I was driving normally, having started my car after leaving a store at the time, while backing up, I received an ad (depicted below) for the SiriusXM limited time offer. This advertisement completely blocked the entirety of the infotainment system, disabling the navigation components completely, disabling my ability to use the backup camera, and did not alert while backing up, nearly causing a serious collision while driving. This advertisement is not safe to be displayed while operating the vehicle, and you are unable to use anything on the infotainment system (backup camera, safety features and alerting) until you dismiss the ad. Dismissing the ad is additionally in a very unsafe position to be drawing attention while driving the vehicle. This is in direct violation of NHTSA standards listed here: [XXX] Based on the information listed therein, the infotainment software violates Section V of the NHTSA Visual-Manual Driver Distraction Guidelines by displaying non-driving related promotional/advertisement text and failing to lock out intrusive screen elements while the vehicle is in motion. The intrusive element physically blocks you from seeing or interacting with driving-critical systems. It blocks your backup camera feed, your onboard navigation system, and climate control menus while driving. Due to the ad or system notification not automatically clearing itself, it forces you to divert your eyes from the road for longer than the recommended 2-second glimpse limit, creatin
2025 Subaru WRX
Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the unknown or other. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Electrical System | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsA SiriusXM advertisement popping up over navigation on the infotainment screen distracting the driver from focusing on the road. It covers any navigation on the infotainment screen and takes the eyes of the driver off the road, where the driver is no longer aware of the position of their vehicle. Many other Subaru owners with more modern vehicles have had this same problem. This is not a one time issue. It happens suddenly and unexpectedly. Other owners of a modern Subaru vehicle have reported this issue to the dealership and were told they cannot do anything about it.
2 of 2 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Across model years
Worst on record: 2002| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Deaths | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 — this page | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2024 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2023 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2022 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 2021 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2020 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2019 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2018 | 42 | 2 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 2017 | 53 | 1 | 2 | 0 | Routine |
| 2016 | 31 | 3 | 2 | 0 | Routine |
| 2015 | 52 | 3 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 2014 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2013 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2012 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2011 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2010 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2009 | 41 | 10 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2008 | 65 | 7 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 2007 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2006 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2005 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
| 2004 | 42 | 5 | 0 | 1 | Fatalities reported |
| 2003 | 60 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Routine |
| 2002 | 427 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Above average |
Reading this record
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.