SUBARU CROSSTREK · model year

2023 SUBARU CROSSTREK

44 NHTSA complaints, 7 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

5 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2023SUBARUCROSSTREK carries 44 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 7 crashes, 0 fires, 6 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 5/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2023 CROSSTREK is unknown or other with 10 filings, followed by visibility/wiper (6) and engine (4). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 14 investigation files overlapping the 2023 CROSSTREK. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

44
Complaints
7
Crashes
0
Fires
6
Injuries
0
Deaths
2023 SUBARU CROSSTREK — NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2023 SUBARU CROSSTREK. Overall composite: 5.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 5.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 4.0 ★
  • Side Crash 5.0 ★
  • Rollover 4.0 ★
NHTSA overall 5.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

44 filings

Crashes Reported

7 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 5/5 — Top NCAP rating · Front: 4/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
UNKNOWN OR OTHER10
VISIBILITY/WIPER6
ENGINE4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING3
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS2
SERVICE BRAKES2
AIR BAGS2
SEATS1
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL1
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION1
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST1
STRUCTURE:BODY1
TIRES1
TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS1

Recent Complaints

20260131FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

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.

20251211SUSPENSION

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

20251106VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while her grandson was driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver's side windshield cracked unexpectedly. The windshield had developed a crack without impact. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the front windshield needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 29,000.

Mileage: 29,000

20251008ENGINE

Oct 7 2025 when me and my 6 year old daughter. Was leaving after picking her up at mom i drove off then came to stop sign so i slowly hit breaks and car accelerated very dangerous im very concerned

20250920ENGINE

When driving after let of throttle it some time floors it 4 times

20250818SERVICE BRAKES

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.

20250818LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING

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.

20250818FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

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.

20250708CrashAIR BAGS

Driving down highway in center lane, at or under speed limit, rainy conditions. Unexpectedly hydroplaned when transitioning from asphalt to bridge. Collided head-on with guardrail on right-hand side of road. Car then rotated and driver side rear collided with guardrail again. Airbags did not deploy, and during initial head on collision with barrier, driver seatbelt came unlatched from locking mechanism. No inspections at this time. No warning lights prior to crash. Potential for significant harm. Vehicle has been towed to IAA by insurance and will be temporarily available for inspection if requested. Presumed totaled, which will be confirmed within the week, after which the vehicle will most likely no longer be available to inspect.

20250708CrashSEAT BELTS

Driving down highway in center lane, at or under speed limit, rainy conditions. Unexpectedly hydroplaned when transitioning from asphalt to bridge. Collided head-on with guardrail on right-hand side of road. Car then rotated and driver side rear collided with guardrail again. Airbags did not deploy, and during initial head on collision with barrier, driver seatbelt came unlatched from locking mechanism. No inspections at this time. No warning lights prior to crash. Potential for significant harm. Vehicle has been towed to IAA by insurance and will be temporarily available for inspection if requested. Presumed totaled, which will be confirmed within the week, after which the vehicle will most likely no longer be available to inspect.

20250417CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while turning into a parking spot at 20 MPH and upon depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle continued to accelerate, causing the contact to crash the front of the vehicle into the concrete wall. The vehicle came to a stop upon impact. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to a local autobody center. No warning lights were illuminated. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not destroyed. The contact seated in the driver's seat was injured. No body outside of the vehicle reported an injury; however, a bystander nearby the crash site was taken to the hospital as a precaution in spite of her refusal to seek medical attention. The contact sustained internal bruising to her abdomen and chest, and medical treatment was needed for her injuries. The local dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate f

Mileage: 4,000

20250417CrashAIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while turning into a parking spot at 20 MPH and upon depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle continued to accelerate, causing the contact to crash the front of the vehicle into the concrete wall. The vehicle came to a stop upon impact. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to a local autobody center. No warning lights were illuminated. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not destroyed. The contact seated in the driver's seat was injured. No body outside of the vehicle reported an injury; however, a bystander nearby the crash site was taken to the hospital as a precaution in spite of her refusal to seek medical attention. The contact sustained internal bruising to her abdomen and chest, and medical treatment was needed for her injuries. The local dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate f

Mileage: 4,000

20250123VISIBILITY/WIPER

The component that is compromised on my '23 Subaru Crosstrek Sport is the windshield. My vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Monday, Jan 13, 2025, a crack formed on my windshield. The crack happened on the inside of the vehicle. It was positioned above the defroster vent on the driver's side, and I saw it happen right before my eyes. I immediately inspected the windshield from the exterior of the car. The crack cannot be felt by touch on the exterior of the windshield. There was no evidence of any damage that the vehicle could have sustained that would have caused the crack. I continued to use the defroster without further incident during my morning commute drive throughout the work week of Jan 13. Monday, Jan 20, the crack expanded to the full length of the defroster vent. It now stretches across both the driver's side and passenger side of the car. Because of the crack, I no longer use the defroster vent in fear of further damage to the windshield. Without use of the d

20250106VISIBILITY/WIPER

Windshield began to crack in the lower right corner (sitting in drivers seat) over a year ago, was replaced and just noticed a crack again recently starting in the same spot.

20241227CrashSERVICE BRAKES

On the morning of 12/26/24 - I stepped inside my 2023 Subaru Crosstrek and turned on the engine. The vehicle was parked in a commuter parking lot near my home to begin with. When I turned on the vehicle - I noticed a loud roaring sound when the engine turned on which i thought was very strange. Additionally I did NOT have my foot on the gas pedal at all during this time. I proceeded to place the car in drive and all of sudden the car experienced a unintended acceleration straight forward with a sudden burst that i never experienced before. I proceeded to press the brake pedal and tried to turn the steering wheel - but both functions were non-responsive which was incredibly frightening. My car then went straight into a tree with great impact and the vehicle was damaged beyond repair. Also - the vehicle's windshield mounted motion detection camera system (Subaru Eyesight) along with motion detector auto breaking system did not engage before i hit the tree which was very troubling

20241227CrashELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On the morning of 12/26/24 - I stepped inside my 2023 Subaru Crosstrek and turned on the engine. The vehicle was parked in a commuter parking lot near my home to begin with. When I turned on the vehicle - I noticed a loud roaring sound when the engine turned on which i thought was very strange. Additionally I did NOT have my foot on the gas pedal at all during this time. I proceeded to place the car in drive and all of sudden the car experienced a unintended acceleration straight forward with a sudden burst that i never experienced before. I proceeded to press the brake pedal and tried to turn the steering wheel - but both functions were non-responsive which was incredibly frightening. My car then went straight into a tree with great impact and the vehicle was damaged beyond repair. Also - the vehicle's windshield mounted motion detection camera system (Subaru Eyesight) along with motion detector auto breaking system did not engage before i hit the tree which was very troubling

20241227CrashENGINE

On the morning of 12/26/24 - I stepped inside my 2023 Subaru Crosstrek and turned on the engine. The vehicle was parked in a commuter parking lot near my home to begin with. When I turned on the vehicle - I noticed a loud roaring sound when the engine turned on which i thought was very strange. Additionally I did NOT have my foot on the gas pedal at all during this time. I proceeded to place the car in drive and all of sudden the car experienced a unintended acceleration straight forward with a sudden burst that i never experienced before. I proceeded to press the brake pedal and tried to turn the steering wheel - but both functions were non-responsive which was incredibly frightening. My car then went straight into a tree with great impact and the vehicle was damaged beyond repair. Also - the vehicle's windshield mounted motion detection camera system (Subaru Eyesight) along with motion detector auto breaking system did not engage before i hit the tree which was very troubling

20241104TIRES

rear tire mostly but all 4 - need to add air 2-3 times daily. even adjusting the air pressure when tires are cold we still need to add air daily. Driving an hour at highway speed, parking car for a couple of hours and still the tire pressure is never sufficient. Brought to dealer 2 or 3 times and they cannot find a reason, me niece and others have also expressed this issue to me.

20241104TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS

rear tire mostly but all 4 - need to add air 2-3 times daily. even adjusting the air pressure when tires are cold we still need to add air daily. Driving an hour at highway speed, parking car for a couple of hours and still the tire pressure is never sufficient. Brought to dealer 2 or 3 times and they cannot find a reason, me niece and others have also expressed this issue to me.

20240819STRUCTURE:BODY

The windshield keeps chipping easily. I have not had it inspected. I am not sure who inspects them. It is obviously a safety risk.

Compare 2023SUBARUCROSSTREK to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2023 SUBARU CROSSTREK have?
The 2023 SUBARU CROSSTREK has 44 NHTSA complaints, 7 crashes, 0 fires, 6 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2023 SUBARU CROSSTREK?
The 2023 SUBARU CROSSTREK received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 5/5, front crash rating of 4/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
What are the most common problems with the 2023 SUBARU CROSSTREK?
The most-complained component for the 2023 SUBARU CROSSTREK is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 10 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY/WIPER and ENGINE.
Is the 2023 SUBARU CROSSTREK safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2023 SUBARU CROSSTREK has an NHTSA safety rating of 5/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.