What breaks most · 2012 to 2026 model years
Subaru Crosstrek problems by year
Owners have filed 1,175 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Subaru Crosstrek across model years 2012 to 2026. Three years stand out: 2019 for wipers and visibility complaints, 2018 for wipers and visibility complaints and 2016 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 2012, 2014 and 2015.
- Years to check closely: 2019, 2018, 2016
- Fewest complaints: 2012, 2014, 2015
- Complaints on file
- 11752012 to 2026, all trims
- Worst year
- 2019284 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 6016 fires · 33 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 19kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 20Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Engine (2) | |
| 25 | 1 | 1 | Engine (11) | |
| 16 | 2 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (7) | |
| 17 | 0 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (6) | |
| 131 | 4 | 1 | Electrical system (37) | |
| 94 | 5 | 1 | Unknown or other (33) | |
| 194 | 10 | 5 | Wipers and visibility (64) | |
| 284 | 6 | 7 | Wipers and visibility (113) | |
| 68 | 6 | 0 | Wipers and visibility (30) | |
| 114 | 8 | 1 | Wipers and visibility (29) | |
| 30 | 3 | 0 | Unknown or other (12) | |
| 34 | 4 | 0 | Unknown or other (11) | |
| 115 | 8 | 2 | Unknown or other (31) | |
| 43 | 2 | 0 | Unknown or other (13) | |
| 8 | 1 | 0 | Unknown or other (2) |
What fails on the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wipers and visibilityWiper motors and blades | 40% |
113 | 0 | Shop all wipers and visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 19% |
53 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek |
| Unknown or other | 17% |
49 | 1 | — |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 12% |
34 | 2 | Shop engine parts for the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 8% |
24 | 2 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 5% |
15 | 0 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 5% |
13 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 4% |
11 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
We went to put groceries in our trunk and the rear driver side window shattered and my 2 year old was in the car. Glass got inside the car where his car seat was, and the entire window shattered on the ground. There was nothing touching the window to make the window shatter when I shut the trunk
-
Windshield cracked almost all the way across to other side and then down. This vehicle has the eyesight package. I do not remember date it happened but will state 2 years ago. When it happened it quickly moved across windshield.
-
Battery drain Bought new battery Got dcm update Pulled dcm fuse Still battery goes dead Thousands of vehicles involved Suburu knows the cause To expensive to fix Please help3/3
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Subaru Crosstrek years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2019, 2018, 2016 carry the most filings on the Subaru Crosstrek. The 2019 alone has 284 complaints, led by wipers and visibility.
What is the most common Subaru Crosstrek problem?
On the 2019 model year, the most-reported component is wipers and visibility with 113 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Subaru Crosstrek problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Subaru Crosstrek complaints that include mileage is about 19,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.