2018 Subaru Crosstrek Problems and Recalls (194 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2018 Subaru Crosstrek is Glass / wipers / cameras (33% of 194 owner reports). There are 5 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Glass / wipers / cameras — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 194 complaints · 5 recalls

What problems show up on the 2018 Subaru Crosstrek?

64 of 194 filings named Glass / wipers / cameras (33% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Engine (21 reports).

There are 5 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Electrical, Engine, and Suspension. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2017 has 93 reports on file; this year has 194. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 5 campaigns on file below.
  2. Glass / wipers / cameras. Check windshield, wipers and any camera or sensor the listing claims is there.
  3. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  4. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Glass / wipers / cameras. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Glass / wipers / cameras 64 complaints · 33.0% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 10
  • Fires 1
  • Injuries 1
  • Deaths 0
All Subaru Crosstrek years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) appears in 64 of 194 owner complaints (33.0%) in this vehicle snapshot. Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 64 complaints, 33.0% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 64 · 33.0% Engine (ENGINE): 21 complaints, 10.8% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 21 · 10.8% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 19 complaints, 9.8% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 19 · 9.8% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 9 complaints, 4.6% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 crash reports 9 · 4.6% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 9 complaints, 4.6% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 4 crash reports 9 · 4.6% Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING): 5 complaints, 2.6% of reports Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 5 · 2.6% Steering (STEERING): 5 complaints, 2.6% of reports Steering (STEERING) 5 · 2.6% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 5 complaints, 2.6% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 5 · 2.6% Wheels (WHEELS): 4 complaints, 2.1% of reports Wheels (WHEELS) 1 crash reports 4 · 2.1% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 57 complaints, 29.4% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 2 crash reports 1 fire reports 57 · 29.4% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 64 33.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 21 10.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 19 9.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 9 4.6% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 9 4.6% 4 crashes · 0 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 5 2.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 5 2.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 5 2.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Wheels (WHEELS) 4 2.1% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 57 29.4% 2 crashes · 1 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2017; the first recall shown was reported in Nov 2017. 2017-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2018-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2018-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2019-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2019-Q4: 18 owner reports 18 2020-Q1: 13 owner reports 13 2020-Q2: 14 owner reports 14 2020-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2020-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2021-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2021-Q2: 12 owner reports 12 2021-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2021-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2022-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2022-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2022-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2023-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2023-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2023-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2024-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2024-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2025-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2025-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2026-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2026-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jul 2017 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 17V701000 ◆ Recall campaign 17V701000 Recall campaign 19V744000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V744000 Recall campaign 19V743000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V743000 Recall campaign 21V263000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V263000 Recall campaign 21V264000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V264000
  • Campaign 19V744000 was reported 539 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 19V743000 was reported 752 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 21V263000 was reported 1,086 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 21V264000 was reported 1,297 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2017-Q3 Owner reports 1
2017-Q4 Owner reports 1
2018-Q1 Owner reports 3
2018-Q2 Owner reports 8
2018-Q3 Owner reports 10
2018-Q4 Owner reports 2
2019-Q1 Owner reports 4
2019-Q2 Owner reports 2
2019-Q3 Owner reports 5
2019-Q4 Owner reports 18
2020-Q1 Owner reports 13
2020-Q2 Owner reports 14
2020-Q3 Owner reports 7
2020-Q4 Owner reports 10
2021-Q1 Owner reports 11
2021-Q2 Owner reports 12
2021-Q3 Owner reports 4
2021-Q4 Owner reports 7
2022-Q1 Owner reports 4
2022-Q2 Owner reports 2
2022-Q3 Owner reports 8
2022-Q4 Owner reports 4
2023-Q1 Owner reports 6
2023-Q2 Owner reports 2
2023-Q3 Owner reports 4
2023-Q4 Owner reports 5
2024-Q1 Owner reports 6
2024-Q2 Owner reports 2
2024-Q3 Owner reports 4
2025-Q1 Owner reports 3
2025-Q2 Owner reports 1
2025-Q3 Owner reports 1
2025-Q4 Owner reports 2
2026-Q1 Owner reports 6
2026-Q2 Owner reports 1
2026-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 17V701000
Recall campaign 1 19V744000
Recall campaign 1 19V743000
Recall campaign 1 21V263000
Recall campaign 1 21V264000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (5)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Electrical, Engine, and Suspension.

  1. Recall campaign 17V701000

    Safety recall 17V701000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    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.
    Remedy:
    Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the floor mat retention bracket and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 14, 2017. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTR-77.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 19V743000

    Electrical

    Report date
    Component:
    Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    If a short circuit occurs while driving, the vehicle may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will update the ECM software and inspect and replace the ignition coil, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, on vehicles with confirmed ignition coil damage and a certain stored diagnostic trouble code (DTC), Subaru will replace the front exhaust pipe, free of charge. The recall began December 4, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUQ-02.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 19V744000

    Engine

    Report date
    Component:
    Engine (ENGINE)
    Consequence:
    An unexpected loss of power while driving can increase the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the PCV valve, free of charge. If the PCV valve has separated and the components cannot be found, the engine will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began December 2, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUP-01.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 21V263000

    Suspension

    Report date
    Component:
    Suspension (SUSPENSION)
    Consequence:
    Missing bolts may allow the rear stabilizer bracket to shift, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will retorque and replace any missing bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 17, 2021. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRD-21.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 21V264000

    Electrical

    Report date
    Component:
    Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    A short circuit in the ignition coils may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will update the ECM software, replace the ignition coils and, if necessary, the front exhaust pipe, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning June 1, 2021. Owners can contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE-21. Note: This recall includes all vehicles previously repaired under Recall 19V743.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 4 of 194 complaints · page 1 of 8
2026-07-07Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11748847
CrashFireInjuryDeath
On 06/26/26, while traveling at highway speeds, the vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic loss of motive power in active traffic due to a blown out/melted Cylinder 4 ignition coil. This unexpected engine failure forced raw fuel into the exhaust system, causing an immediate internal thermal meltdown of the catalytic converter, rendering the vehicle entirely undriveable and creating a severe highway safety hazard. This vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign 21V264000 (Subaru Recall WRE-21), which was intended to permanently remedy an ECM software defect that over-energizes and melts the ignition coils. Subaru of America (Case # 260630-2101598) is denying coverage, claiming that because the recall was executed 90,000 miles/5 years ago, and because the current software Calibration ID (CID) matches their post-recall database, the thermal melting is standard "wear and tear." I am filing this complaint because a safety recall remedy must be permanent and effective. The physical evidence, a melted plastic coil housing with a hole blown through it, is an engineering impossibility under normal wear and tear and proves that the original software patch failed to permanently mitigate the high-voltage overloading defect. Over a 5-year period of gradual thermal degradation, the defect reoccurred, creating the exact highway hazard the recall was mandated to prevent. I request a federal investigation into the long-term efficacy and failure rates of the WRE-21 software reflash.
2026-04-25Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11733779
CrashFireInjuryDeath
2018 Subaru Crosstrek rapidly accelerated unexpectedly while pulling into a parking space with the foot on the brake. Hit a concrete pole and sustained vehicle damage and injuries.
2026-03-20Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11725821
CrashFireInjuryDeath
3/3!2026 while driving heat stop working. Called Milea Saburu spoke to Christian made an appointment for 3/5/2026 they had nothing sooner. Told her what happened. Brought in they gave me loaner 12 days later on 3/18/2026 pick up car. Paid bill they told me everything done no problems. I would get my 250 dollars for the car back in 30 days. Even though they said it was a hold it went through. I live 15 minutes from home. I got in the car heat was blasting turned it off and waited turned it on it worked. Pick up time 4 pm. Drove home parked next day 3/19/2026 turned on car made a tapping nouse after five minutes went away call dealer left message on Andrew manager answering service. Car parked at work 8 15 am to 3 40 pm. Drove home got home at 3 50 am turned off heat heart rushing water like down a creak. Turned off car looked in the front some liquid gushing out car smelled like it was burning. Put paper under car with rock to see color of fluid it was blue new it was coolant call dealer againt went to voice mail manager Andrew hung up went to dealer. Arrived at 4 40 pm Chris service Advisor check said was not save to drive burning smell still there got another loaner another 200 dollar on top of the 250. Called saburu customer advocacy this morning spoke to Latoya 11 15 am 3/20/2026 case number XXX-XXX waiting for someone to call me by Tuesday. I requested a 3 year gold plus warranty as a goodwill gesture to restore my confidence in the vehicle and protect my engine integrity. I am deeply concerned that the gushing coolent damaged the internal engines seals or may have been compromised due to the heat, the hoses or gadgets now or over time. I have puctures and documents that the system won't allow download. If the car continues to have reoccurring issues due to this complete repair failure. I am asking them to replace my 2018 saburu crosstrex that has only 52, 315 miles with an equal value car without issues. My car is 10 years old low mileage. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AC
2026-03-11Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11723589
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Dangerous stall in traffic due to ignition coil failure. Ignition coils and spark plugs were replaced during the WRE21 recall campaign only 13k miles ago back in 2021. Stopped at red light awaiting to turn left when the vehicle started shaking violently. No check engine light came on though. When the light turned green, the vehicle was barely able to move forward then it completely stalled before pulling over to the curb. Since the tail of the car was sticking out into traffic a bit, it was a downright dangerous situation. Car had to be towed to dealership and took them 5 days to diagnose and fix the problem. Ignition coil and spark plug replacements costed $1500. Don't think the recall fixed the root problem and this could potentially happen again.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2018 Subaru Crosstrek?

Owners named Glass / wipers / cameras most often — 64 of 194 reports (33%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2018 Subaru Crosstrek?

NHTSA lists 5 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Electrical, Engine, and Suspension. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check windshield, wipers and any camera or sensor the listing claims is there. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources