2015 Subaru CROSSTREK

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Above Average

Quick Summary

The 2015 Subaru CROSSTREK has 27 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.3x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is transmission problems (22% of all complaints), specifically: i have random but consistent problems with my 2015 subaru crosstrek in regards to the cvt, stalling and acceleration issues. i have complained to the dealership on many occasions. when coming to a stop and then accelerating again it feels as if the car is about to stall and in some situations i felt.

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

0.3x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

TRANSMISSION

6 complaints

22%

• I HAVE RANDOM BUT CONSISTENT PROBLEMS WITH MY 2015 SUBARU CROSSTREK IN REGARDS TO THE CVT, STALLING AND ACCELERATION ISSUES. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE DEALERSHIP ON MANY OCCASIONS. WHEN COMING TO A STOP AND THEN ACCELERATING AGAIN IT FEELS AS IF THE CAR IS ABOUT TO STALL AND IN SOME SITUATIONS I FELT
• CAR STALLED AND DIED WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY TRAVELING 75MPH. FELT LIKE THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED INTO A LOW GEAR AND THE RPM'S REVVED. CAR IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER AND FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY MOVE TO FREEWAY SHOULDER. CAR WOULD NOT START AND HAD TO BE TOWED BUT ALL ELECTRICAL STILL FUNCTIONE
• MY CAR BECAME STUCK IN PARK DUE TO A DEFECTIVE BREAK LIGHT SWITCH. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME TO HAVE IT TOWED, BUT LUCKILY I CHECKED THE INTERNET AND LEARNED I HAD TO OVERRIDE THE SYSTEM BY STICKING A BOLT INTO A PORT ON THE GEAR SHIFT PANEL. APPARENTLY THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE. I KNOW SEVERAL PEOPLE PERS

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“I HAVE RANDOM BUT CONSISTENT PROBLEMS WITH MY 2015 SUBARU CROSSTREK IN REGARDS TO THE CVT, STALLING AND ACCELERATION ISSUES. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE DEALERSHIP ON MANY OCCASIONS. WHEN COMING TO A STOP AND THEN ACCELERATING AGAIN IT FEELS AS IF THE CAR IS ABOUT TO STALL AND IN SOME SITUATIONS I FELT”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

5 complaints

19%

• ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY: I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF WHEN MY LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, WHICH MEANT I STILL HAD 70 MILES LEFT UNTIL EMPTY. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE MIDDLE LANE, MY ENGINE MADE A REVVING NOIS
• CAR STALLED AND DIED WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY TRAVELING 75MPH. FELT LIKE THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED INTO A LOW GEAR AND THE RPM'S REVVED. CAR IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER AND FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY MOVE TO FREEWAY SHOULDER. CAR WOULD NOT START AND HAD TO BE TOWED BUT ALL ELECTRICAL STILL FUNCTIONE
• MY CAR HAS BEEN LEAKING FOR A LONG WHILE NOW. I DIDN'T EXPECT IT TO HAPPEN BUT WHEN RECENTLY I SAW SMALL DROPS OF OIL, I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID MY CAM BOX SEAL WAS LEAKING AND THEN I WENT INTO MORE RESEARCH. I FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY A COMMON ISSUE FROM MY FELLOW CROSSTREK

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY: I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF WHEN MY LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, WHICH MEANT I STILL HAD 70 MILES LEFT UNTIL EMPTY. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE MIDDLE LANE, MY ENGINE MADE A REVVING NOIS”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

4 complaints

15%

• TRAVELING ON WESTBOUND I-74,8:30 PM 02/10/2018 APPROXIMATELY 63MPH,CAR ON CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE CAR LOST POWER,FELT LIKE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING,ENGINE REVS TO 8000 RPM.LUCKILY,LITTLE TRAFFIC,PULLED CAR TO RIGHT SHOULDER.TURNED KEY OFF,CAR WOULD NOT RESTART.CALLED WRECKER AND TOWED CAR TO BUSAM SUBA
• CAR STALLED AND DIED WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY TRAVELING 75MPH. FELT LIKE THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED INTO A LOW GEAR AND THE RPM'S REVVED. CAR IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER AND FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY MOVE TO FREEWAY SHOULDER. CAR WOULD NOT START AND HAD TO BE TOWED BUT ALL ELECTRICAL STILL FUNCTIONE
• WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE ABS, HILL ASSIST, AND VEHICLE DYNAMICS CONTROL LIGHTS ALL LIGHT UP AND LOCK DOWN THE CAR. WILL CONTINUE TO DRIVE BUT THE NEXT TIME THE CAR IS STARTED, IT MAY NOT BACK UP OR GO IN DRIVE AGAIN.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“TRAVELING ON WESTBOUND I-74,8:30 PM 02/10/2018 APPROXIMATELY 63MPH,CAR ON CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE CAR LOST POWER,FELT LIKE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING,ENGINE REVS TO 8000 RPM.LUCKILY,LITTLE TRAFFIC,PULLED CAR TO RIGHT SHOULDER.TURNED KEY OFF,CAR WOULD NOT RESTART.CALLED WRECKER AND TOWED CAR TO BUSAM SUBA”

— NHTSA complaint filing

BRAKES

3 complaints

11%

• THE BRAKE SWITCH FAILED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE STUCK IN PARK. SUBARU HAS A RECALL ON THE BRAKE SWITCH, BUT MY CAR IS NOT COVERED UNDER THAT RECALL. RECALL 15V366000. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH SUBARU AND THE DEFECT SHOULD BE COVERED.
• SOMETIMES WHEN PUSHING THE BRAKE PEDAL THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND WILL NOT ALLOW THE CAR TO SHIFT FROM PARK. OTHER TIMES MAY COME ON WHILE DRIVING. THE CAR ONLY HAS 25K MILES ON IT. I DON'T WANT TO DRIVE ANYWHERE AND GET STUCK THERE NOR DO I NEED A BRAKE PROBLEM IN SNOW AS I LIVE IN NEW YORK STATE.
• I WAS DRIVING ON A 2 LANE HIGHWAY GOING 55MPH. MY KNEE BUMPED THE STEERING COLUMN AND AT THAT MOMENT THE DASH WENT BLANK, I LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER BEFORE THE STEERING LOCKED UP. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. AFTER AWHILE I DISCOVERED THE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“THE BRAKE SWITCH FAILED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE STUCK IN PARK. SUBARU HAS A RECALL ON THE BRAKE SWITCH, BUT MY CAR IS NOT COVERED UNDER THAT RECALL. RECALL 15V366000. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH SUBARU AND THE DEFECT SHOULD BE COVERED.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

STEERING

2 complaints

• DURING THE MORNING AND SOMETIMES IN THE AFTERNOON AS I START THE VEHICLE THE STEERING LIGHT COMES ON AND THE VEHICLE IS NOT ABLE TO BE STEERED. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES AND I BROUGHT IT TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER MANUFACTURES WARRANTY. LAST WEEK THE DEALERSHI
• I WAS DRIVING ON A 2 LANE HIGHWAY GOING 55MPH. MY KNEE BUMPED THE STEERING COLUMN AND AT THAT MOMENT THE DASH WENT BLANK, I LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER BEFORE THE STEERING LOCKED UP. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. AFTER AWHILE I DISCOVERED THE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“DURING THE MORNING AND SOMETIMES IN THE AFTERNOON AS I START THE VEHICLE THE STEERING LIGHT COMES ON AND THE VEHICLE IS NOT ABLE TO BE STEERED. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES AND I BROUGHT IT TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER MANUFACTURES WARRANTY. LAST WEEK THE DEALERSHI”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

BRAKES(~50K mi)

$500

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 27 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
TRANSMISSION: I HAVE RANDOM BUT CONSISTENT PROBLEMS WITH MY 2015 SUBARU CROSSTREK IN REGARDS TO THE CVT, STALLING AND ACCELERATION ISSUES. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE DEALERSHIP ON MANY OCCASIONS. WHEN COMING TO A STOP AND THEN ACCELERATING AGAIN IT FEELS AS IF THE CAR IS ABOUT TO STALL AND IN SOME SITUATIONS I FELT
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY: I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF WHEN MY LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, WHICH MEANT I STILL HAD 70 MILES LEFT UNTIL EMPTY. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE MIDDLE LANE, MY ENGINE MADE A REVVING NOIS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: TRAVELING ON WESTBOUND I-74,8:30 PM 02/10/2018 APPROXIMATELY 63MPH,CAR ON CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE CAR LOST POWER,FELT LIKE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING,ENGINE REVS TO 8000 RPM.LUCKILY,LITTLE TRAFFIC,PULLED CAR TO RIGHT SHOULDER.TURNED KEY OFF,CAR WOULD NOT RESTART.CALLED WRECKER AND TOWED CAR TO BUSAM SUBA
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
BRAKES: THE BRAKE SWITCH FAILED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE STUCK IN PARK. SUBARU HAS A RECALL ON THE BRAKE SWITCH, BUT MY CAR IS NOT COVERED UNDER THAT RECALL. RECALL 15V366000. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH SUBARU AND THE DEFECT SHOULD BE COVERED.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)