Skip to content
Subaru CrosstrekModel year report

2019 Subaru Crosstrek Problems

Compared with other Subaru Crosstrek years

More complaints than typical for this model

100/100 11× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2022

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
285filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
10,542miles, 179 complaints with mileage
Recalls
7campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
5 / 5stars overall
EPA fuel economy
29 mpgcombined, 2.0L 4-cyl AWD · 27 city / 33 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2019 Crosstrek most often write in about the windshield: chips and cracks that many say started from a small pebble strike and spread quickly, or appeared while the car was parked. A smaller but consistent group describes hesitation or stuttering during acceleration, and several mention repeated 12-volt battery failures that left the car unable to start.

  1. Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

    Windshield chips and cracks easily

    • 144 complaints (51%)
    • median 12,750 mi at 1.3 yrs old (106 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,022 (median of 5 quotes)
    • filed 2019–2025

    Complaints describe the front windshield chipping or cracking after very small road debris strikes, with the damage spreading quickly before a repair can be made. Several owners say a crack appeared with no impact at all, often starting at the lower edge near the wipers or defroster area, and some had the glass replaced more than once within a year. A few mention that rock chips and glare around the EyeSight camera area also affect the driver-assist system. Dealers are described as replacing the glass, sometimes under warranty and sometimes quoting owners for the cost. Most reports fall between a few hundred and roughly 30,000 miles, with many in the first year of ownership and some in cold weather or after defroster use.

    Recall 19V404000

    What to check: Inspect the windshield closely for chips, star breaks, and repaired areas, especially along the lower edge and in front of the camera housing. Ask whether the glass has been replaced and whether the camera system was recalibrated afterward.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Been driving subarus for many years and have always loved them...until now. Got just over 11,300 miles on the car since I hardly drive it anymore due to the pandemic. While driving my first time out in weeks, a small pebble hit windshield on left side and the glass immediately cracked about 6 in length. By the time I got home it had traveled to about 9 . …”

    NHTSA complaint #11372889, filed 2020-11, 11,300 miles

    “A few days ago I went out to my shop to get in my car to go to work and when I got in my car I noticed a giant crack in the window that is in the middle of the window down at the bottom and it starts under the wipers and is about 6 inches long. Then a few days went by and I was driving to work again on the high way in the rain and it cracked another 2 inches.”

    NHTSA complaint #11384371, filed 2020-12, 32,400 miles
  2. Engine

    Hesitation and stuttering on acceleration

    • 36 complaints (13%)
    • median 9,500 mi at 1.4 yrs old (20 state mileage)
    • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2019–2026

    Owners describe a delay or stumble when pressing the accelerator from a stop, sometimes with the engine seeming to cut out briefly or the tachometer needle bouncing. Some say the car bucks or judders at low speeds or after long highway runs, and a few report the engine shutting off while driving with the loss of power steering and brake assist. Complaints mention multiple dealer visits, with dealers describing the behavior as normal or attributing it to software, and one vehicle reportedly caught fire after losing power. Reports cluster from near-new to about 20,000 miles, often from a stop or during low-speed acceleration and sometimes after extended highway driving.

    Recall 19V065000Recall 19V743000Recall 21V264000Recall 19V8560004 related service bulletins

    What to check: Test drive from a cold start and from several stop-and-go starts, watching for hesitation or a bouncy tachometer. Ask whether engine software updates or the ignition-coil and PCV recalls were completed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I am driving down hwy17 downhill when traffic slowed and as I slowed the engine and car completely shut down , no power , very little steering control.I was able to pull off without incident. I do fear the reoccurrence of this problem and I do feel this is dangerous and hope the complaint is considered and addresed”

    NHTSA complaint #11372581, filed 2020-11, 16,500 miles

    “My Subaru Crosstrek is a 2019 - less than 2 years old and still covered by warranty. It has been meticulously cared for and only dealer serviced. 3 days ago the car's engine shut off while we were driving it. There was a complete loss of power to the brakes and steering. We could have been killed. I brought the car in immediately to the dealer service I have always been going to, and they cannot find anything wrong with the car. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11406867, filed 2021-04, 28,000 miles
  3. Electrical system

    Battery drains and no-start condition

    • 27 complaints (9%)
    • median 11,900 mi at 2.3 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2020–2026

    Complaints describe the car failing to start after sitting a few days, sometimes with a completely dead battery that required a jump start or a tow. Owners report repeated battery replacements at the dealer, and some note the issue recurred within weeks. A few describe the vehicle losing power and shutting off while driving. Mostly reported under about 15,000 miles, sometimes within months of purchase and after the car sat unused for a few days.

    Recall 19V743000Recall 21V2640001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask how often the car is driven and whether the battery has been replaced, and have the charging system and parasitic draw checked before purchase.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I've had repeated problems with the 12v battery in my 2019 Subaru Crosstrek hybrid. The vehicle has some sort of electrical leakage issue that drains the battery after sitting for a few days. When this happens, the vehicle is completely inoperative; car will not start, you cannot even unlock the doors. In 18 months of ownership, the car has stranded me several times. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11408644, filed 2021-04, 7,000 miles

    “For the third time, the battery on this car needs to go back for service - the car is housed in a garage on our property and is turned on every 3-4 days. This morning and twice before the car doesn't start. In the previous 2 times the car was completely dead and I had to jump start it and take it to the dealer where they said they replaced the battery. This morning when trying to start the car, the lights were flashing but the engine did not turn over. The same thing happened with our last Subaru a 2015 Subaru impreza. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11384337, filed 2020-12, 2,000 miles
  4. Steering

    Suspension noise and rear ride height

    Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

    Complaints mention creaking from the struts in city driving and a rear end that sits low when loaded, which owners say points the headlights upward into other drivers' view. A separate group describes a connector in the power steering unit, and owners also report loss of power steering assist along with other electrical symptoms. Reported from a few thousand miles up to about 30,000, often noticed around town or with passengers in the back.

    Recall 21V263000Recall 19V0650001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Listen for creaking over speed bumps and check that the car sits level with weight in back; confirm the rear stabilizer bolt and power-steering recalls were completed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Strut has creaking sound during driving in city traffic. On highway there is hardly any noise and works fine. Dealer suggested strut replacement but not under warranty since it was in accident in that area 6 months ago.”

    NHTSA complaint #11378035, filed 2020-12, 5,500 miles

    “Rear suspension feels weak. The car is always squatting while driving. Headlights shine into other drivers eyes with just my children in the back. (less than 100 lbs)”

    NHTSA complaint #11310720, filed 2020-02, 30,000 miles

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 285 consumer complaints for the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek. 179 of the complaints include a mileage, and 98% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 10,542 miles. Of all complaints, 7 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 5 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns and 538 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 8 Subaru Crosstrek model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 100 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (more complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Forward collision avoidance (4), Suspension (4), Air bags (2), Exterior lighting (2), Lane departure (2), Seats (2), Wheels (2), Engine cooling (1), Interior lighting (1), Seat belts (1), Tires (1).

Example complaints

Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors): “One day in august, I went to my car parked in the garage and noticed a crack coming up from the bottom of the windshield. I have had nothing hit the windshield in several months and never in that area. On 3 separate occasions after that, as I took the car out of the garage, I noticed it lengthening horizontal by about 3 inches each time.”

NHTSA complaint #11374304, filed 2020-11, 19,450 miles

Electrical system: “All elextrical was diabeled, no s drive, no response to key fob, could not take car out of park, check engine light on. Car was workig when parked at store, came out and the car would not start and kept giving me error mesages. The ybrid batter was good and I finally was able to use the hybrid mode to get the car to the dealership.”

NHTSA complaint #11365945, filed 2020-10, 19,100 miles

Other or unknown: “There was a very loud explosion and the glass sunroof exploded while I was driving. The explosion blew the glass outward so for a moment I thought someone had run into me. The dealer's service department showed no concern at all and just gave me a couple of business cards for glass repair companies. Ther was no effort at all to tryto understand what had happened”

NHTSA complaint #11251919, filed 2019-08, 7,300 miles

Engine: “I was driving in traffic to complete stop, as I was accelerating the vehicle stalled. This has happened only once. I have had another incident when I was backing up to park my car in my garage, my back up camera froze while im still in motion then the infotainment reboots.”

NHTSA complaint #11289092, filed 2019-12, 2,500 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

98% of the 179 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 4,300 and 19,000 miles.

47%0–1038%10–2513%25–502%50–750%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (179 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 10,542 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

2019202091202120222023202420252026
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Crosstrek · wagon AWD★★★★★4 / 4554 · 15.6% risk

Driver aids listed by NHTSA for the 2019 model year: forward collision warning optional, lane departure warning optional, automatic emergency braking optional.

Neighbouring years: 2018: same overall rating; 2020: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2019 Subaru Crosstrek version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Crosstrek AWD2.0L 4-cylCVT273329$2,300
Crosstrek AWD2.0L 4-cyl6-speed manual232925$2,700

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

See all 7 recalls for the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 538 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 538 bulletins →

Other model years of the Subaru Crosstrek

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
202611—1—29—Too new
2025468,0000529Too new to compareToo new
202412010,1002529Too new to compareToo new
20233516,500052934 · FewerToo new
20223134,000052915 · FewerRising
20211152,460152993 · MoreStable
2020715,200053064 · TypicalFalling
201928510,5427529100 · MoreFalling
201819518,0005529100 · MoreFalling
20179427,800152950 · TypicalFalling
201613237,62015—49 · TypicalFalling
20151750,0001———Stable
20141660,0001———Stable
20132668,0501——0 · FewerFalling

All Subaru Crosstrek model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek?

Owners of the 2019 Crosstrek most often write in about the windshield: chips and cracks that many say started from a small pebble strike and spread quickly, or appeared while the car was parked. The issues reported most often: Windshield chips and cracks easily; Hesitation and stuttering on acceleration; Battery drains and no-start condition.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek have?

NHTSA recorded 285 consumer complaints for the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek is reported most often?

Visibility is named most often, in 123 complaints (43% of the total), followed by electrical system with 53.

Has the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek been recalled?

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How did the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek 5 out of 5 stars overall. Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

What gas mileage does the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek get?

The EPA rates the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek (Crosstrek AWD, 2.0L 4-cyl) at 29 mpg combined, 27 city and 33 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,300 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek reported?

Among the 179 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 10,542 miles and the middle half falls between 4,300 and 19,000 miles; 98% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.