2016 Subaru Crosstrek — Known Issues & Recalls

Your A/C control head and its connector burned on both ends, creating a fire hazard according to the dealer—without any warning lights or blown fuses. You first noticed the problem when the A/C only worked on settings 1, 2, and 4, then only on 4. The dealer identified this as a design flaw in the original parts and replaced them with corrected wiring that addresses the defect.

Your horn isn't working when you press the steering wheel, which prevented you from alerting another driver during a near-miss accident. The horn does sound when you press the lock button three times, suggesting the horn itself may be functional but the steering wheel control isn't working properly. This is a safety issue that needs immediate attention, as a working horn is essential for alerting other drivers.

Your car's battery is draining completely even though you've replaced the battery and pulled the data communication module (DCM) fuse. You've also received a software update for the DCM, but the problem continues. This appears to be a widespread issue affecting many vehicles, and the manufacturer is aware of the cause but the fix is expensive.

Your horn isn't working because of a faulty clockspring in the airbag system. This is a known issue affecting Subaru models since 2009, and you feel it's a serious safety concern since you can't warn other drivers of potential collisions. The problem persists even after visiting a Subaru dealer for repair. Fixing this will likely require replacing the clockspring assembly, which controls both the horn and airbag system.

Your car's battery is draining completely after sitting for several days, leaving you stranded and needing jump starts multiple times. The dealership found excessive electrical drain (350mA) from a faulty data control module (DCM) that's drawing power even when everything is turned off. Fixing this requires replacing the DCM unit, which costs around $1,000, or disconnecting it (which disables navigation, front speakers, and Bluetooth).

Your car is idling roughly when you come to a stop, especially when the air conditioning is running, even though no warning light shows up. The problem comes and goes but has become more frequent. A dealer diagnosed a dirty throttle body as the cause and cleaned it, but the rough idling returned. The dealer then said the alternator and belt tensioner need replacing. The fix will likely involve cleaning or replacing the throttle body, alternator, and serpentine belt tensioner.

Your 2016 Crosstrek occasionally loses power when you press the accelerator, forcing you to release and re-press the gas pedal to regain power. This happens unpredictably and is becoming more frequent, creating a serious safety risk since your car can suddenly lose acceleration during lane changes or turns, leaving you vulnerable to rear-end collisions. Your dealership has been unable to consistently reproduce or diagnose the problem. The issue may involve a fuel delivery, throttle control, or transmission response problem that requires computer diagnostic testing to identify and repair.

Your clutch failed at 64,000 miles, and when you took your car to the dealership, they discovered the problem extended beyond just the clutch and master cylinder. A component called the 'snout' broke off inside the transmission, requiring the entire transmission to be replaced at a cost of $9,000. This repair cost is nearly equal to the entire vehicle's value, which is frustrating given the low mileage.

While driving on the freeway with cruise control enabled, your car suddenly lost power—the cruise control shut off and the engine felt like it went into neutral, with the gas pedal only revving the engine without moving the car forward. You were able to coast to an exit, but near the top of a hill all your dashboard warning lights came on and the engine shut off completely. When the dealership examined the car the next day, it started normally and their computer diagnostic found no issues, though your fuel level was low at that time.

Your 2016 Crosstrek hesitates when you accelerate from a stop, and the dealership confirmed they feel the problem but don't know what's causing it. They quoted over $1,000 to diagnose and fix it with no guarantee of success. Your main concern is that this hesitation could cause the car to stall in traffic, creating a safety risk—though so far it's only hesitating during initial acceleration, not stalling. The fix will likely require diagnostic testing to identify the root cause, which could involve the fuel system, ignition system, or engine control modules.

Shortly after buying your car, the exhaust pipe came loose underneath the vehicle, allowing exhaust fumes and odor to enter the cabin while driving. This created a potential carbon monoxide exposure risk to you and your passengers. The dealership confirmed the problem existed before the sale but did not disclose it and refused to undo the purchase when you reported it.

Your hood latch failed, causing the hood to fly open while driving. This resulted in damage to your windshield. The hood latch mechanism needs to be inspected and replaced to prevent this from happening again.

Your car's power steering system lost all electrical power, making the steering wheel very difficult or impossible to turn. This happened while driving. The steering system will need to be diagnosed and repaired to restore normal power steering function.

Your horn isn't working, and the same electrical issue is affecting your airbag system and rear window defroster. You were unable to use your horn to alert another driver during a merge, which resulted in a fender bender accident. The repair costs are significant, and you believe this may be a widespread defect that should trigger a manufacturer recall.

While driving at 55 mph, your hood's safety latch failed and the hood flew open, smashing your windshield and sending glass into the car. The hood bent backward and damaged both fenders and the plastic trim around the wipers. This caused you to lose visibility and brake suddenly, nearly causing another accident. The fix will likely involve replacing the hood latch assembly, windshield, fenders, and wiper trim components.

Your car's CVT (continuously variable transmission) valve body was diagnosed as defective by the Subaru dealership. You noticed multiple warning lights appearing on your dashboard: the transmission oil level, hill assist, ABS, traction control, and stability control lights all came on. The dealership identified this issue while addressing a separate brake light switch recall that produced similar symptoms.

Your 2016 Crosstrek has extensive rust and corrosion underneath the vehicle that a Subaru dealer said makes it unsafe for road use. The used car dealer didn't disclose this condition when you purchased it. During inspection, a leaking muffler was discovered and repaired, but the underlying rust damage remains a serious concern.

Your car has stalled three times on the highway when the fuel gauge showed 70 (full), but the Subaru dealer couldn't identify a problem. After waiting about 30 minutes each time, you were able to restart it and drive home. This could indicate an issue with the fuel system, electrical system, or engine that only shows up intermittently.

While driving at highway speeds on winding roads, your vehicle developed a noticeable vibration. Upon inspection, you discovered that four of the five lug bolts on the right rear wheel had sheared off and were missing. This occurred about 7 months after your last tire rotation at 81,000 miles. The fix will likely involve replacing the damaged lug bolts and having the wheel inspected for any related damage.

The complainant has provided a detailed document describing a suspension-related issue with their 2016 Subaru Crosstrek, but the specific problem details are not visible in this submission. To properly understand and address the concern, the full complaint document would need to be reviewed.