2021 Subaru Crosstrek: What to check before buying

Windshields crack with no impact or from very small pebbles. Some crack while the car is parked or when the defroster runs. Cracks often start at the lower edge and spread across the glass within hours or days. Many appear in the first few thousand miles, and some cars need a second or third windshield. Replacement is expensive because cars with EyeSight need Subaru glass and camera recalibration. Reported costs run from $1339 to $1800, and one third-party warranty paid only up to $500.

Windshields crack without any impact, on either the driver or passenger side, at low mileage such as about 1,050 and 5,700 miles. One crack runs about eight inches. A separate report describes the sunroof exploding at roughly 70 mph without impact, with most of the glass blowing out of the car, at about 60,000 miles. None of these cars were repaired at the time of filing.

Shuddering, jerking, and hesitation from a stop are the most common complaints, along with failure to accelerate and lurching when slowing. Dealers often cannot reproduce the problem. One low-speed noise ended in a dealer-confirmed transmission replacement. Two crashes involve a running car leaving park and rolling or driving away while unattended. Manual-transmission cars report drivetrain binding blamed on the viscous coupler. Thermo control valve codes P2682 and P26A3 turn on the check engine light and disable EyeSight, with repairs reported at $1500 to $2000.

Power drops out while driving, sometimes in fast traffic, and the motor bogs down or stalls. Faulty electronic thermostat and coolant bypass valve failures trigger the check engine light, cut power, hold the engine below 3000 rpm, and disable EyeSight. Two reports describe engine compartment fires, one after power loss on the highway, with the cause disputed. One injury crash involves unexpected acceleration while parking at about 1,300 miles. Auto stop-start draws complaints of hard shaking on restart and slow restarts when hot, traced to the starter or its connector cable.

Batteries drain while parked, sometimes overnight or within a day, often in cold weather and on cars only weeks or months old. One owner reports the manufacturer refused warranty coverage for a new battery at 1,300 miles. Other cars shut off while driving with several warning lights on, diagnosed as battery failure at 27,000 and 120,000 miles. Some cars fail to accelerate in traffic and dealers cannot replicate it. One crash involves sudden acceleration in a parking lot. USB ports also drop CarPlay and Android Auto connections.

Automatic braking slams on with nothing ahead, sometimes at highway speed, causing skids or a rear-end bump from a following car. Exhaust steam or smoke from the vehicle ahead is reported as a trigger. The opposite failure also appears: two crashes, with 2 injured, where automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning did not engage before hitting a slowed or stopped vehicle. A faulty thermo control valve setting code P26A3 disables all driver assistance features.

Lane keep assist pulls the car sharply toward semi trucks or the center line, requiring strong driver correction at highway speed. One dealer mechanic confirmed the pull on a car with only 90 miles. Another report describes heavy steering in both directions with several warning lights at about 60,000 miles, persisting after a recall repair and paired with abnormal battery drain. Collision avoidance is also reported to miss stopped vehicles when closing at more than 30 to 40 mph.

No airbags deployed in a highway rear-end crash that injured 2 and totaled the car. In the same crash both occupied front seats reclined fully, the seatbelts did not lock, and a headrest broke off. A separate report describes the passenger airbag indicator showing OFF with a passenger seated. Only two complaints are on file, but the crash report raises serious occupant-protection concerns.

The car accelerates in reverse while the brake pedal is pressed, ramming a parked vehicle and pushing harder as more brake is applied. That report includes an injury and a second unexpected-movement incident. The only other complaint describes rear rotors delaminating at 33000 miles. Two complaints make this a small category, but the reverse-acceleration crash matches unintended-movement reports filed under other components.