Roof rack failure, Subaru Crosstrek warning

Edited para cord.... Not Pats cord as I'm not sure what Pat made his cord out of and if he's a hippie someone might cut the cord off and try to smoke it. 

I had a similar thing happen 10 years ago on an 02 subaru outback factory crossbars.

A weak crossbar + no bow lines is what the problem is. So much force on them and you're bound to have them bent. I put two bow lines on the front and the back ones hook up to my tow hitch. I have a clear bra so I don't care about it rubbing

I really wish I could get the good crossbars. Right now I was lucky to be able to budget a $10 pope from Walmart so I can fish. I might end up lash in 2x4s across.... Talk about tough times. New car with a ghetto wooden roof rack. Maybe I can at least stain the wood? Haha....

I might have enough thule pieces to get you going.....Let me dig into the correct garage corner.

I am fascinated by the 10$ Pope for fishing though.  Is that anything like the Saxaphone Santa Claus we pull out every Christmas?

Bouché

The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Be a dick! You'd be surprised what they will do just to get rid of you.
And there's another great reason to have the bow tied down too.

I'm with Tote but don't just be a dick be a real prick 

I have an 05 outback and never trusted the flimsy stock crossbars, first got a Yakima setup which works fine but higher profile and maybe noisier so got Thule aerobars which hold bigger load than stock subaru

For a while I stopped tying down the nose but envisioned a scenario like you just had and went back to it

I'd give you my Yakima but I see you're all the way up in Willits

YELP THE DEALER AND SUBARU

Always use bow and stern tie downs. Note the kayak is still attached to the j racks.

Ouch

Tote has a unique way of tying his bow line too. I'd like to see him post up some pics as well.

I think this was taken three vehicles ago, or maybe I found it on the internet and used it to demonstrate what I'm trying to convey. Either way, here it is.
I have it on my truck, both sides, and it was on my previous vehicle as well.
Take a nylon or polypro strap (whatever length works for you) fold it in half.
Heat the tip of a Phillips screwdriver and burn a hole through both sides of the strap.
Find a body bolt or screw on the top portion of the inside of your hood. Remove it, then screw down the strap. Put a washer over the strap before you screw it in place.
Won't rub your paint off. It's always there.
Just fold it down when not in use and close the hood.
Open the hood, pull it out, then close the hood when you need it.

Buy American, that don't happen

Wiggin the f out. Paddling 10 feet in from dock to shore my brand new $150 paddle I can't afford to replace broke.

Contact the mfg or take it where you got it.
If either are respectable they will make it right.

Ask and ye shall receive.

Thanks Mojo. Very similar to Totes version.

I'm going to install something similar depending what works best with my truck.

Thanks guys 

Just bought a new Crosstrek yesterday, and the crossbars seem kind of flimsy, so I started searching and came across this thread (which, of course, I'd forgotten about). Btw, love the color, which we call "extension cord orange".

The car seems great so far, but I won't be able to drive it for 5 years, when my wife gets a new car. I hope I remember this thread then...

Just bought a new Crosstrek yesterday, and the crossbars seem kind of flimsy, so I started searching and came across this thread (which, of course, I'd forgotten about). Btw, love the color, which we call "extension cord orange".

The car seems great so far, but I won't be able to drive it for 5 years, when my wife gets a new car. I hope I remember this thread then...

Nice choice on the new ride!

FWIW, I bought a new Forester a couple months ago and got concerned about the crossbars after reading this thread. My kayak is pretty light, maybe 50lbs empty, and the crossbars flex when I load it up. Not an alarming amount, and I’m confident enough in them with this particular boat that I don’t stress about it going down the highway. But if I were to move to anything heavier, I’d definitely be investing in a set of Thules first. I get the impression Subaru’s factory racks are made for people who don’t really intend to use them (although the side rails are strong enough that you can now run one of those car-top tents without voiding the warranty (at least on the Forester, not sure about the Crosstrek)—you just have to buy aftermarket crossbars because the Subaru bars aren’t rated for that weight).

Don't be afraid to load a lot of kayaks on your roof rack.  Whitewater kayakers do it all the time.  Here is a picture of six whitewater kayaks on top of a vehicle. (The vehicle is stuck in one of a series of mudslides along the Salmon River north of Riggins in Idaho which recently closed 70 miles of Highway 95.)