I filled up my 2023 Subaru Crosstrek with gasoline and a short time later the Check Engine light came on as did the warning lights that the safety features associated with the EyeSight system indicating it was no longer functioning. It encouraged me to get the car checked immediately. It turned out that I had not completely tightened the gas cap. I tightened the gas’s cap hoping the safety featured would reset - it didn’t. I contacted Subaru and they said it should reset after a few stops when the engine is shut off. I was on a road trip from Pennsylvania to Maine on a weekend so there was no place to get it checked or reset. We stopped multiple times along the way and it never reset. There were no Subaru dealers at our destination in Maine. Finally after some research I found out I needed disconnect the battery for at least 30 minutes and the car’s computer will reset. It worked. My point is that a simple loose gas cap will TOTALLY DISABLE all of the car’s SAFTY features associated with the EyeSight system create a safety problem totally unassociated with a loose cap or vapor leak. I can understand the warning lights coming on telling the driver to have the car serviced immediately. I do not understand why it needs to disable the collision avoidance, line crossing warning and other SAFETY FEATURES associated with EyeSight, making the car less safe.
The worst 2023 Subaru Crosstrek problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Visibility7
- Driver assistance6
- Electrical6
- Engine5
- Brakes4
- Airbags2
- Acceleration1
- Body1
- Seat belts1
- Seats1
- Suspension1
- Tires1
- Transmission1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Technical service bulletins for the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek 218
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This bulletin announces a change to the troubleshooting tree when diagnosing DTC P2404 EVAP SYSTEM LEAK...
- This bulletin the announces diagnostic procedures and availability of new Engine Control Module (ECM)...
- This is an update announcement regarding the TechShare & NorthStar Integration
- This announcement provides information on the connected services platform for Subaru EVs.
- This bulletin provides a step-by-step diagnostic procedure for resolving Remote Engine Start (RES)...
- This Service Information Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but...
- This announcement provides information on DCM replacememts due to a parasitic draw.
- This announcement provides information on an outage affecting the Subaru Select Monitor 5 application.
- This Service Information Bulletin announces the availability of ThreeBond 1216J (SOA868V9640) designed for...
- This Service Information Bulletin announces the release of a new diagnostic assistance application for...
2023 Subaru Crosstrek fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4‑cyl Plug-in hybrid | AWD | 36 | 35 | 35 |
| 2.0L 4‑cyl | AWD | 22-28 | 29-33 | 25-30 |
| 2.5L 4‑cyl | AWD | 27 | 34 | 29 |
What 2023 Subaru Crosstrek owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
2023 Subaru Crosstrek, 88,000 miles. Oil temperature warning light illuminated on October 5, 2026; dealer diagnosed CVT torque converter failure requiring replacement ($2,954 repair). This is the second CVT failure in two months: the same dealer replaced the CVT valve body in August 2026 (~$3,400) for the same warning light. Vehicle has remained parked at the dealer since the failure — driving with a failing torque converter can damage the CVT. Submitting as a transmission defect report."
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.
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.
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.
Replaced battery 3 times. Believe this car has the parasitic battery issue. Attached on of the bills. Looking for the other 2.
the rear brakes keep engaging while the car is driving. we purchased the car in November 2022. this happened in December 2024 & at the time a dealership in [XXX] area (where my son attended college), said it was an issue and replaced parts in the brake system. yesterday while we were driving back from [XXX] to Houston - the brakes started to make loud squeaking noise as if they were engaged and the brake light keep going on and off. fortunately, this happened very near to Houston and we drove slowly on by roads back home. it feels likes driving with hand brake engaged. fortunately nothing happened to us. but this is a systemic problem with subaru crosstek! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Passenger side valve cover gasket and spark plug seal failure.
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.
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
Compare the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek
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Other model years
201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Questions about the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek
Is the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek reliable?
Owners have filed 36 complaints about the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek, fewer than a typical Crosstrek model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek?
Windows, wipers and visibility, with 7 complaints. Next is driver assistance (6).
How many recalls does the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the Subaru Crosstrek have the most visibility problems?
The Subaru Crosstrek model years with the most visibility complaints are 2019 (123 complaints), 2018 (72 complaints) and 2020 (34 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek get?
Official estimates for the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek range from 25 to 35 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.0L 4-cyl plug-in hybrid, AWD) gets 36 city and 35 highway.
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