Subaru Crosstrek Owners Manual: During driving

General precautions:

• Drive carefully. Do not take unnecessary risks by driving in dangerous areas or over rough terrain.
• Slow down and employ extra caution at all times. When driving off-road, you will not have the benefit of marked traffic lanes, banked curves, traffic signs and the like.
• Do not drive across steep slopes.

  Instead, drive either straight up or straight down the slopes. A vehicle can much more easily tip over sideways than it can end over end. Avoid driving straight up or down slopes that are too steep.

• Avoid sharp turning maneuvers, especially at higher speeds.
• Do not grip the inside or spokes of the steering wheel. A bad bump could jerk the wheel and injure your hands. Instead, drive with your fingers and thumbs on the outside of the rim.
• Do not drive or park over or near flammable materials such as dry grass or fallen leaves, as they may burn easily. The exhaust system is very hot while the engine is running and right after the engine stops. This could create a fire hazard.

Precautions when driving under especially dangerous situations:

If driving through water, such as when crossing shallow streams:

• First, check the depth of the water and the bottom of the stream bed for firmness.
• Next, ensure that the bed of the stream is flat.
• Then, drive slowly and completely through the stream. The water should be shallow enough that it does not reach the vehicle's undercarriage.

Water entering the engine air intake or the exhaust pipe or water splashing onto electrical parts may damage your vehicle and may cause it to stall. Never drive through rushing water. Regardless of its depth, it can wash away the ground from under your tires, resulting in possible loss of traction and even vehicle rollover.

If you must rock the vehicle to free it from sand or mud, depress the accelerator pedal slightly and move the shift lever/ select lever back and forth between "1"/ "D" and "R" repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For the best possible traction, avoid spinning the wheels when trying to free the vehicle.

When the road surface is extremely slippery, you can obtain better traction by starting the vehicle with the transmission in 2nd than 1st (both for MTand CVT). For CVT models, refer to "Selection of manual mode" F7-26.