2020 Subaru Crosstrek Transmission Problems

While shifting your 2020 Subaru Crosstrek into reverse, the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward without any warning. This happened at 12,000 miles and has not been inspected or repaired. You should have this checked immediately by a Subaru dealer, as unexpected acceleration can be a serious safety issue.

Your rear differential failed at 31,500 miles while your spouse was driving and turning at low speed, producing loud clunking and metal-on-metal sounds that got worse over time. When the dealership inspected it, they found significant metal shavings in the differential oil, indicating internal damage. You haven't used the vehicle for heavy off-roading or towing, and you've maintained the differential oil properly with Subaru parts, so this appears to be a premature failure. The repair will likely require replacing the rear differential assembly.

Your rear differential has failed twice — once around 12,000 miles and again around 50,000 miles — both times while parking or maneuvering slowly, causing grinding noises and resistance when turning. There were no warning lights before either failure. Your Subaru dealer confirmed the failures and discovered that Subaru redesigned the differential but made it incompatible with your original axles, requiring additional parts to fix. This is concerning because the original design was discontinued, suggesting Subaru may have known about the problem, and you've heard reports of the same failure happening to other hybrid Crosstreks. Fixing this will require replacing the rear differential assembly and possibly the axles.

Your car makes a low moaning sound at low speeds, which a Subaru dealership diagnosed as a transmission issue requiring full replacement. Continuing to drive with a known transmission fault risks unpredictable gear-shifting behavior that could be dangerous for you and others on the road, and may cause additional damage leading to costlier repairs. The dealership inspected and confirmed the problem on 1/20/25. Fixing this will require a complete transmission replacement or rebuild by a qualified technician.

Your plug-in hybrid Crosstrek can move while still plugged into the charging cable, which can break the charging port. When you try to drive with the cable attached—especially on an incline—the car displays a vague "check engine" warning and a red steering wheel symbol instead of clearly telling you the cable is still plugged in. Even putting the car in Park doesn't prevent it from rolling downhill and damaging the charging connector. Additionally, if you restart the ignition while plugged in, you won't be able to turn off the engine until you exit the vehicle and manually disconnect the cable. The fix will likely require Subaru to reprogram the vehicle's control system to prevent movement when the charging cable is attached and to display a clear warning message.

Your transmission has started making a whining noise during low-speed acceleration and when backing up, along with slight hesitation when accelerating. Your transmission failed completely at 6,000 miles and was replaced under warranty, but the same problem has occurred again at 34,000 miles. The dealer has confirmed it's a transmission issue again, and Subaru is sending a technician to investigate.

The vehicle has experience numerous times now, and has been to the dealer for repairs regarding an unanticipated loss of all ability to accelerate or maintain speed until the vehicle is shutdown and restarted. This has caused significant stress when traveling on a fast moving freeway in the fast lane and then having to quickly get to the shoulder to "power-cycle" the vehicle. The dealer has seen the vehicle 5 times for this issue in the 10 months we have owned it, starting at 6k miles and we just got it back from 2 weeks with the dealer; today it has 9k miles. The dealer has told is that the vehicle losing all power and ability to accelerate or maintain speed is a safety feature. I feel having my wife and three children in a vehicle the significantly increases the chances for collision as very much the opposite of a safety feature. We have tried working with the dealer over the past 6 months and 3k miles, but need the help of an advocate who can influence the dealer to correct the issue before someone gets hurt or worse. The date shown below is only the first instance of many instances of power loss.