AI Damage2020 Subaru Crosstrek: common problems
Owners of the 2020 Subaru Crosstrek filed 69 complaints with NHTSA, most often about visibility and electrical system. The maker issued 384 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 69
- involving a crash
- 6
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 384
What fails most often
- 1 Visibility 49% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 16% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 7% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 3% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 3% of all complaints
- 7 Forward collision avoidance 3% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 3% of all complaints
- Visibility: 34 complaints (49% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 2.
- Electrical system: 11 complaints (16% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 230.
- Powertrain: 9 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 35.
- Engine: 5 complaints (7% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 39.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 2 complaints (3% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 23.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- 2 L · plug-in hybrid · 4 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- CVTnamed in 2 complaints
- manual, 6-speed
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 69 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 34 | 0 | 2 |
| Electrical system | 11 | 1 | 230 |
| Powertrain | 9 | 1 | 35 |
| Engine | 5 | 0 | 39 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 23 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 14 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Backover prevention | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 134 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
At the time of the collision, my diagonal part of the seatbelt failed to restrain me. My chest hit the steering wheel and I have since experienced continuous pain. (No broken bones). The incident was a sort of sideswipe.
The contact stated that upon depressing the brake pedal a second time, the vehicle jerked, unintendedly accelerated, drove up the curb, and crashed into the metal plastic pole of Wawa. The pole was fractured. The air bags did not deploy. There was no injury sustained. There was no warning light illuminated.
Subaru does not display a warning message - instead it displays "check engine" and an ambiguous symbol (a red steering wheel). Subaru disables the power to wheels that would have enabled the driver to close the gap to the charging station.
Car was thought to be placed in park, key was easily removed, and then the car became mobile and rolled downhill and could not be shifted back into park.
The front driver's side seat belt failed to restrain the contact in her seat, causing her forehead to hit the steering wheel and the back of her head to roll between the A-Pillar of the front windshield and the front driver's side door.
The air bags did not deploy upon impact. Three of the contact’s front teeth were knocked out as a result of the failure. The police were called to her property; however, a police report was not filed since the failure happened on private property.
The dealer found a starter cancel code 06, described as “starting failure is detected when the system restarts the engine.” The dealer determined that the starter motor was bad and recommended replacement of the starter motor and fuel pump relay.
While driving 2020 Crosstrek Hybrid, the dashboard lights suddenly flashed and then engine stalled, leaving me with no brakes and no steering. I rolled through straight through an intersection with four stop signs and I could not stop. Luckily no one was driving or walking at the time.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 739 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 35% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Crosstrek has 90 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 69, below average.
What to check before buying
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- This announcement provides information on a new software update for the Midtronics Dss and DCA machines
- This announcement provides information on an enhancement of the TechShare CVT diagnostic assitance application
- This bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles
- "This Bulletin announces additional troubleshooting steps for the following DTCs
DTC C1956: RH Actuator Circuit DTC C1957: LH Actuator Circuit"
- This announcement provides an update to all 2027 model year Subaru warranty coverages for wear items and…
- This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a…
This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
- In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc
(SOA) is extending the New Car Limited Warranty coverage for the CP1 & Gen 3.1 Head Unit used in the listed models and model years to (8) eight years / 150,000 miles to cover certain qualifying repairs to the…
- This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during…
This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
- This bulletin provides a procedure to address customer concerns of surface rust accumulating in the top…
This bulletin provides a procedure to address customer concerns of surface rust accumulating in the top center retaining nut area of the front strut mounts. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
- This bulletin provides guidance when diagnosing chain slip, judder, shudder, and hesitation concerns on…
This bulletin provides guidance when diagnosing chain slip, judder, shudder, and hesitation concerns on the TR580 model CVT transmissions used in the models listed.
- This Service Information Bulletin announces the release of a new diagnostic assistance application for…
This Service Information Bulletin announces the release of a new diagnostic assistance application for TR690 and TR580 CVT-equipped vehicles. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
- This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw…
This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experiencing battery drain when the ignition is off, leading to no-start conditions or…
NHTSA lists 384 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Subaru Crosstrek?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: visibility, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 69. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (10%), windows, sunroof (10%), battery drain (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2020 Subaru Crosstrek?
NHTSA lists 384 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2020 Subaru Crosstrek from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2020 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.