Owners have filed 25 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.
2025Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/8 checked
2025 Subaru Crosstrek: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/1
Engine off, key in hand0/2
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/5
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.
Nearby years usually share most parts, so their problems are worth checking on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2025 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-cyl | AWD | 29 mpg |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | AWD | 29 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2025 Subaru Crosstrek, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Driver-side mirror vibration is the dominant problem. At highway speeds, and sometimes as low as 45 mph, the shaking blurs the mirror image, which makes it hard to judge traffic when merging, especially at night. It shows up on delivery and can worsen, as one report notes at almost 6,000 miles. Dealers confirm it and replace the mirror, apply a service bulletin, or add insulation, but reports say none of these fully cure it. One other complaint describes the windshield's anti-glare strip failing at night, and the dealer found no cause.
Driver-side mirror vibration at highway speeds blurs objects and leaves light trails. It appears on the first highway drive and persists after the dealer applies Subaru Service Bulletin #12-268-25. A second complaint describes the sunroof glass shattering outward at 65 mph with no object striking the car. A loud pop and wind noise followed, and glass fell on the driver. Only 2 complaints are filed here, but the sunroof failure poses a direct injury risk.
Full-screen SiriusXM ads take over the infotainment screen without warning, even at 65 mph and while the backup camera is in use. The pop-up hides navigation and camera views until the driver taps a tiny X, and some drivers have had to shut the car off to clear it. Every report calls this a driver distraction. A separate complaint describes lane departure warning that only works on bright, clearly marked roads. The same complaint says EyeSight systems shut off in rain.
Front airbags did not deploy in one crash-related report, a side impact through the driver's door at over 35 mph. The doors locked and buckled, and rescuers removed the driver through the passenger door. A separate complaint describes the weight-sensing front passenger airbag staying off for a light adult. The dealer and customer service offered no fix, and the owner saw the same thing in other Subarus. With only 2 complaints, these are isolated reports, but both involve occupant protection.
Driver-assist warnings fail to respond. One report says the right blind spot monitor works only 4% of the time, which the owner says led to two near collisions, and the dealer declined to repair it. Another describes lane-keep assist with a dashboard warning light. The car drifts over the line before any correction on one side and gets none on the other. That owner made 3 dealer visits without a fix. Both complaints describe the car failing to warn or steer away from adjacent traffic.
Excerpts from complaints Crosstrek owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
Upon driving off the lot at highway speeds I noticed that the driver's side mirror was vibrating more than expected. Over the last few months of ownership and at almost 6,000 miles the vibration has gotten worse.
Filed with NHTSA, October 2025
Sirius XM advertizing obscures the entire screen making car data and navigation unavailable unless a driver takes their eyes of the road to press a tiny X on a corner. There are some offers when I bought the care where I had to shut the car off to get the ad to disappear. I do not want to have driver distraction from Ads that could lead to an accident or have me pull over in traffic to shut off. Please ask them to stop this behavior
Filed with NHTSA, December 2025
My wife was almost killed yesterday in a 2025 Subaru Crosstrek. She was hit by a side impact at over 35 mph through the driver's door, and the airbags didn't work. The side doors locked and buckled from the impact. Firefighters pulled my wife out of the car through the passenger door. What a piece of junk. Don't trust that junk.
Filed with NHTSA, June 2025
Lane-keep assist function has stopped working correctly. Warning light on dashboard. On a 3 lane freeway, on left side of vehicle the car drifts over the dividing line into traffic before there is a nudge. On right side car goes way over the line and doesn't nudge at all. I've taken it 3 times to dealership fod repair and they dismiss my concerns.
Filed with NHTSA, August 2025
Right blind spot detection does not work 96% of the time. Almost caused two collisions. Dealership said it either works or it doesn't, no in between. Since it works 4% of the time, they are not going to replace it or figure out what is wrong.
Filed with NHTSA, December 2025
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2025 ranks eighth 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.
Cars shoppers compare with the Subaru Crosstrek, with their own 2025 checklists.
2025 owner complaints, side by side
