Subaru Crosstrek

Owners filed 1,199 complaints across 15 model years of the Subaru Crosstrek. The 2019 drew the most (286).

Model years15
Complaints1,199
Recalls21
Fires16
Deaths0

Which Subaru Crosstrek years should you avoid?

Going by 1,199 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the Subaru Crosstrek years to avoid are 2019.

  • 2019286 complaints, 2.7× a typical Crosstrek year, most often about the wipers.

Better bets: among years old enough for a low count to mean something, the 2022 and 2020 drew the fewest complaints without an unusual share of serious ones.

Too new to judge: 2025 and 2026. Complaints take a few years to arrive, so a new model year looks better than it is.

How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →

Every Subaru Crosstrek model year compared

Complaints per year
YearComplaintsRelative volumeRecallsFiresCrashesMost reportedStatus
2026Too new11
1—1Unknown or OtherDo not drive
2025Too new47
0—3Unknown or OtherRoutine
2024120
2210Unknown or OtherRoutine
202336
0—4Unknown or OtherRoutine
202231
0—3Unknown or OtherRoutine
2021115
128Visibility/WiperRoutine
202071
0—6Visibility/WiperRoutine
2019Avoid286
737Visibility/WiperAbove average
2018195
5110Visibility/WiperRoutine
201794
125Unknown or OtherRoutine
2016132
134Electrical SystemRoutine
201517
1——Power TrainRoutine
201416
112Power TrainRoutine
201326
121EngineRoutine
20122
0——EngineRoutine

Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.