Total Complaints
108 filings
SUBARU XV CROSSTREK · model year
108 NHTSA complaints, 13 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
New Car Assessment Program
The 2014SUBARUXV CROSSTREK carries 108 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 13 crashes, 2 fires, 7 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 2014 XV CROSSTREK is electrical system with 17 filings, followed by unknown or other (13) and power train (13). 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 2014 XV 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.
Total Complaints
108 filings
Crashes Reported
13 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 17 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 13 |
| POWER TRAIN | 13 |
| ENGINE | 11 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 10 |
| AIR BAGS | 8 |
| STEERING | 7 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 4 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 3 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 2 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 2 |
| AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS | 2 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 |
Some times the passenger airbag light comes on and off. This is a reoccurring problem and I donât see any recalls on this
Some times the passenger airbag light comes on and off. This is a reoccurring problem and I donât see any recalls on this
I am reporting a complete engine failure on my 2014 Subaru Crosstrek at 140,000 miles due to a valve spring issue that appears to match Subaruâs Recall WTY-84 (NHTSA Campaign 18V772000). I checked my VIN and it currently shows no open recalls, but Iâve reviewed Subaruâs own documentation that lists 2013â2016 Crosstreks as affected by this defect. My vehicle clearly falls within that production range and has now suffered the exact failure described in that recall â a fractured valve spring causing a complete engine malfunction. I never received a recall notice, and when I contacted Subaru, they acknowledged the VIN wasnât included in the recall despite the year, make, model, and symptoms matching exactly. This raises concern that the recall scope is too narrow and is excluding other affected vehicles. This failure created a safety issue due to sudden engine loss while driving and has led to significant repair costs that I believe should have been prevented. I am asking NH
When attempting to put the car in park, the key will not release and is stuck. Incident happens often in recent past days. Key will not release from ignition.
When attempting to put the car in park, the key will not release and is stuck. Incident happens often in recent past days. Key will not release from ignition.
I have been getting my 2014 Subaru Crosstrek serviced at Continental Subaru in Anchorage, Alaska for the last 4.5 years. I initially thought that they were an honest dealer/mechanic. I originally bought my Subaru in California and drove it up to Anchorage and it has been here ever since. My car burns oil very quickly. I mentioned this several times and the dealer always said it wasn't that big of an issue. Between oil changes I frequently had to add a couple of quarts of oil in addition to what they added during the oil changes because the car was burning so much oil. Recently in the last year, Continental Subaru told me my spark plugs were bad. I brought the car in because my cylinders were misfiring. They replaced the spark plugs. However a month later the issue still persisted. I called Subaru and had them replace the spark plugs again. At this point they said it was just the spark plugs. The issue persisted. I took my Subaru to a local mechanic this time since I felt like Continent
I have been getting my 2014 Subaru Crosstrek serviced at Continental Subaru in Anchorage, Alaska for the last 4.5 years. I initially thought that they were an honest dealer/mechanic. I originally bought my Subaru in California and drove it up to Anchorage and it has been here ever since. My car burns oil very quickly. I mentioned this several times and the dealer always said it wasn't that big of an issue. Between oil changes I frequently had to add a couple of quarts of oil in addition to what they added during the oil changes because the car was burning so much oil. Recently in the last year, Continental Subaru told me my spark plugs were bad. I brought the car in because my cylinders were misfiring. They replaced the spark plugs. However a month later the issue still persisted. I called Subaru and had them replace the spark plugs again. At this point they said it was just the spark plugs. The issue persisted. I took my Subaru to a local mechanic this time since I felt like Continent
Key was stuck in the ignition and left me stranded unable to leave my car. I took the car to the Subaru dealership for them to assess and repair the issue. During this time the service desk confirmed it was a known issue with the CVT park range switch. They advised me that Subaru of America had done a warranty extension but that I was now outside of the time window for it to be covered. Upon further research this was an issue that was all over the Subaru forum boards with similar issues. I contacted Subaru of America in order to be reimbursed and was offer a $100 as a goodwill gesture and they kept referring to the warranty being extended to cover the issue. Subaru of America failed to issue a recall and instead did the "secret warranty extension" to avoid having to inform their customers and impact their reliability numbers. This is extremely concerning that a brand that is known for reliability would knowingly behave in this way and has me questioning what other items have they done
Horn does not work. No warning indicating malfunctioned horn. Unable to signal other vehicles to prevent car crash. The broken horn has been inspected by mechanic.
Passenger side seatbelt stopped locked up and stopped retracting from the device that rolls up the strap into the box.
The electrical system and engine flickers on and off or sometimes dies entirely. The trigger is unknown and the underlying cause is unknown. It is unsafe because this has occurred while the vehicle is moving. The problem was confirmed and reproduced by a Subaru service center. They were unable to diagnose the issue. There is no warning when it will happen.
The electrical system and engine flickers on and off or sometimes dies entirely. The trigger is unknown and the underlying cause is unknown. It is unsafe because this has occurred while the vehicle is moving. The problem was confirmed and reproduced by a Subaru service center. They were unable to diagnose the issue. There is no warning when it will happen.
Ignition key keeps intermittently locking into ignition when trying to retrieve key. Putting vehicle in park, key will turn engine off, but then will not turn all the way to release the key. Key has a key fob, vehicle is placed on parking gear. Sometimes restarting vehicle can help, sometimes shifting gears and driving vehicle again can help. Sometimes turning steering wheel helps. Sometimes all you can do is wait a few to five minutes to be able to turn off vehicle and retrieve car. No warning lights. After my warranty expired was when I noticed the problem. Bought vehicle used less than a year ago. It can be a safety risk if I cannot retrieve my key and then anyone could jump in and steal it as their is no other way to lock the vehicle unless I automatically locky myself out.
I started having issues with my car when I could not turn it off -- the key was stuck in the ignition and I was unable to turn the car fully off. This continued to happen and the only fix I found to get the car off was to turn the car back on, shift the gear into drive, then try to turn it off again. Sometimes it would take repeated tries of turning the car on and trying to turn it off. The problems then got worse when I started to have issues starting the car as well; the car would struggle to start and I lost confidence in the vehicle. Every workday I have to drive my car to a location where I have to turn off my vehicle while a security check is performed -- one day I got stuck at this checkpoint when I could not start my car. I was afraid to drive my car, thinking I could get stuck somewhere with it running or with it unable to start. A certified Subaru repair shop confirmed the issue is a known problem with Subaru parts described in a Technical Service Bulletin [XXX] ). Ther
Airbag deployed for no reason, while pulling forward slowly from a parking spot. An airbag that deploys when there is no impact or collision is a clear risk to the safety of the driver, passengers and other drivers on the road.
While driving on highway the engine died, I was able to pull over and stop safely. The engine turned over when I turned the key but would not start. The fuel gauge showed one full bar of fuel and the fuel mileage reading showed 60 miles till empty. I contacted roadside assistance and after 2 hours was able to put 4 gallons of fuel in the car. The car started normally and I was able to drive to gas station and fill up. The fuel gauge had never failed to accurately show the fuel in my car and the mileage range till empty was always accurate. I do not trust my cars fuel gauge anymore. I was lucky not to be in the city in rush hour and stuck in traffic. I will contact Subaru to report the problem.
The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated while driving approximately 30-40 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly, and then decelerated. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while reversing into a parking spot the following day. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 102,600.
Mileage: 102,600
The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated while driving approximately 30-40 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly, and then decelerated. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while reversing into a parking spot the following day. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 102,600.
Mileage: 102,600
Started the car and a warning light came on and the steering froze. I turned it off for the day. The next day I started it and it didnât freeze again. Iâm concerned that while driving the steering will lock up and cause an accident and possible injury or kill me. My uncle reached out to Subaru of America. They didnât offer any help. They just said take it in at your own expense. We were quoted over the phone approximately $2000 to repair.My uncle researched this issue. This locking steering problem has been a big problem with the Subaru Crosstrek subjecting it to recalls. I believe Subaru should repair this safety issue.
I was driving to a job sight from Houston to Corpus Christi. About 10 min from the job sight I here a loud pop on top of my roof. I opened up my sunroof viser to see what had happened. The glass broke. Nothing hit the glass. It just broke! Luckly I had the roof viser closed when it happened.There are thousands of forums stating the same exact thing. For reference, https://www.subaruxvforum.com/
Occupant Detection System (ODS) Failure
Passenger Front Air Bag Suppression
Front suspension control arm failure
FUEL PUMP LEAKS
FUEL LINE LEAK
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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.