I am reporting a possible power train/drivetrain issue with a 2025 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness. At steady highway speeds, most noticeably around 72–76 mph under light accelerator load, the vehicle produces a persistent high-frequency ringing/whining tone throughout the cabin. The noise stops when I lift off the accelerator and rarely occurs when traveling downhill, which suggests it may be related to drivetrain load rather than ordinary wind, road, or tire noise. The suspected component or system is UNKNOWN, but based on the operating conditions it may involve the CVT, differential, or related drivetrain/power train components. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The issue has been reproduced and confirmed by a Subaru dealer. The vehicle was previously inspected by the dealer, and the rear differential was replaced during an attempted repair, but the noise persisted. The vehicle was returned for additional diagnosis, and dealership personnel confirmed the same noise. The manufacturer later stated that the condition was considered a normal characteristic after comparison with another like-model Crosstrek Wilderness, but no specific root cause or technical explanation was provided. My safety concern is that a persistent, load-dependent drivetrain noise at highway speeds could indicate abnormal wear, resonance, or mechanical instability in the CVT, differential, or related power train components. If the condition reflects an unresolved defect, it could potentially lead to premature drivetrain failure or loss of power while driving at highway speeds. There have been no warning lamps or dashboard messages associated with the condition. The issue first appeared while the vehicle was still very new and under factory warranty, and it remains unresolved.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11749212 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

The Sirius XM advertisement creates an unsafe experience. The only way to safe way close it requires the driver to pull over to touch the “X”, or to risk taking eyes off the road in order to use the interface, including the climate control.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11741717 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

I was driving on a Texas highway on May 2 at the speed limit of 75 mph with the car on cruise control. It was a sunny day and traffic was light. Suddenly, without warning, or apparent cause the car went into a hard brake and the collision avoidance signals were beeping and flashing. The car behind me had to hard brake to avoid collision. I pulled over to the shoulder but as soon as I put my foot on the brake the flashing and beeping stopped. I eased back onto the highway but as soon as I got up some speed, the same thing happened again. I thought it might be related to the cruise control so I turned off the cruise control and it stopped. I drove the rest of the way without cruise control and there were no further incidents. I took the car to dealer. The service department ran diagnostics and test drove it but said they could not duplicate the problem. They said the car was operating "normally." I called Customer Advocacy at Subaru and spoke to woman on a recorded line. She clearly stated that sometimes the EyeSight feature can cause the car to "think there's something in front of you" and activate the collision avoidance hard braking. She claimed this was "normal." Still Subaru refused to do anything about it or buy back my car for more than trade-in value. I got the car from the dealer on May 18. On May 21, I discovered a class action lawsuit (Hall et. al. v. Subaru of America, Inc.) had been filed against Subaru on May 11, for the very same problem. The lawsuit covers most recent Subaru models including mine. I also discovered that "phantom braking" is a frequent complaint here and that Subaru settled a previous class action lawsuit for older models in Nov. 2025 . NHTSA needs to force a recall and warn consumers of this very dangerous defect. I would be surprised if it hasn't resulted in serious injury or death.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11739643 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

While driving on a road with a round about as I entered into the round about turn the vehicle lane keeping assist pulled the wheels and caused me to slam into the curb damaging the passenger side front and back wheel. It shoved the front wheel back into the inner fender wheel well and made the vehicle unable to be driven. I tried to counter steer to prevent slamming into the curb but there was no response from the vehicle.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11753387 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

The contact owns a 2025 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH with his wife inside the vehicle, the contact experienced a medical emergency and blacked out, causing the vehicle to accelerate to approximately 70 MPH. The vehicle crashed into a culvert pipe in a ditch and launched into the air, landing front-first before landing on all four wheels in a patch of grass. The air bags did not deploy, and the driver's side seat belt unlatched, causing the contact to hit the windshield head-first. The contact sustained a blunt force forehead injury, eyebrow cuts, right knee cuts, and small cuts on the left arm. The contact’s wife sustained a fractured back (T4) and injuries across the shoulder and abdomen from the seat belt. Medical attention was needed, and the contact and wife were transported to the hospital. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11745558 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

I leased. 2025 Subaru Crosstrek Premium last May and after I drove it for a few days I discovered the driver side mirror was shaking and made it impossible to see traffic clearly, especially at night. I took the car back to the dealer several times but they could not fix it. There is a class action lawsuit against Subaru for the defective driver side mirror.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11751846 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov