Subaru Crosstrek Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

Half of all complaints arrive by 2 years of age, so 38.7% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Visibility/wiper, with 289 complaints, typically at 1.3 years.

Subaru Crosstrek years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Subaru Crosstrek — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2026	1.33	8	6	too new
2025	1.42	44	31	too new
2024	1.86	119	64	too new
2023	1.32	33	25	too new
2022	1.19	31	26	too new
2021	1.63	114	70	too new
2020	1.35	69	51	yes
2019	2.2	281	128	yes
2018	2.04	188	92	yes
2017	1.6	91	57	yes
2016	1.98	125	63	yes
2015	1	13	13	yes
2014	1.17	14	12	yes

ROWS 13·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Does the market discount it? In our listings a 2019 Crosstrek asks a median $15,995, against $17,900 for a 2020, the next model year: about 11% less, so sellers do price some of the trouble in.

Among the 4 Subaru Crosstrek years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2019, 2018, 2016; the three worth hunting are 2017, 2016, 2018.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Subaru Crosstrek — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	257	23.4%	covered
1 year	243	45.5%	covered
2 years	174	61.3%	covered
3 years	166	76.4%	you pay
4 years	92	84.7%	you pay
5 years	76	91.6%	you pay
6 years	39	95.2%	you pay
7 years	29	97.8%	you pay
8 years	19	99.5%	you pay
9 years	4	99.9%	you pay
10 years	1	100%	you pay

ROWS 11·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 61.3% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 38.7% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 21% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the Subaru Crosstrek, the early trouble is Visibility/wiper and Unknown Or Other — reported at around 1.3 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it.

FIG.03·Subaru Crosstrek — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Visibility/wiper	289	1.3 yrs	—	—
Unknown Or Other	267	2.2 yrs	10	4
Electrical System	186	3 yrs	7	3
Engine	129	2.7 yrs	8	8
Power Train	104	3.2 yrs	12	1
Steering	58	2.4 yrs	1	—
Service Brakes	51	2.6 yrs	19	—
Forward Collision Avoidance	51	2.1 yrs	10	1

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Crosstrek's vehicle class. Per production run, the Toyota RAV4 draws 2.31, the Jeep Wrangler 4.69 and the Honda CR-V 3.7, against 1.77 for the Crosstrek. That is the fewest complaints of the group.

FIG.05·Subaru Crosstrek — rivals in the same class
Same class as the Crosstrek	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Toyota RAV4	9,332	168	1996–2026
Jeep Wrangler	16,434	285	1986–2026
Honda CR-V	15,948	207	1997–2026
Tesla Model Y	388	100	2020–2026
Mazda CX-5	2,211	33	2013–2026
Nissan Rogue	7,253	94	2008–2026

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Everything on the Subaru Crosstrek

Recalls26 campaigns Fuel economy36 mpg best Common problems1,122 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build DimensionsSize, weight, generations Used prices3,725 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Insurance costEstimated per year Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car2016–2026

Frequently asked questions

Is the Subaru Crosstrek reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 1.77 against 3.73 for the average car, and fewer than each of the 3 class rivals we compared.

Which Crosstrek years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2019, 2018, 2016. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2017, 2016, 2018. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do Crosstrek problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 2 years of age. The most reported system is Visibility/wiper, typically at 1.3 years, followed by Unknown Or Other.

Will the warranty cover Crosstrek problems?

Mostly yes: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and 61.3% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 21% of the complaints here.

Is the Crosstrek more reliable than the Toyota RAV4?

Yes: 1.77 complaints per production run for the Crosstrek against 2.31 for the Toyota RAV4.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

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