2021 Subaru Crosstrek Problems, Recalls & Reliability
159 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek, alongside 1 recall campaign and 0 defect investigations. It scores 54/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Visibility & wipers leads the reports.
Below average
Where 2021 sits among all Crosstrek years
What owners report
“Windshield cracked with less than 1000 miles on the car. Never heard or saw any rock or other debris hit the windshield”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Crosstrek
“Suddenly warning light "Check Engine" came on along with Eye Sight malfunction warning. "i RAB off" "Check Engine" Automatic Emergency Braking not working. Yes, available for inspection. Not confirmed yet by dealer. It is the weekend. There were no unusual symptoms prior to ADAS malfunction.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Crosstrek
“P26A5 code came on after driving a little over 200 miles. It went off at one point but came back on and has not gone off.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Crosstrek
Recalls (1)
Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
Fix: Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for…
Technical service bulletins
317 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2021 Crosstrek TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek reliable?
The 2021 Subaru Crosstrek drew 159 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 54/100, scored against the model's worst year (2019).
What are the most common 2021 Subaru Crosstrek problems?
The top reported problems for the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek are visibility & wipers (33 complaints), driver assistance (29), and other (25).
Does the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
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. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.