2021 Subaru Crosstrek Park Recall (23V755)
Subaru of America, Inc. · 95,830 vehicles · Reported November 9, 2023
Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling 95,830 2021 Subaru Crosstrek; 2022 Subaru Forester; 2021-2023 Subaru Legacy; 2021-2023 Subaru Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail. An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will make the repair free of charge.
Recall 23V755 at a glance
| NHTSA campaign number | 23V755000 |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer recall number | WRQ-23 |
| Date reported to NHTSA | November 9, 2023 |
| Manufacturer | Subaru of America, Inc. |
| Vehicles | 2021 Subaru Crosstrek; 2022 Subaru Forester; 2021-2023 Subaru Legacy; 2021-2023 Subaru Outback |
| Units affected | 95,830 |
| Build dates | March 17, 2021 to May 16, 2022 |
| Component | Power Train > Automatic Transmission > Park / Neutral Start Interlock Switch |
| Safety risk | An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| Fix | Available at dealers |
What is wrong with the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek in recall 23V755?
An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Is it safe to drive a 2021 Crosstrek with recall 23V755?
NHTSA has not told owners to stop driving, but the risk is real: An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
NHTSA describes the risk this way: An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
NHTSA has not issued a do-not-drive or park-outside warning for this recall. Still, get the repair done as soon as it is available, and stop driving if you notice symptoms related to the park and neutral start interlock switch.
Which vehicles are included in recall 23V755?
Recall 23V755 covers 95,830 vehicles: 2021 Subaru Crosstrek; 2022 Subaru Forester; 2021-2023 Subaru Legacy; 2021-2023 Subaru Outback.
NHTSA lists 95,830 vehicles in this campaign, built March 17, 2021 to May 16, 2022. Not every vehicle of these models and years is included, so check your VIN.
| Model years | Make | Model |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Subaru | Crosstrek |
| 2022 | Subaru | Forester |
| 2021-2023 | Subaru | Legacy |
| 2021-2023 | Subaru | Outback |
What is the fix for the Crosstrek park recall?
Yes. Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge.
Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WRQ-23.
When was recall 23V755 announced?
Subaru of America, Inc. reported recall 23V755 to NHTSA on November 9, 2023. NHTSA lists the owner letter date as January 8, 2024.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| March 17, 2021 | First affected vehicle built (per Subaru of America, Inc.'s filing). |
| May 16, 2022 | Last affected vehicle built. |
| November 9, 2023 | Subaru of America, Inc. filed the defect report with NHTSA; NHTSA assigned campaign 23V755000. |
| January 8, 2024 | Owner notification letters mailed (per NHTSA). |
This recall was filed 35 months ago, and vehicles were built over a span of 425 days. If your Crosstrek was built in that window, the VIN check below is the way to confirm it is included.
How do I check if my Crosstrek is part of recall 23V755?
Enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If recall 23V755 is open on your Crosstrek, it will be listed there.
Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup. It shows any open safety recall on your vehicle, including 23V755000. Your VIN is on the registration card, the insurance card, and the driver side of the dashboard where it meets the windshield. Recent recalls can take a few days to appear in the lookup.
What should Crosstrek owners do about recall 23V755?
Check your VIN, schedule the free recall repair, and keep a repair order for every dealer visit.
- Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm recall 23V755000 applies to your Crosstrek.
- Book the recall appointment with any authorized Subaru dealer. Ask up front whether parts are available and how long the vehicle will be there.
- Get a repair order for every visit, even if the dealer only inspects the vehicle. Read it before you leave and make sure your complaint is written the way you described it.
- Write down when symptoms involving the park and neutral start interlock switch happen: date, mileage, speed, weather and what you felt or heard. Photos and short videos help.
- Count the days the vehicle is at the dealer. Days out of service add up toward California's 30-day presumption.
- If the recall repair does not fix it, or the vehicle keeps going back for the same issue, talk to a lemon law attorney.
What are Crosstrek owners reporting to NHTSA?
Owners have filed 1,135 complaints with NHTSA about these vehicles since 2020, 52 of them about the transmission.
Since recall 23V755 was reported on November 9, 2023, owners have filed 33 complaints with NHTSA about the transmission on these vehicles. 5 of them (15%) describe the same problem happening more than once or coming back after a repair attempt.
How we counted: we matched NHTSA owner complaints for the model years in this recall that list the transmission and were received on or after November 9, 2023, then flagged narratives that describe a repeat failure or a problem returning after a dealer repair, recall service or software update. Data from NHTSA, accessed October 1, 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports and may involve a related transmission issue rather than this exact defect; automated text matching can miss or misread some reports.
NHTSA’s public complaint database lists 1,135 owner complaints filed since 2020 for the vehicles in this recall, and 52 of them involve the transmission. Complaints are reports from owners and have not been verified by NHTSA, but a high count for the same component is a sign the problem is widespread.
- 2022 Subaru Outback: 463 complaints in total, 17 about the transmission
- 2021 Subaru Outback: 296 complaints in total, 12 about the transmission
- 2021 Subaru Crosstrek: 115 complaints in total, 12 about the transmission
- 2022 Subaru Forester: 98 complaints in total, 4 about the transmission
- 2023 Subaru Outback: 89 complaints in total, 5 about the transmission
- 2022 Subaru Legacy: 33 complaints in total, 0 about the transmission
- 2021 Subaru Legacy: 31 complaints in total, 2 about the transmission
- 2023 Subaru Legacy: 10 complaints in total, 0 about the transmission
Here is what some owners told NHTSA, in their own words (excerpts, unverified):
I have had this happen several times on my 2021 Outback and my 2013 Outback. The dealership has never been able to recreate this issue. I will be driving (gear in D) and it randomly shifts to 1st or 2nd gear.
2021 Subaru Outback owner, IN, NHTSA complaint 11633759, filed January 2, 2025
Purchased used with just over 60k miles & have had less than a year. Vehicle still under 80k miles. Told transmission needs replaced but found service records from previous owner which shows fuel pump replaced twice at about 20k mile intervals & I am just under 20k miles past previous pump replacement.
2021 Subaru Outback owner, TX, NHTSA complaint 11654281, filed April 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while idling at a red traffic light, the vehicle lurched forward twice and struck the rear end of another vehicle twice. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated upon impact. The air bags did not deploy. There was no injury sustained.
2021 Subaru Outback owner, NY, NHTSA complaint 11689975, filed September 26, 2025
Can recall 23V755 make my Crosstrek a lemon in California?
Not by itself. A recall repair that fails, or repeat dealer visits for the same defect, can support a California lemon law claim.
Recall 23V755000 does not automatically make your Crosstrek a lemon. California's Song-Beverly Act asks two questions: does a warranty defect substantially impair the vehicle's use, value or safety, and did the manufacturer fail to fix it in a reasonable number of tries (Civ. Code 1793.2(d))?
A transmission defect affects the core job of the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek: moving reliably. Owners often see the same symptom return after a repair, and those repeat visits are the kind of history California's lemon law looks at.
The recall repair is available at dealers. If it works, great. If the same symptom comes back, the recall visit is one repair attempt and the next visit is another.
For the first 18 months or 18,000 miles, California presumes the manufacturer had enough chances if the Crosstrek went in two or more times for a defect likely to cause death or serious injury, four or more times for the same defect, or spent more than 30 days in the shop (Civ. Code 1793.22(b)). Direct notice to the manufacturer is required for some of these. The presumption is a shortcut, not the only path to a claim.
An owner who prevails in a lemon law case can recover reasonable attorney fees and costs from the manufacturer (Civ. Code 1794(d)). You pay nothing, win or lose. We are paid only if you win, and the manufacturer pays our fees, including in settlements. If a case is lost, our firm covers the costs.
In our cases, a recall repair visit counts as a repair attempt, and it's strongest when the owner complained about the problem before the recall came out. A recall shows the defect is real and that enough owners reported it for the manufacturer to issue a fix.
A typical pattern: an owner reports the transmission slipping, and the dealer can't verify it. Six months later, NHTSA issues a recall for the same problem. Because the recall confirms the defect, the mileage offset goes back to that first visit.
The biggest mistake I see is waiting too long. The mileage offset starts at your first repair visit for the problem, so the sooner you take it in, the better. If the problem comes and goes, take it in when it happens. You can't go back to that date later.
If you get a recall notice, call a lemon law attorney right away. You may have taken the car in for the same problem before and forgotten, or there may be other recalls related to it.
Jacob Shayesteh, Esq. (SBN 362320), Founder and Managing Attorney. Quotes lightly edited for clarity. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Has your Crosstrek been back to the dealer for this problem?
Call 877-536-6620Other Subaru Crosstrek recalls
Frequently asked questions about recall 23V755
Did the recall 23V755 fix work?
Since recall 23V755 was reported on November 9, 2023, owners have filed 33 complaints with NHTSA about the transmission on these vehicles. 5 of them (15%) describe the same problem happening more than once or coming back after a repair attempt. If your vehicle still has the problem after the recall repair, go back to the dealer, get a repair order, and talk to a lemon law attorney.
When will owners be notified?
According to NHTSA, owner notification letters were or are scheduled to be mailed January 8, 2024.
Is the 23V755000 recall repair free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are done free of charge at authorized dealers.
How do I know if my Crosstrek is part of recall 23V755000?
Enter your 17-character VIN in NHTSA's recall lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or call a dealer. The VIN is on your registration, insurance card and the lower corner of the windshield.
Will a transmission software update fix the problem for good?
Sometimes. Many owners report that shifting problems return after an update. If yours does, go back to the dealer and make sure the visit is written up.
Does the recall fixing my car mean I have no case?
Not necessarily. Even if the recall repair fixed it, you may still have a case, and a car that's a year or more old can still qualify.
Do used cars qualify for California lemon law?
We take certified pre-owned, demo and dealer vehicles. Since the California Supreme Court's Rodriguez decision in 2024, ordinary used cars generally do not qualify.
How long does a recall lemon law case take?
Recall-related cases typically resolve in one to three months from your first call. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
What does a lemon law attorney cost?
You pay nothing, win or lose. We are paid only if you win, and the manufacturer pays our fees, including in settlements. If a case is lost, our firm covers the costs.
Sources
- NHTSA recall record 23V755000 (recall report and owner letters are posted there)
- NHTSA complaints and recalls data, accessed October 1, 2026
- California Civil Code 1793.2 and 1793.22
Attorney advertising. America’s Lemon Lawyer is a trade name of Wynn Law Group, APC. Responsible attorney: Jacob Shayesteh, Esq. (SBN 362320). This page is general information, not legal advice. America’s Lemon Lawyer is not affiliated with NHTSA or Subaru. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.