Subaru Crosstrek
Problems & Worst Years

Six model years of the Subaru Crosstrek appear in this data, and windshield cracking without any apparent cause is the thread connecting most of them. It peaks in 2019, the model's worst year on file: 177 total complaints across 19 different problem types, including 60 reports of the windshield cracking or chipping without impact plus another 33 describing cracking without apparent reason, alongside 19 reports of engine malfunction and stalling, 16 of battery drain, and 11 of unintended acceleration rated safety-severity. Recalls 19V065, 19V743, 19V856, 20V189, and 21V264 apply to that year.

The earliest year here, 2016, carries a smaller total — 43 complaints — but the highest safety-severity count of any Crosstrek year in this set, two: a key sticking in the ignition after shifting to park (20 reports, its top complaint) and an air bag system malfunction (7, safety-rated), plus smaller reports of engine stalling at high speed, steering failure, and wheel bearing failure. The 2017 model shows a milder version of the same ignition and windshield themes with no safety-rated complaints, and 2018 (100 total) is dominated almost entirely by windshield cracking without impact (60 reports), with recalls 19V743, 19V744, and 21V264 on file.

By 2021, volume drops to 46 complaints with no safety flags — windshield cracking and battery drain persist but at modest levels. The most recent year, 2024, breaks the pattern: its top complaint is interference with an advertised infotainment screen (17 reports), followed by windshield cracking (9), headlight shadowing that reduces visibility (8), and steering wheel jerking (7), with recall 23V551 on file.

Given how many of these years carry open recall campaigns, confirming completed recall work by VIN is a reasonable first step on any used Crosstrek from this window. Beyond that, a hands-on look at ignition function, windshield condition, and battery health covers most of what shows up repeatedly here. As always, newer years like 2024 simply haven't had as much time to accumulate reports, so treat the lower total as inconclusive rather than reassuring, and let a pre-purchase inspection and service history guide the final call more than the year on the title.