Subaru Crosstrek Won’t Start (All Potential Causes)

Is your Subaru Crosstrek refusing to start? If yes, you’re probably up and down looking for ideas on what could be wrong with your vehicle. Luckily, this guide will help you out. We’ll share with you helpful info on what could be causing your car to behave this way and what to do to get it back up and running.

Subaru Crosstrek won’t start is mainly caused by a dead battery. However, there’s a whole list of other potential causes behind this problem including a bad alternator, bad starter motor, ignition switch malfunction, ignition system issues, fuel delivery system issues, faulty engine sensors, wiring issues, and more.

This article comprehensively covers all the possible culprits behind your non-starting Subaru Crosstrek. We’ll also share valuable insights on how to troubleshoot each of these culprits. By the time you’re done reading this article, you’ll have gained the necessary knowledge to help you handle your Crosstrek refusal to start.

Potential Reasons Why Your Subaru Crosstrek Won’t Start

This section covers ALL the possible reasons why your Subaru Crosstrek may be failing to start when you turn on the car

A weak or dead battery

This is the most common reason why your vehicle won’t start. As you already know, Your car battery stores the power needed to turn on the starter motor, which then cranks your engine.

If the battery is dead or doesn’t have sufficient charge, then the starter motor won’t be powered and your car won’t come on.

Solution: Check if your battery is fine by testing its voltage output using a multimeter. Simply set the multimeter to the voltage range of your battery and then connect it to the terminals of your battery.

Ideally, the multimeter should display a voltage range of 12 to 13V. If it displays anything 14V or below 11.5V, your battery may be defective. Inspect it further and see if it needs a replacement.

A temporary fix for a dead battery is jumpstarting your car with a healthy battery from another car or using a battery booster.

Corroded battery terminals

If the battery is good and has enough charge, then the problem might be a poor connection. This could be caused by corroded terminals or loose terminals causing poor electrical connection and reduced current flow.

Solution: Inspect your battery terminals for signs of corrosion and clean them to ensure proper current flow. Also, if the terminals are loose, make sure you tighten and secure them for proper flow of current to the components involved in starting your car.

Failing alternator

If your Subaru alternator is failing, it may also make the engine fail to start. The alternator in your car has the crucial task of producing electricity to charge your battery. If it’s malfunctioning, your battery won’t be charged. A drained battery will then be unable to start your car.

Solution: If the alternator starts malfunctioning, you should replace it with a new one. However, you’d want to look for additional symptoms of a failing alternator and have it checked by a qualified mechanic to confirm if it needs a replacement.

Bad starter motor

Your Subaru starter motor doesn’t last forever. It usually wears out with regular use and at some point, it will start to malfunction.

If you turn the key and nothing happens, your starter is likely the issue.

Also, if your car turns over slightly and gradually and the dash lights dim during cranking, this could indicate a bad starter.

Solution: If your starter starts malfunctioning, you’ll need to replace it.

Malfunctioning ignition switch

The ignition switch operates your Crosstrek starter motor. It allows current to flow to the starter motor.

Therefore, if it malfunctions, it affects the power supply to the motor, making your engine fail to start.

Solution: You’ll need to inspect the ignition switch, including to wiring and connections. If you find the switch to be faulty, replace it with a new one.

A failing switch will eventually die and stop working, so the earlier you replace it the better.

Fouled spark plugs

Spark plugs are part of your car ignition. They create the spark required to burn fuel in your car.

Therefore, if they go bad, they’ll also make your car experiencing starting problems.

Fouled spark plugs are the most common culprit behind a hard starting engine.

Solution: The best solution for a bad spark plug is to replace it with a new one.

Fuel delivery system issues

If your fuel delivery system is problematic, it can also stop the engine from receiving proper fuel supply and it may not start as a result.

For instance, if you don’t have sufficient in the fuel tank, your engine won’t start.

Here are common fuel delivery system issues that could cause your engine not to start:

• Defective fuel pump: A faulty pump won’t be able to deliver enough fuel to the engine and it’ll be unable to start.
• Clogged fuel filter: Clogging limits fuel flow through the filter, making the fuel engine unable to receive enough fuel for combustion.
• Contaminated fuel: If the fuel inside your car has too much water or alcohol in it, it will increase the possibility of your engine starting.
• Faulty fuel injectors: If the injectors are dirty/clogged, your engine won’t receive enough fuel for combustion, resulting in a no-start situation.

Solution: Here, you’ll need to troubleshoot your fuel delivery system. Start by confirming whether your fuel tank has an adequate amount of fuel. Also, check if the fuel is contaminated.

Next, check if the pump is functioning properly by turning the ignition to the ON position and listening for a humming sound. Inspect the filter and injectors as well and replace them if they’re faulty.

Bad engine sensors

The camshaft and crankshaft position sensors are tasked with providing your vehicle computer with crucial info about your vehicle engine position and speed.

If these sensors become faulty, your car computer will be unable to obtain the info it needs to correctly initiate fuel injection or ignition.

Solution: Locate the position of these sensors and inspect them for proper functionality.

Alternatively, you can scan your car computer for any available trouble codes to help you find out which sensor is faulty.

Immobilizer Issues

Subaru vehicles usually come equipped with an immobilizer security system, which prevents unauthorized access to your car.

If this system starts malfunctioning, it can also make your engine not start. For instance, it may fail to recognize your key or transponder even if they’re valid.

If the security light is on your dash, it could be confirming an issue with the immobilizer.

Solution: Check if the key battery is dead and replace it. Try to reinsert the key more firmly you’re your car ignition. You can try to re-synchronize the key with your vehicle computer.

If nothing seems to work, or if this system seems faulty, have it checked by a mechanic.

Faulty wiring

If your Crosstrek has any underlying wiring or electrical issues, they may also make the engine fail to start.

Any damaged wiring, faulty connections, etc. can disrupt the flow of electricity to essential components for starting the car, leading to a failed start.

For instance, the wiring running from the battery to the starter may become loose or broken and affect the starter functionality.

Solution: Inspect the wires and cables related to the starting system for damage, faulty connections, etc., and repair or replace them as necessary.

Why Your Subaru Crosstrek Is Not Starting And Makes A Clicking Noise

When your Subaru Crosstrek won’t start and is making clicking noise, you should first check if your battery is dead.

If the battery checks out, there are other pontifical causes to consider including faulty motor starter, bad ignition switch, corroded/loose battery connections, or malfunctioning starter relay.

Have your car inspected by a qualified auto mechanic to help you accurately diagnose and fix this issue in your Subaru Crosstrek.

Why Your Subaru Crosstrek Is Intermittently Not Starting

If your Subaru Crosstrek is failing to start intermittently, you should consider various culprits such as:

• Corroded or loose battery terminals/connections
• Faulty ignition switch
• Defective starter motor
• Malfunctioning crankshaft position sensor
• Failing fuel pump

However, you’ll need to have your car diagnosed by a qualified auto mechanic to help you accurately determine the exact cause of this problem.

What Causes Your New Subaru Crosstrek Not To Start?

If your new Subaru Crosstrek won’t start, you probably have a bad battery. Test the battery to see if it has enough charge.

If the battery isn’t the problem, you should check other likely causes such as issues with the immobilizer key, an empty fuel tank, or a dead fob battery.

Since your car is new, it means it’s still under warranty, so you can try reaching out to your dealership to see if they can inspect the car for you and fix the underlying issue.

We come across this Redditor who claims to have experienced a similar issue.

On reaching out to the dealership, they said that all new cars tend to drain their cars in days. They advised the car owner to drive the car daily.

Why Your Subaru Crosstrek Won’t Start And Dash Lights Are Flashing

Sometimes your Crosstrek may fail to start and at the same time, the dashboard lights will come on.

The most likely culprits, in this case, include a dead battery, poor battery connection, failing alternator, bad ignition switch, and poor ground connection.

Have your vehicle diagnosed to find out the exact cause and have it fixed.

While the Subaru Crosstrek may present its set of starting issues, it’s interesting to note that such problems are not confined to this model alone. For those driving the larger Subaru Ascent, there have been instances of ignition challenges. To understand more about this, our comprehensive article on why a Subaru Ascent won’t start provides insights into common problems and potential solutions. Venturing outside of Subaru, even robust models like the Nissan Xterra can face their own unique ignition hurdles. For Xterra enthusiasts or owners who’ve encountered a peculiar clicking noise during ignition, our detailed guide on the Nissan Xterra not starting with a clicking noise can be particularly enlightening.

FAQs:

Here’s a video showing the Subaru Crosstrek starter location:

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Conclusion

When your Subaru Crosstrek refuses to start, there are many potential culprits to consider. These include a bad battery, bad starter motor, bad alternator, failing ignition switch, fuel delivery system issues, bad spark plugs, or immobilizer issues. Bad engine sensor and faulty wiring are additional culprits to consider.

A thorough diagnosis of your car will help you find out the exact cause of this problem and resolve it. The first thing to check is whether your battery is dead. If the battery is good, you can move on to other potential causes listed above. If you’re unable to diagnose your car by yourself, have a mechanic do it for you.