36 of the
1,552 complaints filed about the Subaru Crosstrek
are about the lighting —
2% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2024.
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)
NHTSA complaint #11755083 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11722003 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
To Whom It May Concern; Again having ongoing issues and problems with my 2025 crosstrek. Just got it back from the dealership after it being there for over 3 weeks. I was returned to me with a nail in the tire. And they even lost my keys at the dealership. I've had my car back not even 24 hours and have 2 maintenance sensors come on. And the driver asst is only working one one side. Of course I contact the Subaru dealership - only to get dumped into a voicemail that doesn't get checked. I'm yet to hear from anyone from Subaru. Most likely won't. At this time it seems like the only way to get anything resolved is to seek legal action. That's sad because it really shouldn't have to come to that. Starting to wonder honestly if anyone actually works or does their job at Subaru. (or at least there job title on the person's business card) This has really gotten so ugly and out of hand all because Subaru "REFUSES" to follow up and "REFUSES" to follow through.Such an easy fix, Subaru have a service department. just fix my car. Geezzz - I know the mechanics have got to be certified.Just seems to be a never ending laundry list of maintenance issues with this vehicle. Clearly it's a lemon. It's a 2025 model - just swap it out already! This is utterly ridiculous! I can no longer make payments on [XXX] So I guess Subaru wont be getting my money for my lease on a car that seldomly works. Guess that's one way of getting out of payments. So that better not be getting my credit dinged because of this mess either.I am literally counting the days down to turn this hunk of junk back to Subaru. This has been the ultimate WORST experience of my entire life! And your dealership refuses to do anything about it at all! I even have multiple cases open with Subaru of America - they to REFUSE to do anything to address my issues at all. Never following up on phone calls or emails. I can't believe they're still in business!!! [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11718546 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle had a parasitic draw, was in the shop for an extended amount of time, I believe wiring issues were caused from this as well, I had to replace my driver side window switch, buy an optima battery, and drive 3.5hrs to a Subaru dealership in the middle of the winter hoping I’d make it safely and without stalling, the DCM was found to be at fault similarly to other vehicle owners included in another recall that somehow excluded 2019 Crosstrek drivers and included other MY variants such as the Outback and Forester of which also had a bulletin posted about this parasitic draw and how to go about warrantying the costs associated with the repair. I incurred many costs travelling, horrible gas mileage during this time, and a battery replacement. Additionally I lost My workstudy position the following semester due to the unstable vehicle issues and attendance concerns when shuttling the car to the dealer for these warranty repairs (if even covered at all)
NHTSA complaint #11683547 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11646581 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11634978 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11634028 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11631763 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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 NHTSA 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.
NHTSA complaint #11627872 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11626447 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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
NHTSA complaint #11614683 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
1. The headlights in this vehicle have shadows and this is exceedingly disconcerting and actually dangerous. Subaru insists the headlights are fine and yet other owners of this same model complain of the same issue which I discovered in doing internet research. AND 2. Due to the use of soy based materials in the engine of this 2024 Subaru Crosstrek, it has literally been assailed by rodents. This has caused extensive and very costly damage. It has become a job in essence trying to find solutions to this problem in order to try to prevent it happening again. In all the 28 years at my location and two previous vehicles, this Subaru Crosstrek has had INCOMPARABLE rodent attacks to the engine materials. Apparently, this vehicle had rodents getting into the engine right away once it came to my location and it had to be taken in twice, having been out here around a little over one month. It was unknown to me rodents were getting into the engine until the first incident of something not working. The second time it had to be towed in as it would have been dangerous to try to drive it due to the damage. Additionally, the loaner, another 2024 Subaru Crosstrek, was out here less than a week and suffered damage from rodents. This despite the fact that multiple rodent repellents, baits, bait traps, poisons, live traps, snap traps, etc., were used by myself personally and a professional pest control agency having been hired in addition. Using such attractants in vehicle manufacture is unethical, unprofessional, irresponsible, dangerous, constituting a hardship in several ways for customers and unconscionable. Naturally Subaru does not want to take accountability, despite it undeniably being their fault for choosing to use these materials while being fully aware they are rodent attractants. It also affects insurance rates adversely. Often you would not realize what damage and how much damage has been done to these vehicles until it might cause a breakdown on the road or worse.
NHTSA complaint #11612840 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
can not see speedometer or RPM at night very dimly lit and the brightness control dose not work on these two instrument and also very hard to see in the rain you have to take your eyes off the road for 10 to 15 seconds to see how fast your going.I went off the road the other night because of this. Subaru said this is normal ???
NHTSA complaint #11609609 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bullet 1: headlights defect Bullet 2: I am blinded at night because when I have low beams on there are 4 distinct shadows projected on the road. I can’t drive at night because it not only is very distracting but blocks my vision of the left side of the road. Bullet 3: yes, the problem has been reproduced by the dealer at least twice Bullet 4: it has not been checked by anyone except service and sales reps Bullet 5: there are no warnings, this has been an issue since I started my lease.
NHTSA complaint #11583996 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights did not function as intended. The contact stated that the visibility from the headlights was very dim. The contact stated that while driving at night, the headlights did not properly illuminate the roadway. Additionally, the headlights were very dim. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the headlights were designed according to safety regulations. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60. The VIN was available.
NHTSA complaint #11574482 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This vehicle has LED headlights. The low beam cutoff is very sharp and very close to the vehicle. The contrast between the lit area and the darkness beyond makes this even worse. You can not see an adequate distance for safe driving at night. To make it worse, there are these “black” areas just below the cutoff line. These shadows are distracting when driving. Further, when the “steering responsive headlight” feature is turned on, the shadow zone swing left and right, causing extreme distraction.
NHTSA complaint #11572471 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Please look at the new Crosstrek models with my headlights. Subaru's are well known for their AWD capabilities and ease to drive through snow. The headlights on this model are shaped like a bowl and after 5 minutes of driving in snow the headlight bulbs are completely covered and you cannot see. The lights are almost a U shape facing forward and the way they are shaped causes all of the unmelted snow to collect directly in front of the headlight bulbs causing you to have no illumination unless you're fortunate enough to have some lighting from foglights. This should be a safety redsign and recall. This is the most unsafe thing I have even experienced in a vehicle and I have driven some really terrible cars in my life.
NHTSA complaint #11569060 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Headlights are extremely dangerous on this model vehicle, the cut off is very sharp and the beam range very restrictive. When going up or down hills vision is almost completely lost. Drivers are lucky to see 10 yards in front of the vehicle at times. Lights are so bright there are also numerous dark/blind spots in the road when driving. When in a 55/65 mph zone, there are times I have to slow down to 30 mph so I can see an appropriate distance ahead of me. Turns and hills being the most severe instances. There are numerous other complaints online regarding this issue: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11554662 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The passenger side headlight stopped working 2 months ago. I have the OEM LED system that tracks through turns. I finally got in for service and mentioned it. Also mentioned I had something similar in 2019 after a service at the dealer and they said it was “fixed”. Only had one or two moments where is didn’t work and just turned off car and back on and seemed to resolve. This recent service they looked into fixing it and found out it’s an entire sealed assembly and quoting the part us $1900(CAD) plus labour. Their mechanic drove it around anfter replacing fog lights and it worked for a moment then when I started and drove away it stopped. I have one working headlight but I live where winters are dark so I’m nervous.
NHTSA complaint #11494947 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.