2021 Subaru Crosstrek — Known Issues & Recalls

While driving 65 mph on the freeway, your front passenger window suddenly shattered and imploded into the car without warning. Glass scattered throughout the interior and was found in both occupants' clothing, hair, and skin, with pieces reaching the trunk. This unexpected event startled the driver and created a safety hazard for everyone on the highway. Your dealer inspected the vehicle but found no obvious problems with the window system and couldn't verify the glass was properly tempered.

Your car's engine is displaying a P26A5 diagnostic code after you drove about 200 miles. The warning came on, briefly disappeared, but then returned and stayed on. This code typically relates to the hybrid system or oxygen sensor, and a mechanic will need to scan your vehicle to determine the exact cause and perform repairs.

Your car rolled down a hill and crashed after coming out of park while the engine was running, even though you didn't shift it. You had forgotten to set the parking brake, but you believe the car should have remained in park regardless. To determine if there was a mechanical defect, you'll need a professional inspection of the transmission, parking pawl mechanism, and related drivetrain components.

Your car may experience a binding or lurching feeling in the drivetrain that makes it feel unstable, particularly in slippery conditions. This is typically caused by a failing viscous coupler, which can reduce traction, cause uneven power distribution between wheels, or suddenly engage too aggressively — potentially leading to loss of control. The problem may not trigger any warning lights before it fails. Replacing the viscous coupler is necessary to restore proper all-wheel-drive function and vehicle stability.

Your rear driver-side window stopped working after you heard a loud snap while closing it. The window regulator has a mechanical binding problem that prevents the anti-pinch safety feature from working, which means the window won't automatically reverse if it hits an obstruction—creating a potential crush hazard for passengers, especially children. This is a known issue documented in Subaru technical bulletins, and an authorized Subaru dealer confirmed the problem, but the manufacturer has not authorized coverage for the repair.

Your forward collision avoidance system (EyeSight) failed to stop your car when a Toyota truck ahead suddenly braked at 30 mph. Even though you saw the truck stop, your Crosstrek's braking system did not engage, and you collided with the truck. Your vehicle was totaled, and there is a witness to the incident. The fix would involve a complete diagnostic of the EyeSight camera system and brake control module to determine why the safety system failed.

Your car lost all engine power while being driven on the road, with warning lights appearing on the dashboard. The dealer first diagnosed a battery failure and replaced it, but the problem happened again. On the second visit, they found a head gasket failure, which can cause the engine to lose power and overheat. Fixing this will require replacing the head gasket, which is a major engine repair involving removing parts of the engine to access the gasket seal.

During a rear-end collision on the highway, your airbags failed to deploy even though the impact was significant enough to total the vehicle. Your front seat headrest broke off completely, and both front seats reclined backward during the crash. The seatbelts in the occupied front seats did not lock, though the seatbelts in the unoccupied rear seats did engage. A technician will need to inspect the airbag control module, seat belt pre-tensioners, and seat reclining mechanisms to determine why the safety systems failed to activate.

Your check engine light came on while the car was idling, which caused your Eyesight safety system and related safety features to turn off. The next day, your car had trouble starting, and then at a stop sign, when you released the brake and pressed the gas, the car rolled forward as if it were in neutral and jolted up and down repeatedly. This combination of issues suggests a problem with the engine or transmission that's affecting both performance and your safety systems.

While driving at 70 mph on a three-lane highway at night, your car's automatic emergency braking system suddenly engaged and the car refused to accelerate, creating a dangerous situation in heavy traffic. The check engine light, EyeSight warning light, and RAB (Rear Automatic Braking) light all turned on, and the car would not operate normally. The dealer diagnosed a failed Engine Coolant Bypass Valve, along with multiple other fault codes. Fixing this issue will likely require replacing the faulty coolant bypass valve and diagnosing why the related fault codes were triggered.

Your car unexpectedly lost power to accelerate on two separate occasions while driving in traffic, forcing you to coast to a safe stop. The second incident occurred at higher speed in heavy traffic, creating a serious safety hazard. Subaru service was unable to reproduce, diagnose, or fix the problem after a week of inspection, leaving the issue unresolved. This could involve troubleshooting the fuel system, electrical connections to the engine, or the engine control computer to identify why power is being lost.

Your car's passenger airbag system is showing an "OFF" status on the dashboard even when someone is sitting in the passenger seat. This means the airbag may not deploy properly in a crash when it should. A technician will need to diagnose the occupancy sensor that detects whether the seat is occupied.

While driving on the freeway, your engine suddenly sputtered, shut off completely, and all warning lights illuminated, forcing you to pull to the shoulder and be towed away. This happened because of a faulty electronic thermostat that caused the engine management system to fail. The repair will involve replacing the electronic thermostat and potentially related cooling system components.

Your backup camera has stopped working completely and no longer displays on your head unit when you shift into reverse. The problem started with a fuzzy, discolored video feed that worked intermittently, but has now progressed to total failure. Your dealership has ruled out wiring and module issues, confirming the backup camera itself is faulty. The fix will involve replacing the backup camera unit.

Both of your front lower control arm bushings are cracking prematurely at 56,763 miles, well before the typical 100,000-mile lifespan. The dealership initially declined to replace them based on a Subaru technical bulletin, but the cracks have worsened since your first visit. If these bushings fail completely, you could lose control of your vehicle. Replacing the damaged bushings and control arms should resolve this issue.

Your steering wheel becomes hard to turn in either direction while driving at various speeds, and multiple warning lights appear on your dashboard. You've also noticed the battery drains unusually fast even after being recharged, suggesting abnormal power consumption in the electrical system. The dealer was unable to diagnose or repair the issue despite inspection. Fixing this will likely require electrical system diagnostics to identify the parasitic drain and possible steering column or power steering component inspection.

Your rear brake rotors are separating or peeling apart at 33,000 miles, which is much earlier than normal. This can affect your braking performance and safety. You'll likely need to have the rear rotors replaced.

The USB ports under your dashboard that connect to Android Auto and Apple CarPlay lose connection intermittently — sometimes dropping every 60-90 seconds or not connecting until you restart the head unit. This causes driver distraction when you're trying to reconnect, especially dangerous when using GPS navigation. The problem isn't solved by replacing the USB cable or trying a different phone, and it's specific to these ports since the same cables and phones work fine with other USB ports. Getting the USB ports inspected and potentially replaced by your Subaru dealer is likely needed to resolve the connection issues.

Your car unexpectedly shut off while driving and wouldn't restart, with several warning lights appearing on the dashboard. The dealer diagnosed a failed battery as the cause at 27,000 miles. The battery will likely need to be replaced to restore normal operation.

Your driver's seat has started rocking back and forth. The dealer identified that the bracket connecting your seat to the sliding rail has broken, which is a problem they've seen on other vehicles too. The dealer is recommending replacement brackets to stabilize the seat again.