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This paper focuses on the generation and transformation of defects associated with subsurface damages (SSDs) in seed crystals during the physical vapor transport (PVT) growth of 4H-SiC crystals. SSDs in the 4H-SiC seed crystal were first revealed and labeled through photo-chemical etching. After 30 min of PVT growth on the 4H-SiC seed crystal, we found that ridge-like substances with a height ranging from 0.2 to 1.5 μm were formed in the region above the SSDs in the 4H-SiC seed crystal. Raman spectra analysis indicated that these ridge-like substances were 4H-SiC under tensile strain. We then continued the PVT growth to obtain a 4H-SiC boule and carried out a wafering process to obtain 4H-SiC single-crystal wafers. For the bottom wafer, above the 4H-SiC seed wafer, the full width at a half maximum (FWHM) of the rocking curves of the region above the SSDs of the seed wafer was higher than that in the other regions, indicating that the SSDs degrade the crystalline quality of 4H-SiC single crystal. The average value of the FWHM of the rocking curves of the top wafer became lower than that of the bottom wafer, indicating that the effect of SSDs gradually recovers. Molten-KOH etching indicated that SSDs in the 4H-SiC seed crystal give rise to the formation of low-angular grain boundaries (LAGBs) that consist of a wall of threading edge dislocations (TEDs) in 4H-SiC single crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]