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The 2019 Subaru Crosstrek has 281 NHTSA owner complaints and 2 active recall campaigns on file. Here's the breakdown — what's serious, what's noise, and what a working mechanic would actually do about it.
The 2019 Subaru Crosstrek has 281 NHTSA owner complaints and 2 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). The most-reported system is visibility at 119 complaints, typically surfacing around 15,226 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 | 194 | 1 |
| 2019 Crosstrek (this page) | 281 | 2 |
| 2020 Crosstrek | 68 | 0 |
| 2021 Crosstrek | 111 | 0 |
| 2022 Crosstrek | 29 | 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: 2019 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 24,523 mi. Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 2 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 7.0/10 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.
The Crosstrek is a likeable, capable little Subaru, and on a per-car basis the complaint numbers are fairly low. But it ties directly into one of the platforms on our list, and a buyer should understand exactly how — and how much it actually matters on this specific vehicle.
The Crosstrek’s transmission is the Subaru Lineartronic CVT, which is on our worst-platforms list. Here’s the honest nuance: the Crosstrek is one of the lighter cars that CVT went into. The heavier Outbacks, Foresters, and Legacys beat that transmission up far worse. On the Crosstrek it holds up better — but it’s still a CVT, and it still rewards fluid service and punishes neglect.
The 2019 is the weaker year of the modern run (the redesign’s early years carried more complaints; 2020+ cleans up notably). It’s buyable, just inspect harder than you would a 2021+.
Yes, with the transmission as the gate:
A well-maintained Crosstrek is a reliable, genuinely useful car — the CVT is on the list as a platform, but this is one of its better outcomes. If budget allows, a 2020+ is the lower-risk version of the same vehicle. Weighing coverage on an out-of-warranty one is exactly the case the warranty calculator is built for.
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.
Gave my car a car wash and noticed that there was a crack in my windshield. I didn't hit the car hard with the brush or anything. It just appeared out of nowhere...
I experienced a spontaneous windshield crack on my vehicle, it started in the upper darkened section of the windshield.
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and activating the front window defroster, moments later while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front windshield started to crack. The contact stated that the crack started from the…
I see this as a potential safety problem and not an immediate safety problem. It involves a 2019 Subaru crosstrek. On 3 different occasions, weeks or months apart, the hood has popped up 1 inch and has been stopped by the safety hook. I notice this only when I reach highway…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
In the event of a crash involving multiple impacts, the seat belt may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing the risk of injury.
Improperly tempered glass can shatter into large pieces, increasing the risk of injury.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.0 out of 10 based on 281 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2019 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 2019 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 7.0/10 — around the segment average; 2 recall campaigns 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 119 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 15,226 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 7.0 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 281 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is visibility. Typical failure occurs around 15,226 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 119 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 15,226 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 15,226 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 281 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.