2017 Subaru Crosstrek — Known Issues & Recalls

Your car sometimes has trouble starting, and the key gets stuck in the ignition and won't come out easily—you have to cycle the ignition on and off several times before you can remove it. You've also noticed the stability control light turning on and off on its own. This could involve replacing the ignition switch or having the starting system diagnosed.

Your car is making a grinding noise from the rear because the heat shield that covers the muffler has shifted out of position and is rubbing against the back wheel. The dealer indicated the shield has rusted and needs to be replaced. The noise happens without any warning lights appearing on your dashboard. Fixing this will involve removing and replacing the rusted muffler heat shield.

Your windshield developed a long crack (over 6 inches) while your car was parked at work, with no signs of impact damage. The crack appeared suddenly between the morning and afternoon, with smooth edges suggesting it may have formed on its own rather than from something hitting the glass. You'll need to have the windshield replaced, as cracks of this size typically cannot be safely repaired.

Your windshield unexpectedly developed a chip that grew into a crack the same day. This happened without any apparent impact or collision.

Your windshield developed a crack approximately 8 inches long without any apparent cause or impact. This happened unexpectedly while the vehicle was in use.

Your car has unexpectedly surged forward at high speed twice — once in a parking lot in August 2024 and again in September 2025 — forcing you to brake hard to avoid hitting objects or people. The dealer replaced your throttle body after the first incident, but the problem happened again. No warning lights appeared either time, and the cause remains unclear despite the dealer's investigation.

Your child's car seat harness loosened during normal driving without your knowledge, creating a serious safety risk. There's a known recall for this issue, and Nuna offered you a DIY repair kit instead of replacing the seat—but you don't feel comfortable doing this repair yourself or trusting that it will hold securely in a crash. Other owners have reported that the harness problem continued even after using Nuna's remedy kit, and Nuna has not provided crash test data showing their DIY fix is safe.

While slowly pulling into a parking spot, you lightly pressed the gas pedal to move forward a few feet, but your car suddenly accelerated rapidly instead of responding normally to the light throttle input. You applied the brakes, but the car hit a concrete wall before the brakes could stop it, causing damage to the bumper, hood, and light assembly bracket. You're now concerned that unintended rapid acceleration could happen again without warning while driving.

Your front inner brake pads separated from their backing plates after about 30,000 miles, even though there was still plenty of pad material left. You heard grinding from the wheel well and your brake performance was compromised, creating a safety concern. The issue happened despite proper installation and similar front outer pads remaining intact. This may require replacement brake pads and an inspection to determine why the backing plates failed.

While driving on the highway at 70 mph, your car suddenly lost all power — the radio shut off, the engine shut down to zero RPM, and everything went dead for about 2.5 seconds before restarting on its own. This happened multiple times as you exited the highway, with warning lights appearing on your dashboard. Since then, your car has continued to experience similar power shutdowns at irregular but recurring intervals. This is a serious safety concern that requires immediate diagnosis to identify whether the issue stems from the electrical system, fuel system, or engine controls.

Your 2017 Crosstrek's manual transmission shift fork failed at 62,521 miles, leaving you unable to shift gears while driving—a serious safety problem. The complete transmission replacement cost $10,000, even though your vehicle was worth only $11,000 and you maintained it meticulously. Subaru acknowledged similar shift fork design flaws in later model years through a technical bulletin but offered you only $1,800 in coverage. Fixing this issue requires a complete transmission replacement or shift fork rebuild.

Your car's battery is draining faster than normal, requiring replacement multiple times within a short period. You may notice your car won't start or has difficulty starting without warning. The issue likely stems from a parasitic drain on the electrical system, which could involve faulty wiring, a malfunctioning alternator, or a defective component drawing power when the engine is off.

Your rear wheel bearings may fail around 40,000 miles or more, which the owner notes appears to be a common issue for this vehicle. A failing wheel bearing can cause extensive damage to your vehicle and creates a safety hazard while driving. The fix typically involves replacing the rear wheel bearing assembly.

Your car is making a loud whining or humming noise from the rear, which you believe is related to a wheel bearing and backing plate design issue outlined in a Subaru service bulletin. You're concerned this is a widespread problem affecting many vehicles globally and should be addressed through a recall rather than just a service bulletin. Fixing this will likely involve inspecting and possibly replacing the rear wheel bearing assembly and backing plate.

Your engine's cam carrier is leaking oil, which drips onto the catalytic converter sensor and causes it to malfunction, triggering a warning light on your dashboard. This oil leak poses a safety hazard and environmental risk. The Subaru dealer has confirmed this is a known issue affecting multiple Subaru models. Fixing this will likely require resealing or replacing the cam carrier and cleaning or replacing the affected sensor.

Your steering wheel suddenly became stiff and your power steering warning light came on while pulling out of your driveway. You were able to safely pull over, and a mechanic determined that your power steering module needs to be replaced. The issue occurred at 48,300 miles.

Your car has multiple issues: the key is difficult to remove from the ignition when parked, the vehicle rolls even when in park (requiring the parking brake every time), the driver's side window moves on its own and is hard to control, and your windshield developed a crack that continues to spread while parked. These problems suggest potential issues with the transmission/park mechanism, the window regulator motor, and the windshield itself. Repairs may involve inspecting the transmission shift mechanism, replacing the window regulator motor, and replacing the windshield.

Your engine loses power and bogs down when accelerating in various driving conditions—turning corners, driving straight, or merging on highways. This creates a safety risk for you and other drivers. Your dealer couldn't replicate the issue and said they couldn't help, and no warning lights appear. The fix may involve a fuel system or engine control diagnostic, software update, or replacement of fuel system components.

Your dome light has been turning on by itself multiple times, and it has drained your battery twice. Since you don't use the dome light and have never manually turned it on, this suggests an electrical malfunction. The fix will likely involve diagnosing the dome light wiring or switch for a short circuit or faulty sensor, and possibly replacing the dome light assembly or its control module.

Your car's ignition key gets stuck and won't turn to the OFF position normally. You have to repeatedly switch the ignition between ACC or START and back to OFF several times before the key finally releases. This happens consistently and predictably, though no other symptoms are present. The fix will likely involve inspecting or replacing the ignition switch mechanism.