2013 SUBARU XV CROSSTREK Complaints

MY 2013 SUBARU XV CROSSTREK WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW IN SEPTEMBER 2013. WITHIN 65K MILES I HAD TO REPLACE THE CV JOINT ON BOTH FRONT WHEELS (ISSUE WAS INDICATED BY A CLICKING SOUND FROM THE WHEEL WHEN TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT). AGAIN, AT AROUND 120K MILES I HAD TO REPLACE THEM BOTH, AND NOW, A THIRD TIME AT 182K MILES. AFTER DOING MUCH RESEARCH THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE ON THE XV CROSSTREK THAT IS NOT RELATED TO DRIVING CONDITIONS, ROAD CONDITIONS, OR DUE TO PHYSICAL DAMAGE TO THE PART OR VEHICLE. EACH OF THE TIMES THE CV JOINT WAS REPLACED THE BOOT WAS INTACT, WHICH INDICATES THAT IT IS A FAULTY PART OR ASSEMBLY RATHER THAN DAMAGE OCCURRING TO THE WHEEL. EACH OF THESE REPAIRS COSTS APPROXIMATELY $500 AT THE DEALERSHIP (PER WHEEL) AND IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS SHOULD REQUIRE SUBARU OF AMERICA TO VOLUNTARILY RECALL OR REPAIR THIS PART FREE OF CHARGE. ADDITIONALLY, IF THIS PART FAILS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, SEVERE TRANSMISSION DAMAGE WILL RESULT AND AN ACCIDENT IS LIKELY. MY EXPERIENCE WITH MY FIRST SUBARU HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT EXPENSIVE, AND BURDENSOME REPAIRS TO A CAR WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE "LOWEST COST OF OWNERSHIP" AS THEY ADVERTISE TO CONSUMERS.

WHEN I START MY CAR OR RANDOMLY WHILE I AM DRIVING THE WARNING LIGHTS FOR MY AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM, TRACTION CONTROL, AND HILL ASSIST TURN ON. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, MY GEAR SHIFTER LOCKS UP AND WHEN I PRESS THE BRAKES THE REAR LIGHTS DON'T ILLUMINATE WHILE THESE WARNING LIGHTS ARE ACTIVE. I HAVE AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE WARNING LIGHTS ACTIVATE RANDOMLY, WHETHER I'M STATIONARY OR IN MOTIONS, REGARDLESS OF SETTING.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE CHECK ENGINE AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS CAME ON. I HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC CODE READER WHICH SENT THE DETAILS TO MY PHONE DTC P1449 EVAP SYSTEM CLOG DETECTED (AIR FILTER). I CALLED MY MECHANIC WHO SAID IT WOULD BE SAFE TO DRIVE HOME...WHILE DRIVING HOME IN THE RAIN I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND WENT OFF THE ROAD. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT. WHEN I GOT HOME, MY MECHANIC SAID IT WAS A FAULTY PURGE VALVE WHICH WOULD NORMALLY BE A SIMPLE FIX BUT THE ISSUE WAS WELL KNOWN WITH THE VEHICLE AND WAS NOW A SUPERSEDED PART. THE COST WOULD QUADRUPLE BECAUSE THE CHECK ASSEMBLY WAS COMPLETELY REDESIGNED AND SEVERAL PARTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IF THIS WAS SUCH A KNOWN ISSUE, WHICH REQUIRED A REDESIGN OF THE SYSTEM, WHY ISNT IT ON RECALL!!! ESPECIALLY, IF THE COMPUTER TAKES AWAY THE VEHICLE'S SAFETY FEATURES LIKE TRACTION CONTROL. COME ON SUBARU. I EXPECT BETTER QUALITY AND SERVICE! NHTSA PLEASE ESCALATE THESE MATTERS.

CV JOINT & FRONT AXEL I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MY FRONT AXELS TWICE NOW IN MY CROSSTREK. ONCE AT 36K MILES AND AGAIN AT 59K. BOTH TIMES I DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE WHEN I HEARD A CLICKING NOISE ON SHARP TURNS. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIR AT THE DEALERSHIP ON BOTH OCCASIONS AS WELL. THE CROSSTREK ONLINE FORUMS HAVE LISTED MANY STORIES LIKE MINE, WITH PEOPLE REPORTING THE SAME ISSUE OF NEEDING TO REPLACE THEIR AXELS PREMATURELY. THE AVERAGE LIFESPAN OF AN AXEL IS NORMALLY CLOSER TO 100K+ MILES. I DO NOT OFF ROAD, I DRIVE CITY STREETS AT THE SPEED LIMIT. I SEE NO OTHER REASON FOR THIS ISSUE OTHER THAN POOR DESIGN/DEFECT.

THE HORN DOES NOT FUNCTION WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS ALIGNED STRAIGHT WITH THE WHEELS AND THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY OR MOVING HOWEVER WHEN YOU TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT THE HORN WILL FUNCTION. "SUBARU HAS ALREADY ISSUED A RECALL IN AUSTRALIA FOR PROBLEMS RELATED TO MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE STEERING COLUMN THAT COULD LEAD TO A SHORT CIRCUIT, WHICH WOULD DISABLE CONTROL OF THE WIPERS, HEADLIGHTS, HORN, DRIVER'S AIRBAG AND FEATURES ACTUATED THROUGH THE MULTI-FUNCTION STEERING WHEEL, SUCH AS CRUISE CONTROL, AUDIO SYSTEM AND MOBILE PHONE CONNECTIVITY". MODELS AFFECTED IN THIS RECALL INCLUDED IMPREZA AND CROSSTREK XV YEARS 2012-2014, AND FORESTER MODELS BUILT IN 2013 AND 2014. NO RECALLS HAVE BEEN ISSUED IN THE U.S RELATED TO THE STEERING AND/OR CONTROLS (APART FROM THE TAKATA RECALLS) *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 SUBARU XV CROSSTREK. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED AND ATTEMPTING TO ADJUST THE AIR CONDITIONER, THE MOTOR SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAN FAILED TO WORK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEATER BLOWER CONTROL POWER PLUG SHORTED AND MELTED THE CONNECTOR. AS A RESULT, THE HEATER BLOWER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,454.

I BOUGHT MY 2013 SUBARU XV CROSSTREK IN NOV 2012 AS A RESULT OF REVIEWING SUBARU'S HIGH SAFETY RATING AND READING THEIR SYMMETRICAL ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM. I STILL ENJOY THE CAR VERY MUCH AND HAVE DRIVEN ABOUT 86,640 MILES. I SERVICED MY CAR AT MY LOCAL SUBARU DEALER TO STAY ON TOP OF THE MANUFACTURER' RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE. HOWEVER, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT 2 PROBLEMS I ENCOUNTERED.IN THE LAST 9 MONTHS. AT 58,223 MILES (JUNE 2015) I TOOK MY CAR TO INTO THE DEALER FOR ITS ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AND TIRE ROTATION. I EXPLAINED I'VE BEEN HEARING A CLICKING NOISE IN THE FRONT WHEN TURNING LEFT. AFTER THEIR INSPECTION OF THE PROBLEM, THEY EXPLAINED THAT THE LEFT FRONT AXLE HAS A TORN BOOT. FORTUNATELY, MY WARRANTY COVERED THE REPLACEMENT AXLE. IN MAR 2016 (AT APPROXIMATELY 86K MILES ON THE ODOMETER) I HEARD A SIMILAR CLICKING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR WHEN TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE. THIS TIME IT WAS MY RIGHT AXLE THAT HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A WORN OUT JOINT AT THE WHEEL END OF MY RIGHT AXLE. I HAVE NEVER HAD AN ISSUE WITH A BROKEN AXLE AND ESPECIALLY 2 BROKEN AXLES. I USED TO DRIVE A TOYOTA 4 RUNNER 2 WHEEL DRIVE AND DROVE IT ABOUT 310K MILES. I PASSED IT TO MY SON SINCE IT STILL RUNS WELL AND NEVER BROKE AN AXLE. I DECIDED TO REVIEW MY SERVICE RECORD BACK IN JUNE 2014 AGAIN FOR THE LEFT BROKEN AXLE AND IT STATES "VERIFIED CONCERN FOUND NOISE COMING FROM LEFT FRONT AXLE NO BOOTS TORN. PRIOR TO THIS, I TEXTED MY SERVICE PERSON AND ASKED WHAT BOOT WAS TORN, NOT KNOWING MY SERVICE RECORDS SAYS NO BOOTS WERE TORN. I WAS TOLD HE WOULD CHECK AND GET BACK TO ME. MEANWHILE, I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT BOTH AXLES BROKE ON A NEW CAR AND NOW LEARNED THAT OTHER DRIVERS EXPERIENCED SIMIILAR AXLE REPLACEMENTS. THE 2ND ISSUE IS THAT THE REAR END OF THE CAR ABRUPTLY KICKS TO THE RIGHT WHEN DRIVING OVER ICE ABOVE 45MPH.

I PARK OUTSIDE (NO GARAGE OR CARPORT) AND TEMPS HAVE BEEN VERY COLD. TODAY, I LEFT HOME AND ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER THE SUNROOF EXPLODED. THIS WAS THE SAME TIME THE CAR INTERIOR HAD FULLY WARMED. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 60 MPH ON A BUSY INTERSTATE CONNECTOR. HAD I BEEN AN INEXPERIENCED DRIVER, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN EVEN MORE DANGEROUS. FORTUNATELY I HAD THE INTERIOR SUNROOF COVER CLOSED. THE REMAINING GLASS CURVES UP, NOT DOWN (AS ONE MIGHT EXPECT FROM AN IMPACT). THERE WAS NO IMPACT WITH ANYTHING--JUST DRIVING ALONG AND THEN THE EXPLOSION.

ENGINE OIL LEAK CAUSING EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION AND LOW OIL LEVELS BETWEEN REASONABLE RECOMMENDED OIL CHANGE MILEAGE (BURNING 3 QUARTS IN 1200 MILES). LOW OIL LIGHT DOES NOT ALWAYS ILLUMINATE, CAUSING SAFETY HAZARD OF BLOWING MOTOR DUE TO UNREASONABLY FAST OIL CONSUMPTION AND OWNER NOT BEING AWARE OF PROBLEM. CAR HAS 42000 MILES ON IT AND THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT DEALERSHIP/SUBARU ARE NEGLECTING TO PROPERLY FIX.

RECENTLY, WITH ONLY 60,434 MILES (AND ACTUALLY A LITTLE BEFORE THIS), THE AXLE HAD TO BE REPLACED ON MY 2013 CROSSTREK SUBARU. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS DUE TO BAD ROADS. BUT, AFTER HAVING OWNED MANY CARS, NEVER HAS AN AXLE HAD TO BE REPLACED. I AM WRITING BECAUSE THERE IS ANOTHER OWNER OF A 2013 CROSSTREK WHO HAD THE SAME ISSUE, NOTED ON THIS WEBSITE AND WAS GIVEN THE SAME EXCUSE THAT I WAS. CLEARLY, THERE IS A PROBLEM MECHANICALLY WITH THESE AXLES. IN FACT, THEIR ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE CROSSTREK SHOWS THE VEHICLE ON A BUMPY DIRT ROAD. THERE IS A PROBLEM HERE.