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What 111 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (111)Crash / fire / injury (10)Visibility & wipers (33)Engine (16)Electrical system (14)Driver assistance (13)Transmission & drivetrain (13)Lane Departure (5)Fuel system (4)Backup camera & sensors (3)Body & structure (3)Brakes (3)

3 of 111 complaints match · Engine · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Sep 19, 2023EngineCrash1 injury

The contact owned a 2021 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while parking and the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle accelerated unexpectedly and collided with a wall. The collision was at the front of the vehicle. The air bags deployed. The driver sustained arm, leg, thumb, back, and nose injuries. Medical attention was needed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,300.

NHTSA ODI 11545362

Sep 3, 2023EngineFire

Was driving on highway at approximately 65 mph. Check engine light came on. Engine started to stop responding to gas being given to car. Pulled off to exit highway approximately 1 minute after check engine light came on. At bottom of exit, car completely lost power. Attempted to put vehicle into park and wouldn't shift. Started to see smoke coming from engine and then shortly after started to see flames coming from engine. Immediately exited vehicle and called 911. No one was injured. Subaru indicated fire started as result of external influences. Insurance company's 3rd party auditors were not able to determine cause of fire.

NHTSA ODI 11542376

Nov 7, 2022EngineFuel systemDriver assistanceFire

My brand new Subaru ignited in the engine compartment, burst into flames and exploded while I was driving it.

NHTSA ODI 11492551

Working with the data? Download all 111 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 20, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2021 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness verdict →