Subaru Crosstrek Reliability by Year
Based on 2M+ real complaints filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
1,457 NHTSA complaints (2012–2026).Complaint rate: 17.2 per 1,000 vehicles.
Compare Subaru Crosstrek vs:
Should I buy a Subaru Crosstrek?
Quick answer from 1,457 NHTSA complaints · 2012–2026
Subaru Crosstrek reliability depends heavily on the model year. Several years show complaint spikes well above the model's own average, while others are meaningfully cleaner. The most commonly reported issue across all years is wipers & visibility. Pick the right year and this Crosstrek can be a reasonable used buy; pick the wrong one and you're inheriting known problems.
- 2012 Subaru Crosstrek· 3 complaints
- 2014 Subaru Crosstrek· 22 complaints
- 2015 Subaru Crosstrek· 27 complaints
- 2019 Subaru Crosstrek· 349 complaints
- 2018 Subaru Crosstrek· 252 complaints
Keep scrolling for year-by-year complaint trends, recall campaigns, and component breakdowns — or click any year above for a full report.
Why these years are worse
The most common issues driving the complaint spikes:
- wipers & visibility — 291 complaints (0.0% involved a crash)
- electrical faults — 172 complaints (4.1% involved a crash)
- engine problems — 133 complaints (7.5% involved a crash)
- transmission / drivetrain — 101 complaints (10.9% involved a crash)
- steering defects — 55 complaints (0.0% involved a crash)
Subaru Crosstrek Generations
Manufacturer redesigns the car every few years (a “generation”). Each generation has different engineering and common issues. Click a generation to see year-by-year breakdown.
| Generation | Years | Complaints | Crashes | US Sold | Volume | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 1 | 2013–2017 | 380 | 25 | — | Show years | |||
| Gen 2 | 2018–2023 | 901 | 60 | — | Hide years | |||
| 2018 | 252 | 16 | — | View 2018View→ | ||||
| 2019 | 349 | 8 | — | View 2019View→ | ||||
| 2020 | 76 | 8 | — | View 2020View→ | ||||
| 2021 | 138 | 14 | — | View 2021View→ | ||||
| 2022 | 41 | 7 | — | View 2022View→ | ||||
| 2023 | 45 | 7 | — | View 2023View→ | ||||
| Gen 3 | 2024–present | 173 | 15 | — | Show years |
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Rankings based on raw NHTSA complaint counts. Sales volume data not yet available for this model.
Bottom line: Avoid the 2016–2019 Subaru Crosstrek. The 2022–2023 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: Wipers & Visibility.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
Too New
Need 3+ years on the road for reliable complaint data.
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Subaru Crosstrek Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA. Bar length = volume; color = crash-involvement rate.
Show full table
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| Wipers & Visibility | 291 | 0.0% |
| Electrical Faults | 172 | 4.1% |
| Engine Problems | 133 | 7.5% |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 101 | 10.9% |
| Steering Defects | 55 | 0.0% |
| Unintended Acceleration | 44 | 31.8% |
| Brakes | 43 | 30.2% |
| Fuel System | 34 | 8.8% |
| Body Structure | 33 | 9.1% |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 33 | 3.0% |
When Each Problem Spiked
Year × component heatmap. Darker cells = more complaints that year. Reveals which model years a specific defect concentrated in — useful for spotting redesign-cycle quality dips.
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012NO DATA | — | 3 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2013GOOD | Gen 1 | 35 | 2 | 4 | View → |
| 2014GOOD | Gen 1 | 22 | 5 | 2 | View → |
| 2015GOOD | Gen 1 | 27 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2016AVOID | Gen 1 | 164 | 6 | 5 | View → |
| 2017AVOID | Gen 1 | 132 | 12 | 4 | View → |
| 2018AVOID | Gen 2 | 252 | 16 | 1 | View → |
| 2019AVOID | Gen 2 | 349 | 8 | 5 | View → |
| 2020 | Gen 2 | 76 | 8 | — | View → |
| 2021AVOID | Gen 2 | 138 | 14 | 4 | View → |
| 2022GOOD | Gen 2 | 41 | 7 | — | View → |
| 2023GOOD | Gen 2 | 45 | 7 | — | View → |
| 2024TOO NEW | Gen 3 | 127 | 13 | 2 | View → |
| 2025TOO NEW | Gen 3 | 44 | 2 | — | View → |
| 2026TOO NEW | Gen 3 | 2 | 0 | — | View → |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
Tap any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
Data Sources & Methodology
Complaints: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database (1,457 records for this model). Public domain data, updated monthly.
Sales data: Not yet available for this model. Complaint counts are shown as raw numbers.
Rate calculation: Complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold = (complaint count / US annual sales) x 10,000. This normalizes for sales volume so high-volume models like Civic or Camry aren't unfairly penalized.
Year classifications: AVOID = 1.5x+ the model's median complaint count. GOOD = 0.6x or below. Years less than 3 years old are marked TOO NEW (insufficient data).
See also: Subaru Crosstrekaccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
Buying a Subaru Crosstrek?
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