AutoUtility currently tracks 131 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek. Electrical System issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 37 complaints (28.2% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 4 filings cite a crash, 3 cite a fire, 1 reports one or more injuries.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
37 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
18 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
13 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
10 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"Within 24 hours of purchase, the exhaust pipe became detached underneath the vehicle and exhaust fumes and odor were entering the cabin while driving. This created a potential carbon monoxide exposure risk to me and passengers. Subaru inspected the vehicle and confirmed the exhaust issue existed..."
"A/C Control Head and connector burned on both ends. Dealer service center stated it was a significant safety/fire hazard if we had not immediately taken in to be checked. No warning, no fuses out. Only indication something was wrong is a/c turned on but only on 1,2 and 4. Then, same day, only on 4...."
"Hood latch failed causing hood to fly open, smashing and breaking my windshield."
"The CVT valve body was diagnosed as defective by the Subaru Dealership service department. The car was taken to the dcealership when the A/T OIL EMP, HILL ASSIST, ABS and TRACTION CONTROL, STABILITY CONTROL lights came up. The valve body is still available for inspection. The car was taken to the..."
"Full electrical power steering failure"
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Subaru Crosstrek | 0 | 0 | 1 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Subaru Crosstrek Current Page | 131 | 4 | 1 | Current |
| 2017 Subaru Crosstrek | 97 | 6 | 1 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Subaru Crosstrek | 194 | 10 | 5 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Subaru Crosstrek | 284 | 6 | 8 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Subaru Crosstrek | 68 | 6 | 1 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Subaru Crosstrek | 115 | 8 | 2 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 Subaru Crosstrek | 30 | 3 | 1 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Subaru Crosstrek | 33 | 4 | 0 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Subaru Crosstrek | 111 | 8 | 2 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 Subaru Crosstrek | 43 | 2 | 0 | View 2025 Problems → |
| 2026 Subaru Crosstrek | 0 | 0 | 2 | View 2026 Problems → |
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 39 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Doors, Latches & Locks NHTSA category: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SUSPENSION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year
Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.
Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.
NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.
EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek is Electrical System, appearing in 37 records (28.2% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Powertrain & Transmission (18) and Steering System (13).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 131 consumer defect complaints and 1 safety recall campaign for the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek.
Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.
Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek, 4 filings cite a crash, 3 cite smoke or fire, and 1 report one or more injuries.
Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.