The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlight warning light illuminated, and the contact noticed that the passenger's side LED headlight had become inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where a headlight assembly replacement was recommended. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Subaru Crosstrek headlights problems
29 of the 1,205 owner complaints about the Subaru Crosstrek describe headlights failing or too dim, most of them for the 2024 model year.
- owner complaints
- 29
- worst model year
- 2024
- typical mileage
- 30,000
By model year
Often reported together
What owners say
The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while driving at night, the strip on the front windshield failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the strip was designed to keep the top section of the front windshield dark to avoid the glare from the headlights of oncoming vehicles, while the bottom section of the windshield was clear. The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, preventing the driver from safely operating the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.
Headlights are pointed low. It is hard to see down the road. The top half of windshield is darker than the bottom half. Car may be safe for city driving, but not for country roads. Going up and down hills and around curves the suv is unsafe. Dealer said they recieving complaints but can not adjust the lights. Sorry I bought such an unsafe suv.
Oem Headlight shadowing on brand new car moves all over the place. It mimics child or wildlife. The reduced area is unsafe.
Headlight performance on this vehicle is extremely dangerous when driving at nighttime. Unless you keep your high beams on constantly, these headlights offer only extremely limited visibility during night driving. From the top of the windshield down about16 inches it's totally black. You can only see out of the bottom half of the windshield. The road in front of you is only lit up for about 60 feet then it's dark beyond that point. Visiblity problem gets even worse when going downhill. Incident #1. . . . I almost ran into a bicycle rider the other night as he was traveling just beyond the area that was lit up by my lights. I was only traveling at about 35-40 mph, but by the time he was visible i was almost not able to avoid hitting him. He was riding his bike just on the edge of the lane of car traffic so he was easily in the line of my car. I was so shaken up, my heart was pounding, that I had to pull over to the side of the road to reflect on what had just happened and to get my bearings again. Now I find myself afraid to drive this Subaru, my new car of only 2 months, at nighttime. Incident #2. . . .Same complaint regarding headlights. The above described problem with headlights gets even more, much more, dangerous when you're driving down an incline such as a hill. Because you're car is going downhill, the available space that is lit up in front of you becomes even more diminished so that you also can't see any curves in the road that are coming up as well as stop signs, pedestrians or other cars!. It's a miracle if you don't end up crashing your car off the side of the road while trying to navigate down that hill. I have complained numerous times at the dealership, but no help. To verify, a rep. would have to drive the car at night time. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE Subaru needs to make this right and correct this HEADLIGHT problem ASAP or there is bound to be drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists injured and/or killed.
Recently bought this car. Headlights are problematic and dangerous. For one, there are unusual dark spots in the SRH headlights. Even if you turn off SRH, they are still there. Very distracting and feel unsafe driving at night. Also, headlights are dim and do not sufficiently illuminate road. . When driving at night with low beams, I get a distinct demarcation line which I have to look under to see the road. The upper half of the windshield is completely dark while the lower half is clear. This is also very distracting and feels unsafe driving. The lights are too low on the road and those 2 black spots catch your attention and at times can look like something darting in front of your car. I live in a rural area and with few street lights it is difficult driving at night. Everyone that has driven with me cannot believe how bad these headlights are. Please research the comments and videos online, as this is a major complaint and problem. I would like to see these headlights recalled and replaced. Dealer is telling me I can’t change to an aftermarket headlight so I can’t even try to remedy the situation myself.
There is something inside the headlights that produces two shadows that are posing a safety risk. When driving and turning the steering wheel the shadows move which look like a small animal is darting out from the sides. The shadows are a distraction and have resulted in rapid braking thinking I was going to hit an animal. I attached photos showing the shadows up close but they are larger when I am driving. They are about the size of a boot or shoe box.
Headlights on low beam have a very low distance reach. This is more apparent if you are going up or down an incline. On inclines, the Steering adaptive headlights change in such a way that you have very little distance in your sight. There is also a very sharp delineation of light vs dark at its maximum distance at even levels. This give the impression that you have good lighting at short distances then instant blackness. Once you reach a certain distance in the lighting your visual information stream is cut off completely. Worst headlights I have had in 45 years of driving. I wondered if I was going crazy. I looked up the same problem being described on forums. Some suggested write the federal safety agency and let you know of the problem. I believe it is a serious safety issue which interferes with us being able to see well enough at night.
The headlights allow for only extremely limited visibility. At night, The windshield from the top to about 15” down is black. The lighting is bright for about 50-75’. If I am headed downhill the headlights shine down and the top of the hill can be invisible. Per Subaru this is standard. It is horrible. I can’t believe this hasn’t resulted in a recall. I will not drive the car after dusk. I didn’t notice this problem till about a week ago. I avoid night driving when possible but it shouldn’t be impossible for me to drive at night.
The SRH headlight system has a Dark square at the top of each side light pattern that is extremely distracting to the driver. As the vehicle is in motion and the headlights are moving back and forth due to steering inputs the dark spots appear almost as if an animal or object is running out in front of you. This constantly moving distraction is an accident waiting to happen
Related recalls
Exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.
- Risk
- Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.
Recall number 19V149000 · Recall details
Questions about the Subaru Crosstrek headlights
Which Subaru Crosstrek years have headlights failing or too dim problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2024 (14 complaints), 2019 (5 complaints) and 2018 (3 complaints).
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