NHTSA lists 1 safety recall and 134 owner complaints for the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek.
1Safety recalls
134Owner complaints
4Complaints citing a crash
3Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: exterior lighting. Most-reported area: electrical system (38 complaints, 28%; median mileage when it happened: 38,000). Includes the Crosstrek Hybrid, a plug-in hybrid from 2019 to 2023.
1 safety recall for the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.
Risk: Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles.
NHTSA listing: CROSSTREK. Subaru campaign WUE-90.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 134 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Crosstrek. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Electrical system38 · 28%
Median 38,000 miles at failure (21 reports)
Powertrain19 · 14%
Engine14 · 10%
Steering14 · 10%
Fuel and propulsion system8 · 6%
Speed control6 · 4%
Body structure5 · 4%
Most named: body (5)
Unknown or other35 · 26%
Median 38,500 miles at failure (20 reports)
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Subaru Crosstrek recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2016 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2019 Crosstrek drew the most (200) and the 2016 drew 27.
Owner complaints
2016: 134 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Subaru Crosstrek
Model year
Complaints
2016
134
2017
97
2018
194
2019
284
2020
69
2021
116
2022
31
2023
34
2024
118
2025
43
2026
8
Safety recalls
2016: 1 recallTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Subaru Crosstrek
Model year
Recalls
2016
1
2017
1
2018
5
2019
8
2020
1
2021
2
2022
1
2023
0
2024
2
2025
0
2026
2
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid SUV AWD
Rollover risk 15.1%
Subaru Crosstrek SUV AWD
Rollover risk 15.1%
Questions
What are the most common 2016 Crosstrek problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: electrical system (38), powertrain (19), engine (14). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2016 Subaru Crosstrek earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Crosstrek has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Subaru dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: CROSSTREK, XV CROSSTREK.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.