2023 Subaru Crosstrek: problems, recalls and reliability
0 recalls and 34 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine (17% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · 1 new complaint in the last 90 days
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 34 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“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.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Sep 2026
“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 this was an issue with their battery and auto stop/start system and charged me $600 to replace the battery. When it died, every light on my dashboard lit up but there was no prior warning. I no longer have this vehicle as I did not feel safe driving it anymore and I traded it in for something completely different.”Owner report · Electrical System · Apr 2026
“I was driving today January 30th 2026 on the road going 35 mph into the sunlight and all of the sudden my vehicle acted like I slammed on my brakes and I jerked forward almost hitting my chin in the steering wheel. Luckily no one was close behind me or I could have easily been hit. There was nothing in front of me so emergency brakes should not have deployed.”Owner report · Forward Collision Avoidance · Jan 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“I've never taken my 23 crosstrek off the pavement I'm driving down hyw and my rear struts break my crosstrek has 38 thousand miles on it and it's only 3 and 1/2 years old I've owned many cars were if drove hundreds of thousands mile and none of them broke there struts going down the hyw”Owner report · Suspension · Dec 2025
“Oct 7 2025 when me and my 6 year old daughter. Was leaving after picking her up at mom i drove off then came to stop sign so i slowly hit breaks and car accelerated very dangerous im very concerned”Owner report · Engine · Oct 2025
“The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while her grandson was driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver's side windshield cracked unexpectedly. The windshield had developed a crack without impact. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the front windshield needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 29,000.”Owner report · Visibility · Aug 2025
“THE BRAKE PEDAL SOME TIME GOES DOWN TO THE FLOOR. I BROUGHT VEHICLE IN SUBARU DEALER FOR CHECK UP. THEY STATED THAT THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER IS DEFECTIVE, NEED TO BE REPLACE. THIS IS 2023 VEHICLE AND THE MILEAGE IS ONLY 46,000 MILES. For safety to me and other drivers please investigate this safety concern.”Owner report · Forward Collision Avoidance · Aug 2025
“Replaced battery 3 times. Believe this car has the parasitic battery issue. Attached on of the bills. Looking for the other 2.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Dec 2024
“rear tire mostly but all 4 - need to add air 2-3 times daily. even adjusting the air pressure when tires are cold we still need to add air daily. Driving an hour at highway speed, parking car for a couple of hours and still the tire pressure is never sufficient. Brought to dealer 2 or 3 times and they cannot find a reason, me niece and others have also expressed this issue to me.”Owner report · Tires · Nov 2024
“The windshield keeps chipping easily. I have not had it inspected. I am not sure who inspects them. It is obviously a safety risk.”Owner report · Structure · Aug 2024
When filing, owners marked a crash in 4 of these complaints and injuries in 4 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2023 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Counts are not adjusted for time on the road here - see all Crosstrek years ranked fairly for the age-adjusted comparison.
Check your exact Crosstrek by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek reliable?
NHTSA has 34 owner complaints and 0 recall campaigns on record for the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek. The most complained-about area is engine (17% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2023 Subaru Crosstrek problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 16,500 miles or less.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.