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The 2018 Subaru Crosstrek has 194 NHTSA owner complaints and 1 active recall campaign on file. Here's the breakdown — what's serious, what's noise, and what a working mechanic would actually do about it.
The 2018 Subaru Crosstrek has 194 NHTSA owner complaints and 1 recall on file (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). The most-reported system is visibility at 65 complaints, typically surfacing around 26,959 miles (~$350 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 Crosstrek | 131 | 0 |
| 2017 Crosstrek | 97 | 1 |
| 2018 Crosstrek (this page) | 194 | 1 |
| 2019 Crosstrek | 281 | 2 |
| 2020 Crosstrek | 68 | 0 |
| 2021 Crosstrek | 111 | 0 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Driver-assist features on the tested model: Electronic stability control: Standard · Forward collision warning: Optional · Lane departure warning: Optional
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program — tested configuration: 2018 Subaru Crosstrek SW AWD. Stars rate crash protection in NHTSA's tests, not overall reliability — see the owner-complaint data below for what actually goes wrong.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: powertrain is flagged severe on this model , showing up around 12,836 mi. Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 1 active recall on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 7.2/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
When owners report each system failing, in actual miles — so you can see what's likely behind you, what's due around now, and what to budget for next. Enter your mileage to mark where you are.
"Typical" = median owner-reported failure mileage from the NHTSA complaint record for this exact year and model. Not a maintenance schedule — a heads-up on where this model's failures cluster.
The car engine has stalled 4 times since july when wife was accelerating onto a main street or through an intersection, turning from a stop. On one occasion, she fluttered the pedal and regained engine power. The other times she had to take the car out of gear and restart the…
A long (10-12 inch) crack in the windshield. I can only imagine that a small pepple his the windshield wihile driving on the freeway. No noticable damanage until a few days later when I noticed a long (10-12) inch crack in the windsheild near the dash (bottom of the windshield)…
Windshield cracked on the driver's side while driving on the interstate. The crack occurred in early october. There was no reason the windshield should have cracked.
Three recalls for december 2019 on a 2018 Subaru crosstrek. Subaru service program numbers are; wur-03, Subaru safety recall wuq-02 NHTSA recall id 19v-743, and Subaru saftery recall wup-01 NHTSA id 19v-744
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
If the floor mat moves out of position and interferes with the accelerator or brake pedal operation, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.2 out of 10 based on 194 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2018 Subaru Crosstrek is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
The 2018 Subaru Crosstrek is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Reliability score 7.2/10 — around the segment average; 1 recall campaign on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the visibility first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 65 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 26,959 miles. Average repair cost runs about $350 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 7.2 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 194 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is visibility. Typical failure occurs around 26,959 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is visibility, with 65 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 26,959 miles. Average repair cost runs about $350 at an independent shop.
The visibility is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $350 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 26,959 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 194 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $350, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.