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The 2021 Subaru Crosstrek has 115 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 2021 Subaru Crosstrek has 115 NHTSA owner complaints and 1 recall on file (U.S. federal records, as of September 2026). The most-reported system is visibility at 30 complaints (~$350 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 Crosstrek | 194 | 5 |
| 2019 Crosstrek | 284 | 7 |
| 2020 Crosstrek | 68 | 0 |
| 2021 Crosstrek (this page) | 115 | 1 |
| 2022 Crosstrek | 31 | 0 |
| 2023 Crosstrek | 34 | 0 |
| 2024 Crosstrek | 115 | 2 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally.
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: 2021 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 . 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: 7.6/10 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 engine stop start function causes the entire car to shake when going from engine off to engine on. It is worse when you are stopped and the stop start re-engages while your foot is on the brake.
When I bought the car last year I had it for less than 2 months before my windshield cracked from a rock while we were on the highway. I get this happens so I didn’t think anything of it until I saw how many other people have also had their windshield crack shortly after buying…
On 11/30/2020 I purchased a brand new Subaru crosstrek from sheehy Subaru in springfield, virginia. It had 15 miles on the odometer. On 12/01/2020 it was delivered to me at my residence in washington, dc. I immediately noticed that there was a loud creaking noise coming from the…
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Crosstrek. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, while downshifting gears the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.6 out of 10 based on 115 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2021 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.
On the NHTSA data, the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek does not need avoiding. Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally. The record behind that call: No systemic severe-failure pattern in the complaint record; Reliability score 7.6/10 — above 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 30 owner complaints filed. 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 7.6 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 115 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is visibility. 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 30 complaints filed. 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. 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 115 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.