2016 Subaru Crosstrek Problems and Recalls (131 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek is Electrical (21% of 131 owner reports). There are 1 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Electrical — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
What problems show up on the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek?
27 of 131 filings named Electrical (21% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Transmission / driveline (14 reports).
There are 1 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Lights. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The previous year is not published here. Use the year list to jump around.
What owners reported
- Crashes 4
- Fires 3
- Injuries 1
- Deaths 0
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 27 | 20.6% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 14 | 10.7% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 10 | 7.6% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 10 | 7.6% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 6 | 4.6% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 5 | 3.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 5 | 3.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 4 | 3.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 3 | 2.3% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 44 | 33.6% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V149000 |
Safety Recalls (1)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Lights.
-
Recall campaign 19V149000
Lights
- Report date
- Component:
- Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
- Consequence:
- Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
- Remedy:
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek?
Owners named Electrical most often — 27 of 131 reports (21%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek?
NHTSA lists 1 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Lights. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2016 Subaru Crosstrek?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.