What 194 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness

2018 Subaru Crosstrek rapidly accelerated unexpectedly while pulling into a parking space with the foot on the brake. Hit a concrete pole and sustained vehicle damage and injuries.

NHTSA ODI 11733779

WAITING IN LINE TO PICKUP PRESCRIPTION, STOPPED WITH FOOT ON BRAKE AND VEHICLE ACCELERATED INTO CAR APPROX 15 FT IN FRONT OF ME. EYE SIGHT BRAKING DID NOT STOP CAR, NOR DID IMMINENT COLLISION WARNING ENGAGE. CAR IS AT DEALERSHIP AND THEY CONDUCTED TEST; FOUND NOTHING. AWAITING SUBARU ENGINEER TO PULL AND CHECK "BLACK BOX".

NHTSA ODI 11552267

8/17/23 I left my vehicle on with the air conditioning running. Left on because my dogs were in the car. Came out of restaurant after 40 minutes & car was on fire inside the vehicle. Opened back door on drivers side & back seat was on fire. Black smoke coming out of the car. Car was put out by fire department. It could have blown up. Car is total loss. FD & PD investigated. No foul play. Unknown reason. Happened in Carthage NC 28327 notified State Farm insurance but haven’t notified Subaru yet

NHTSA ODI 11539358

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while at a light, the vehicle crashed into an unknown vehicle in front of her. While sitting in traffic at another light, the failure recurred. The vehicle reeved up forward and crashed into an unknown utility vehicle. A claim was submitted to the insurance company. While pulling into a parking spot, the vehicle lunged forward over the parking block, crashed into the concrete wall and railing, and stopped. There was an abnormal burning smell. There were no warning lights illuminated. There were no reported injuries, air bag deployments, police reports, or fires in either incident. The vehicle was taken to an independent body center, which stated there was an electrical issue but declined to accept the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to her residence. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. They will check the block box. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

NHTSA ODI 11535478

On Nov 9 2022 the owner was pulling into a parking space at a mall and the Subaru Crosstrek 2018 suddenly accelerated and slammed into the wall of a store. The airbags did not go off. The driver was going at a slow speed and putting on the brake. The driver and occupant suffered some impact from the seat belts but no other injuries. If pedestrians had been on the sidewalk in front of the parking space there could have been injuries. The wall was not damaged and no police report was filed.The incident was reported to the insurance company and the car was repaired for $11,710. On Jan 17 2023 the owner was pulling into a parking space at a mall and there was a quick sudden acceleration but not as forceful as before and putting on the brake stopped the car.

NHTSA ODI 11502226

While I was doing parallel parking, the car on its own went into involuntary, sudden, uncontrolled acceleration & hit a tree & bushes resulting into considerable body damage. Then I called Subaru national customer relations representative & I was told to go to the local Subaru dealer where I had purchased the car about four and a half years ago. The mechanic there told me that he had never heard such incident & he said that since there is no engine light on, there is nothing to scan. And he thought the car was okay. So, I am driving it very cautiously. But, I am concerned. We thought the newer such cars are safer with the high-tech computers on board but I countered this safety problem that I had never come across before.

NHTSA ODI 11492416

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED ON 3/32/2018 AT A LOCAL DEALER FOR AN UNKNOWN BRAKE RECALL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HIS DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING 20 MPH THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, FAILED TO RESPOND AND THE VEHICLE HYDROPLANED CRASHING INTO THE MEDIAN. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT RK SUBARU OF VINELAND (612 N DELSEA DR BUILDING 2, VINELAND, NJ 08360) WAS CONTACTED HOWEVER, HE WAS AWAITING A CALLBACK. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THIS DEALER SERVICED THE RECALL FOR THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,247.

NHTSA ODI 11322356

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK. WHILE THE CONTACT'S SON WAS DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO ACCELERATE. A PICK UP TRUCK CRASHED INTO THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE QUARTER PANEL OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT CALLED SUBARU OF GRAPEVINE (2651 WILLIAM D TATE AVE, GRAPEVINE, TX 76051, (817) 438-1700) AND INFORMED THEM OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO A LOCAL DEALER. THE INSURANCE COMPANY DEEMED THE VEHICLE DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

NHTSA ODI 11289688

AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT AT HIGHWAY SPEED (~80MPH).

NHTSA ODI 11202567

VEHICLE WAS CLIMBING A RESIDENTIAL STREET WITH A GRADUAL INCLINE IN SNOW APPROXIMATELY 3 INCHES OF FRESH POWDER WITH NO ICE UNDERNEATH. VEHICLE HAD ONLY 3,150 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND THE TIRES WERE STOCK ALL SEASON YOKOHAMA WITH A GOOD MUD/TREAD RATING. THE VEHICLE WAS CLIMBING THE HILL VERY WELL UNTIL AT THE CREST A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND AWD LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE TIRES FAILED TO CLEAN THE SNOW PROPERLY AND I SLID BACK INTO A GUARDRAIL FOR APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET AND THERE WAS COSMETIC DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AS WELL AS THE RIGHT WHEEL WAS BENT. DEALERSHIP WHERE I TRADED THE VEHICLE INTO HAD 2 OTHER CUSTOMERS TRADE THEIR 2018 CROSSTREKS DUE TO POOR AWD SYSTEM AND VERY DANGEROUS ALL SEASON TIRES.

NHTSA ODI 11183635

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS REAR ENDED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS NO BODY DAMAGE TO THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO IRVINE SUBARU (23663 ROCKFIELD BLVD, LAKE FOREST, CA 92630, (949) 837-3500) WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED PER TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER: 10144878 (EQUIPMENT, POWER TRAIN, ENGINE); HOWEVER, THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT BACK TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,000.

NHTSA ODI 11170789