Subaru Crosstrek Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy
Every Subaru Crosstrek model year from 2012 to 2026, benchmarked against each other with 1,917 federal complaints, 13 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.
Avoid: 2019. These years top the Crosstrek's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
Safer bets: 2022 — the quietest years with at least four years on the road.
The method in one line: every NHTSA complaint for this model is counted, weighted for crashes, fires, injuries, and deaths, and each year is measured against the Crosstrek's own worst year — full methodology.
The trouble strip
One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.
The defining problem
Visibility & wipers tops the Subaru Crosstrek file with 349 complaints, concentrated in the 2018–2019 model years, most often reported around 23,000 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.
Every year, ranked
| Year | Verdict | Complaints | Recalls | Top problem | Trouble index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Few reports | 12 | 0 | — | 7 |
| 2025 | Too early to call | 63 | 0 | Driver assistance | 19 |
| 2024 | Too early to call | 140 | 2 | Other | 46 |
| 2023 | Typical | 51 | 0 | Other | 24 |
| 2022 | Better year | 42 | 0 | Other | 16 |
| 2021 | Below average | 159 | 1 | Visibility & wipers | 54 |
| 2020 | Typical | 82 | 0 | Visibility & wipers | 26 |
| 2019 | Avoid | 362 | 7 | Visibility & wipers | 100 |
| 2018 | Below average | 255 | 5 | Visibility & wipers | 71 |
| 2017 | Below average | 138 | 1 | Other | 48 |
| 2016 | Below average | 170 | 1 | Electrical | 48 |
| 2015 | Below average | 129 | 1 | Other | 38 |
| 2014 | Below average | 136 | 1 | Electrical | 51 |
| 2013 | Below average | 175 | 1 | Engine | 54 |
| 2012 | Few reports | 3 | 0 | — | 1 |
Technical service bulletins
Beyond complaints and recalls, 4,578 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, service campaigns, warranty extensions — are on file for the Subaru Crosstrek. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Browse the Subaru Crosstrek TSB list by year →
Questions buyers ask
What Subaru Crosstrek years should I avoid?
Federal complaint records point to 2019 as the Subaru Crosstrek years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.
What is the most common Subaru Crosstrek problem?
Visibility & wipers tops the Subaru Crosstrek file with 349 complaints, concentrated in the 2018–2019 model years, most often reported around 23,000 miles.
What are the best Subaru Crosstrek years to buy used?
The quietest Subaru Crosstrek years in federal records are 2022 — each with at least four years on the road and well-below-average complaint volume for this model.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Counts cover the Subaru Crosstrek only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.