Owners have filed 28 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the wipers and visibility, electrical, and airbags. The 8 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2023Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/8 checked
2023 Subaru Crosstrek: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3
Engine off, key in hand0/1
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/4
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2023's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2023 checks
Worth adding to your 2023 checks
Worth adding to your 2023 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cylGas | AWD | 30 mpg |
| 2.5L 4-cylGas | AWD | 29 mpg |
| 2.0L 4-cylPlug-in hybrid | AWD | 480 mi range |
Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.
Windshield cracking on new cars
6–2,500 miles
NHTSA complaints for the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Windshields crack on their own or from minor chips. Some cracks form while the car sits at a stoplight or with the defroster running. In some reports the crack starts on the inside of the glass with no damage on the outside. One chip appeared with 6 miles on the odometer and was deep enough to need a full replacement. In another case, the replacement windshield cracked again in the same lower corner. Together with the glass complaints filed under other categories, windshield cracking is the most common complaint for this model year.
Unintended acceleration at startup is the most serious report here. The engine roars, then the car surges forward when shifted into drive, and the driver says the brakes and steering did not respond before the crash. Other complaints say the auto start/stop system restarts the engine in drive when the driver unbuckles or opens the door. Another describes the driver's seat heating to a painful level with the seat heater switched off, which the owner says other drivers have also reported online.
Airbags fail to deploy in both crash reports. One crash was a head-on hit into a guardrail after hydroplaning, and the other was a low-speed frontal hit into a concrete wall. Three people were injured across the two crashes. One report adds that the driver's seatbelt came unlatched on impact. The other says the car kept accelerating even though the driver was braking. Neither driver saw a warning light before the crash.
Both reports describe sudden acceleration while slowing down. The car surges after the driver lifts off the throttle or starts braking for a stop sign, and one owner says it happened repeatedly. No crash is reported in this category, but surging during a stop is a clear loss-of-control risk. These reports match the unintended-acceleration claims filed under the electrical and air bag categories.
Two failures are reported: false braking and complete system shutdowns. In one case the car braked hard at 35 mph while driving into sunlight with nothing ahead, which risks a rear-end collision. In the other, every driver-assistance feature shut off and the emergency brake lamp lit. The fault cleared and came back within a day, and the dealer has not found a fix.
Excerpts from complaints Crosstrek owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
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.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2025
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
Filed with NHTSA, October 2025
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2023 ranks joint sixth for owner complaints among 9 Crosstrek years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2023 is the sixth model year of the Crosstrek's second generation (2018–2023).
It includes the 2021 update.
What changed for 2021
Cars shoppers compare with the Subaru Crosstrek, with their own 2023 checklists.
2023 owner complaints, side by side
