I rented this car and what I noticed is that the highly polished LCD display reflects sunlight into the driver's eyes. This was noticed while driving North at approximately 7:30AM until 10:00AM. The reflection is actually blinding. The screen should have a matte finish to minimize this blinding reflection.
The worst 2026 Subaru Crosstrek problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Driver assistance3
- Acceleration2
- Electrical2
- Body1
- Brakes1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Driver assistance3
- Acceleration2
- Electrical2
- Body1
- Brakes1
- Engine1
- Lights1
- Seat belts1
- Steering1
Recalls 1
Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek and Forester vehicles. The castle nut on the left-front lower control arm ball joint may be improperly fastened, which can lead to the ball joint separating from the lower control arm.
- Risk
- A ball joint that separates from the lower control arm can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and replace the left-front lower control arm ball joint assembly, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 16, 2026. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRI26.
Recall number 26V685000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek 75
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This is an update announcement regarding the TechShare & NorthStar Integration
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) has initiated a safety recall for certain 2026 model year Crosstrek and...
- This Service Information Bulletin announces Service Manual updates for the diagnosis of hands-free calling...
- This announcement provides information on the connected services platform for Subaru EVs.
- This bulletin announces the service procedure for battery replacement on 2025MY Impreza and Crosstrek
- 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 regarding the Safety Recall WRI-26 for certain 2026 model year...
- 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.
2026 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4‑cyl Hybrid | AWD | 36 | 36 | 36 |
| 2.5L 4‑cyl | AWD | 24-26 | 29-33 | 26-29 |
What 2026 Subaru Crosstrek owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Multiple times the vehicle has allowed lane crossing with no warning neither actual assist or beep into oncoming traffic. A vehicle abruptly stopped approximately 75 feet ahead of me the vehicle did not respond and I did have to slam my brakes. I was able to stop with only 3 feet between me and the stopped vehicle. Automatic collision avoidance neither attempted to stop nor gave any warning. Blind spot monitor allows lane change with turn signal on and a vehicle in blind spot again with no warning. I was on the freeway and the center lane when this happened, I was merging into right lane. Starlink 11.6" media center freezes and lags. Dealership service department claims everything is working fine. Service department claims nothing wrong even this was witnessed by a dealership employee and the dealer manager took my car to the service department after the employee explained these problems were seen with her in the vehicle.
The front door check strap / door detent mechanism (both front doors). The vehicle is in my possession and available for inspection upon request. VIN and service records available. The front doors do not hold reliably in their intermediate detent positions. The door swings closed unintentionally, with no input from the occupant, on a near-daily basis. On one occasion the driver’s door closed on my leg as I was exiting, narrowly avoiding injury. My household includes a [XXX] child and a [XXX] family member, both of whom regularly enter and exit this vehicle. A door that closes without warning presents a crush and pinch hazard to the extremities and head, and the risk is greatest for a small child or an older adult who cannot react quickly. The condition occurs on level ground and is not attributable to wind or grade. YES. Circle Subaru, [XXX]. XXX. The dealer examined the vehicle and did not dispute the door behavior. They stated the doors are designed this way, that no defect exists, and that no repair is available. Their recommendation was that I exercise additional caution when entering and exiting. No repair was performed. NO manufacturer-level inspection to date. I have directly compared this vehicle against a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek owned by a family member. The 2024 door check strap engages positively at each detent and holds the door in position; the 2026 does not. Combined with the dealer’s statement that this behavior is intended, this suggests a design change between model years rather than a fault specific to my vehicle. NO warning lamps or messages — this is a mechanical condition with no electronic indication. The symptom was present from delivery and became apparent within the first weeks of ownership. Frequency has not changed; it occurs nearly every day. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
On XXX while driving my brand-new 2026 Subaru Crosstrek with approximately 63 miles on the odometer, the vehicle suddenly lost acceleration. The AT Oil Temp warning flashed, followed by the Check Engine Light and multiple EyeSight and driver assistance warning lights. I immediately pulled off the road because I did not feel it was safe to continue driving. My [XXX] grandson was in the vehicle at the time. The vehicle was towed to the selling Subaru dealership. The dealer diagnosed transmission trouble codes P0700 and P0752 and determined that an internal valve body solenoid had failed. Because the solenoid is not serviceable separately, the entire valve body assembly was replaced under the manufacturer’s warranty. My concern is that a brand-new vehicle experienced a sudden loss of acceleration at only 63 miles, creating a potential safety hazard for my family and other motorists. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The 2026 Subaru crosstrek was sitting in the garage since 07/17/2026. I went out on 07/19/2026 to go to church. I tried to start it and it clicked rapidly like the battery didn't have enough juice to actually start it.
The sunroof shattered for no apparent reason. The car was parked in my garage. Something caused it to explode outwardly from within Tempered glass fell going all over the front seats. Some of the glass stood in place, but would come crashing down if I was to drive it from the wind force.
My vehicle requires multiple restarts after the engine is turned off to go forward or reverse. This has been happening since April 2026. I purchased the vehicle on 02/28/2026. My dealer claims they have not found any issues. However, the problem persists.
The AED, Braking, Cameras and lane centering systems failed and caused a crash into the highway barrier suddenly due to defects in the driver assist systems defect in the electronic safety systems causing the steering wheel to turn forcefully to the barrier striking it. This happened without any warning despite driver input to stop the sudden steering inputs and braking.
On May 13, 2026 at approximately 2:50 PM, I experienced an unexpected activation of the EyeSight pre-collision braking system in my 2026 Subaru Crosstrek while pulling into the Chick-fil-A entrance area in [XXX] . The vehicle suddenly applied hard braking even though there was no imminent collision in front of me. The sudden braking created a hazardous situation and nearly caused me to swerve toward a pedestrian standing on the median area nearby. I was also fortunate there was no vehicle directly behind me, as the abrupt stop could have resulted in a rear-end collision. At the time of the incident, there were no warning lights or prior indications of a malfunction. The vehicle currently has approximately 900 miles on it. I have since contacted the Subaru dealership and scheduled a warranty inspection of the EyeSight/pre-collision braking system for further evaluation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Not an 'incident' but seat belt does not adjust low enough for an average short woman (5'1") without draping across lower neck. I have adjusted the slide on side panel to lowest point but seat belt still cuts across neck (not collar bone area). This is standard for all similar cars and I feel a seatbelt across one's neck is a safety concern that needs to be addressed. Adjustments of seat and/or steering wheel make little to no difference on seatbelt across lower neck area. Raising seat makes it difficult to get into vehicle, as it also moves the seat forward when it is raised (and seat position is manual adjustment, not electric anyway - and doesn't make seatbelt much lower - still neck area)....
Compare the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek
Crosstrek vs Chevrolet TrailblazerCrosstrek vs Kia SoulCrosstrek vs Jeep RenegadeCrosstrek vs Honda HR-VCrosstrek vs Ford EcosportCrosstrek vs Ford Bronco SportCrosstrek vs Chevrolet TraxCrosstrek vs Hyundai Kona
Other model years
201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Questions about the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek
Is the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek reliable?
Owners have filed 11 complaints about the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek, fewer than a typical Crosstrek model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek?
Driver assistance and stability, with 3 complaints. Next is acceleration (2).
How many recalls does the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek have?
1 recall, covering suspension.
What year does the Subaru Crosstrek have the most driver assistance problems?
The Subaru Crosstrek model years with the most driver assistance complaints are 2021 (18 complaints), 2025 (15 complaints) and 2024 (13 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek get?
Official estimates for the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek range from 26 to 36 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.5L 4-cyl hybrid, AWD) gets 36 city and 36 highway.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2026 Subaru Crosstrek?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history