Home · 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness · Complaints

What 32 owners told NHTSA about the 2023 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 (32)Crash / fire / injury (4)Visibility & wipers (7)Driver assistance (5)Electrical system (5)Engine (5)Brakes (3)Lane Departure (3)Airbags (2)Backup camera & sensors (1)Body & structure (1)Seat belts (1)

5 of 32 complaints match · Driver assistance · clear filters

May 14, 2026Electrical systemBackup camera & sensorsDriver assistanceCrash1 injury

Purchased vehicle 8/27/2025 within 1 day and 1 month of 2 separate class action lawsuits. Purchased from CarMax Wilmington. Car produced electrical shock to my hand first time I attempted to pair the vehicle. Parkway stated at that time I was under an additional warranty but the vehicle would require constant “updates”. This was an intentional deception to prevent me from pursuing what is required under the law, which is the replacement of head unit and subsequent by back of the vehicle when those services fail. "I am reporting a severe pre-crash safety module defect and subsequent dealer concealment on a 2023 Subaru Crosstrek. Two weeks prior to being rear-ended, Parkway Subaru in Wilmington, NC, executed seven failed EyeSight safety recalibration sequences. The service department concealed the component failure, falsely stating the vehicle 'just needed updates,' releasing an unsafe vehicle with non-functional automated braking into commerce. Post-collision, the vehicle was redirected to an uncertified shop to perform unauthorized repairs and cover up the pre-existing safety failure. Service Manager Selena Tighe verbally threatened me to suppress my references to federal class-action safety filings.

NHTSA ODI 11737874

Jan 31, 2026Driver assistance

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.

NHTSA ODI 11714624

Aug 18, 2025BrakesLane DepartureDriver assistance

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.

NHTSA ODI 11681261

Aug 15, 2024Lane DepartureDriver assistance

A/C drain clogged and let water into car drenching all carpets below all seats- (2) electronic devices below driver and passenger seats malfunctioned and caused all Eyesight and safety systems to fail along with check engine light turning ON, all safety systems failed, all wheel drive offline and power steering went manual.

NHTSA ODI 11608807

Jul 17, 2024Driver assistanceLane Departure

All the advanced driver assistance system items listed on the website list all Shutdown. The emergency brake lamp also was lighted. Subaru service has not found a solution as of yet. This issue clears then coms back within a single day. I find the system that I purchased not working is most alarming.

NHTSA ODI 11602997

Working with the data? Download all 32 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 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness verdict →