve a full electrical system diagnostic to identify why the battery continues to drain prematurely, rather than just replacing the battery again.

Your car's factory alarm goes off in the evening while parked in your garage, whether the vehicle is locked or unlocked. This happens repeatedly and appears to trigger on its own without any clear cause. The issue may require diagnosing the alarm system's sensors or control module to identify why it's activating unexpectedly.

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.

Purchased NEW car 2018 and ALWAYS serviced at dealership. No problems until January 2022, radio issues. Dealer replaced radio - ever since then, the battery of the car keeps dying. The radio was replaced at least 3 times. Approximately Jan 21, 2023, I had to pay to replace the battery because service department said it needed to be replaced. Jan 23rd, the car was dead in my garage - they replaced the battery. On Jan 27th, car was dead again in the garage. Dealer had car towed and they kept until Jan 31st, when they had a “specialist” from Tampa look at the problem - another battery. Oct 3 again dead in the garage. Even the TEO KEYFOBS has to be replaced as they were drained of power. There obviously is an ELECTRICAL PROBLEM somewhere in the engine and we are afraid that the car might stop running WHILE I AM DRIVING IT, or AIR BAGS DEPLOY or maybe an ENGINE FIRE. THERE IS A SERIOUS ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE. I reported it to Subaru Corporation and their executive said to “just keep bringing it in when the battery has died”! How does that resolve the electrical POTENTIALLY UNSAFE ISSUE? As of today, 11/12, in the evening you can see on the radio screen a type of “glow” or “backlight” coming from the screen WITH THE RADIO TURNED COMPLETELY OFF. We are seniors who are not afraid to drive this car because of potential safety issues or being “stranded” somewhere if it is not operational. I contacted Subaru Corporation and all they will do is issue a “goodwill” credit of $1,500 toward a new car. We are retired and on a fixed income and thought this would be our forever car and even purchased the extended warranty to avoid any future expenses that we could not afford. It would be an unbudgeted expense to pay for another vehicle.

Was told I needed a new ecm due to corrupt learning. My vehicles check engine light, traction control light, and cruise control all turned on/ stopped working. My vehicle has received all necessary maintenance in a timely manner, no missed oil changes and no accidents. The dealership stated it was due to damage but this can’t be possible since the only place service has been completed was at the dealership, if it was damaged it would have been caused by the dealership. I have seen multiple threads online stating the same issue with their vehicle same model and similar years and the cost to replace is not cheap.

Premature starter failure as noted in TSB 07-198-21 due to failed clutch in starter motor. Only had 35, 750 miles. Defective starter. Issue known to Subaru. Could leave drivers stranded and at risk. This known/ common starter motor failure problem should be a recall.

the horn quit working, everything else on my steering wheel and steering column work just not the horn, no way to warn approaching traffic, safety issue, puts myself and family in harms way.

Battery drain when car isn’t in use for 2 days went through 3 high CCA AGM batteries since I purchased new. also the manufacturer OEM battery. I only have 16,400 miles on the car and went through 4 total batteries. I had to pay for all the batteries and now I need another one.

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. While driving on a ramp at slow speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the ignition fuse needed to be replaced. The fuse was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no additional assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 39,000.

BATTERY ISSUES

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that after a heavy rain and starting the vehicle several warning messages appeared on the instrument panel such as the assist braking and eyesight driver assist needed servicing. The contact also stated that the steering wheel was hard to maneuver. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that a sensor in the wheel caused the failure. The sensor was replaced however, the failure reoccurred after heavy rains a month a later. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who stated that the failure reoccurred due to the computer sensor in the rear driver’s side wheel that was replaced was not reset. The contact stated that in December water was noticed on the driver’s side floor and condensation after a heavy rain. The vehicle was taken to the dealer again where the failure was diagnosed as clogged sunroof draining ports. The contact stated that the sunroof port needed to be replaced and unclogged. The manufacturer was notified, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 32,000.

The battery in my Crosstrek inexplicably drains and sometimes won't hold a charge. I've had to buy a charger/booster after replacing the battery twice. 7/20/2020 and 9/18/2020

EYESIGHT SWITCHES ON AND OFF TOO OFTEN FOR NO OBVIOUS REASON WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION REGARDLESS OF A CITY STREET OR ON THE HIGHWAY

WE CAN DRIVE HUNDREDS OF MILES, MAKE A FEW STOPS AND DURING ONE OF THOSE STOPS, THE BATTERY IS DEAD. THIS HAS OCCURRED THREE SEPARATE TIMES OVER THE LAST 4 WEEKS. WE'VE HAD THE VEHICLE AT JOHN KENNEDY SUBARU IN NORRISTOWN WHERE THEY ATTEMPTED TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. WHAT THEY DID WAS PERFORM AN UPDATE ON RADIO AND THE BATTERY, STARTER AND ALTERNATOR ALL CHECKED OUT OK. THE CAR DIED AGAIN TODAY AND WE'RE SCHEDULED TO BRING IT IN AGAIN ON MONDAY.

IN NOV 2017, AT 700 MILES, I HAD A REMOTE START INSTALLED AT THE DEALERSHIP. IN MAY 2018, MY REMOTE START WOULD NOT START THE CAR & WHEN IT WOULD THE CAR WOULD STALL. EVEN WITHOUT THE REMOTE START MY CAR WOULDN'T START OR IT WOULD START AND SHUT OFF. I COULDN'T GET IT TO FUNCTION FOR 3 DAYS. IN ADDITION, I WAS HAVING ISSUES WITH MY RADIO. THE RADIO WOULD FREEZE UP OR IT WOULD NOT TURN OFF, THERE WERE TIMES THE RADIO WOULD KEEP RUNNING FOR CLOSE TO 15 MINUTES EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF. I TOOK MY CAR TO DEALERSHIP IN MAY 2018 AT 4136 MILES & THEY STATED MY TERMINAL CONNECTIONS WERE LOOSE, THEY COMPLETED A RADIO UPDATE & THAT WHEN THE REMOTE START WAS INSTALLED THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE IT WAS FULLY CONNECTED TO THE BATTERY. SHORTLY AFTER, MY GPS WOULD LOSE CONNECTION A LOT, MY EYE SIGHT TECHNOLOGY SHUTS OFF WHEN I'M DRIVING IF IT'S FOGGY OR RAINY, MY REVERSE AUTO BRAKE HAS STOPPED MY CAR EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NOTHING BEHIND ME, MY CAR AUTO BRAKED ON THE HIGHWAY TWICE EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT NEAR ANYONE & ALMOST CAUSED ACCIDENTS, & MY RADIO HAS FROZEN UP, SO I COULD NOT DO ANYTHING BUT VIEW A BLUE SCREEN WITH WHITE STARS. I KEPT GETTING CHARGED FOR STARLINK BUT IT NEVER WORKED, THE ICONS WOULDN'T EVEN LIGHT UP ON MY SCREEN FOR IT. I BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR NUMEROUS RECALLS IN FEB 2020, MY CAR HAD 13,790 MILES. ON MAY 20, 2020, MY CAR WOULD NOT START; MY KEY FOBS & REMOTE START WOULDN'T WORK. A JUMPER BOX COULDN'T START MY CAR; I HAD TO HAVE SOMEONE JUMP THE CAR. THE CAR RAN ROUGH & THE ODOMETER SHUT OFF & THE SCREEN CHANGED WHILE DRIVING. TODAY, THE CAR IS DEAD AGAIN. I CAN ONLY GET INTO MY CAR WITH EMERGENCY KEY, THE CAR & ELECTRONICS WILL NOT TURN ON & LIGHTS WERE BLINKING ON THE DASHBOARD. MY CAR HAS 17,132 MILES & THIS IS THE 2ND TIME I AM COMPLETELY WITHOUT A CAR FOR DAYS. THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THE BATTERY & ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OF THIS CAR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK. THE CONTACT RECEIVED TWO RECALL NOTIFICATIONS FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 19V744000 (ENGINE & ENGINE COOLING) AND 19V743000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. NORTHTOWN SUBARU (3930 SHERIDAN DR, HAMHERST, NY) CONFIRMED THAT PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK. THE CONTACT RECEIVED TWO RECALL NOTIFICATIONS IN THE MAIL FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 19V744000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND 19V743000(ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). PRIOR TO THE NOTIFICATIONS, THE CONTACT INFORMED CMA'S COLONIAL SUBARU (2122 RUFFIN MILL RD, SOUTH CHESTERFIELD, VA 23834, 888-929-4456) THAT SHE HEARD A BANGING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE WHEN PARKING THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE NOISE WAS RELATED TO THE ENGINE COOLING OFF AND THAT AN OIL CHANGE WAS NEEDED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

1) VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED NEW WITH REAR POWER WINDOWS NOT WORKING. 2) LED BRAKE LIGHT STOPPED WORKING AT 15000 MILES , NOTICED WHEN I WAS BACKING UP IN FRONT OF GLASS DOORS. I WAS TOLD BY DEALER WIRE WAS SHORTING OUT AND ENTIRE LIGHT ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. DEALER DID NOT STOCK PART SO I WAS SENT OFF WITH NON WORKING BRAKE LIGHT UNDER WARRANTY UNTIL THEY COULD GET PART.

WHEN PHONE IS CONNECTED VIA USB TO PHONE IT DOESN'T ALWAYS PULL UP APPLE PLAY. ALSO IF PHONE IS LEFT PLUGGED IN AND TURN CAR OFF GO INTO STORE COME BACK IT SAYS ERROR CONNECTING AND WONT CONNECT BACK TO APPLE PLAY FOR HOURS.

THE STARLINK ENTERTAINMENT AND NAVIGATION SYSTEM (8" SCREEN) PERIODICALLY FREEZES WHILE DRIVING. WHEN FROZEN, THE TOUCHSCREEN WILL NOT WORK AND THE SYSTEM IS USELESS. SOMETIMES THESE IS NO SOUND AND AT OTHER TIMES IT IS MAXIMUM VOLUME. AFTER SHUTTING OFF THE VEHICLE FOR AT LEAST FOUR HOURS, THE SYSTEM WILL UNFREEZE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (RELIABLE SUBARU, 438 S INGRAM MILL RD, SPRINGFIELD, MO 65802, (417) 720-8373), BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 677.

MAIN COMPUTER SYSTEM STOPS WORKING ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS. NO RADIO, NO VOLUME CONTROL, NO CD, NO PHONE, NO MAP/GPS. MAP/GPS WAS IN USED AT THE TIME. SYSTEM RESUMES ALL OF ITS FUNCTIONS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND SHUT DOWN FOR A FEW MINUTES. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WHEN THIS HAPPENS.

SUBARU'S SAFETY SYSTEM EYESIGHT THAT USES ACROSS MULTIPLE MODELS INCLUDING MY 2018 CROSSTREK HAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT PREVENTED THE HUMAN DRIVER TO BE ALERTED. THE EYESIGHT SAFETY WARNING AUDIO ALERT DOES NOT INTERRUPT THE AUDIO FROM THE RADIO UNIT, IN ADDITION THE AUDIO WARNING SOUND LEVEL IS VERY LOW DESPITE THE MAX SETTING ON THE SYSTEM. MY CELL PHONE'S RINGER VOLUME IS MUCH LOUDER THAN THE SUBARU'S EYESIGHT VOLUME. DURING THE NORMAL MUSIC LISTENING I CAN'T EVEN HEAR THE SAFETY WARNINGS (REAR CROSS TRAFFIC, FORWARD WARNING, AND LANE ALERT ETC). THIS CREATE AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DRIVING ENVIRONMENT THAT MIGHT LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. MY CROSSTREK DOES NOT HAVE AN ADDITIONAL WINDSHIELD VISUAL ALERT LIKE MY GM CAR THAT HAS A RED LED PROJECTED TO WINDSHIELD IN ADDITION TO AUDIO ALERT. BY THE WAY GM'S ALERT STOP THE RADIO AND THE VOLUME IS LOUD. MY PROBLEM WAS CONFIRM BY DEALER AND SUBARU OF AMERICA. SOA TOLD ME THAT THER ARE NO PAIRS NEEDED. I HOPE YOU CAN WORK WITH SUBARU OF AMERICA TO ASK THEM TO REPAIR THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURE. I HAVE A YOUNG TEENAGE DRIVER IN MY FAMILY AND I AM VERY CONCERN ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE.

HEAD UNIT FREEZES. CANNOT ADJUST RADIO VOLUME OR CHANGE STATIONS. MUST SHUTDOWN VEHICLE FOR A FEW MINUTES TO ALLOW COMPUTER TO REBOOT. VEHICLE IS IN MOTION WHEN THIS SITUATION OCCURS.

UPON STARTING THE CAR, THE RADIO BLARES AFTER A FEW SECONDS, WHEN BACKING UP, FOR INSTANCE, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER IT HAS BEEN TURNED OFF. ACCORDING TO SUBARU, THAT'S THE WAY IT'S DESIGNED. I THINK ITS A SAFETY HAZARD, AS THE FIRST MOMENTS WHEN DRIVING CAN REQUIRE SPECIAL ATTENTION (WHEN BACKING UP, FOR INSTANCE), AND THE RADIO BLARING WITHOUT WARNING CAN BE DISCONCERTING AND JARRING. CAN THIS BE CONSIDERED A DESIGN FLAW, AND THE VEHICLES WITH THIS NEW SYSTEM RECALLED?

PURCHASED NEW 2018 CROSSTREK WITH HARMAN KARDON PREMIUM AUDIO SYSTEM. AFTER ONE WEEK THERE WAS A CONSTANT STATIC BUZZ COMING FROM THE DOOR SPEAKER ON THE PASSENGER-SIDE, EVEN WHEN THE AUDIO SYSTEM WAS TURNED OFF. DEALER SAYS THAT THEY NEED TO REPLACE THE AMPLIFIER.