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2019 Subaru Crosstrek
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2019 Subaru Crosstrek — Safety Summary
The 2019 Subaru Crosstrek has 7 NHTSA safety recalls and 284 owner complaints on record. Transport Canada separately lists 7 Canadian recalls for this model. The most frequently reported complaint area is visibility/wiper. It earned an NHTSA overall safety rating of 5 out of 5. Based on this public data we rate its risk profile as high. Enter your VIN above to confirm which of these apply to your exact vehicle, then get the Smart Buyer Report for a buyer analysis of this model's reliability, common issues by mileage, and a pre-purchase inspection checklist.
Should you buy the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek in Canada?
The 2019 Subaru Crosstrek shows a higher level of recall or complaint activity in public data. That is not a reason to rule it out, but it does mean a careful inspection and VIN-specific check are especially worthwhile.
The best next step is to run the exact VIN and, if the car still looks promising, get a Smart Buyer Report for a model-specific reliability read and an inspection checklist before you visit the seller.
What owners complain about most
The complaint categories reported most often for the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek, based on owner reports in the public NHTSA data.
Complaint patterns suggest where to look — they are not proof any specific vehicle has that issue. Treat them as inspection prompts.
What to check before buying a used 2019 Subaru Crosstrek
- Owners report visibility/wiper concerns most often for this model — worth checking during an inspection.
- Owners report unknown or other concerns most often for this model — worth checking during an inspection.
- Owners report electrical system concerns most often for this model — worth checking during an inspection.
- Owners report visibility concerns most often for this model — worth checking during an inspection.
- Confirm any open recall work was completed by running the exact VIN.
Canadian ownership considerations
General things worth checking on a used Crosstrek in the Canadian climate — winter, road salt, and cold-weather wear.
- Check AWD or 4WD operation if equipped — driveline components are costly to repair.
- Road salt drives corrosion on underbody and subframe points; inspect the undercarriage on salt-belt vehicles.
- Verify heater, defroster, and rear demister all work ahead of winter.
- Battery and cold-start reliability are worth confirming for Canadian winters.
Pre-purchase inspection priorities
- Bring a qualified mechanic or book an independent pre-purchase inspection.
- Check the undercarriage for rust and corrosion, especially on salt-belt vehicles.
- Confirm all open recalls have been repaired using the VIN.
- Review maintenance records and look for gaps in servicing.
- Test all winter-critical systems: heater, defroster, battery, and (if equipped) AWD/4WD.
Want a buyer-focused summary for this VIN?
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Unlock the full buyer reportNHTSA Safety Ratings
Government crash test results
NHTSA Recalls
7 recall(s) for this year/model
VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
30/05/2019Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Crosstrek vehicles. The driver's side rear-door window glass may be improperly tempered. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 205, "Glazing Materials."
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's side rear-door window glass, free of charge. The recall began June 11, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUG-92.
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER
31/03/2020Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Crosstrek vehicles with rear seat belt assemblies with a dual-mode locking mechanism. The seat belt webbing sensor locking mechanism may not lock as intended.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace rear seat belt assemblies, free of charge. The began April 15, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRC-20.
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
06/02/2019Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Forester and Crosstrek vehicles. A connector inside the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) unit may short circuit resulting in a loss of electric power steering assistance.
Remedy: None of the affected vehicles have been sold yet. Subaru has notified dealers and they will inspect the steering gearbox, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 7, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUC-88.
SUSPENSION:REAR
15/04/2021Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Subaru Crosstrek, 2019 Crosstrek Hybrid, and 2019 Forester vehicles. The rear stabilizer bracket bolts may loosen and detach.
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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
15/04/2021Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Subaru Impreza and 2018-2019 Crosstrek vehicles. The Engine Control Module (ECM) may continue to power the ignition coil after the engine is shut off, causing a short circuit.
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.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV)
02/12/2019Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Crosstrek, Forester, and Ascent vehicles. The aluminum Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve can separate, allowing the separated components to enter the engine, resulting in a loss of power while driving.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the PCV valve, free of charge. If the PCV valve has separated and the components cannot be found, the short block engine will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began January 31, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUW-08.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
18/10/2019Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Impreza and 2018-2019 Crosstrek vehicles. The Engine Control Module (ECM) may continue to power the ignition coil after the engine is shut off, which could result in a short circuit and blown fuse.
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.
Transport Canada Recalls
7 Canadian recall(s) from the official Transport Canada database
Visual System
2019-05-30Issue: The window glass in the left-rear door may not have been properly tempered. If the glass is broken, it could shatter in to large pieces, instead of very small ones. Safety Risk: Glass that breaks in to large pieces could create a risk of injury. Corrective Actions: Subaru will notify owners by mail and instruct them to take their vehicle to a dealer to replace the window glass in the left-rear door.
Engine
2019-10-17This recall was replaced by Transport Canada Recall No. 2021-228. Issue: On certain vehicles, the engine control unit (ECU) may have been programmed incorrectly. As a result, the internal temperature of the ignition coils may increase. This could cause a short circuit and a blown fuse. This may result in a sudden loss of engine power with an inability to restart. Safety Risk: A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Subaru will notify owners by mail and instruct them to take their vehicle to a dealer to reprogram the ECU and inspect the ignition coils. If ignition coil damage is found, the ignition coil will be replaced. On vehicles with ignition coil damage, if a certain trouble code (DTC) is stored, the front exhaust pipe will also be replaced.
Seats And Restraints
2020-04-01Issue: On certain vehicles, the rear seat belts may be assembled incorrectly. As a result, the seat belts may not properly lock up in certain types of crashes. Safety Risk: A seat belt that does not work properly could increase the risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions: Subaru will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to replace the rear seat belt assemblies
Suspension
2021-04-15Issue: On certain vehicles, the bolts for the rear stabilizer bracket could loosen over time. This may cause a rattling notice from the rear of the vehicle. If you continue to drive with this problem, the bolts could detach. If this happens, vehicle stability could be reduced. Safety Risk: Reduced vehicle stability could cause a loss of control and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Subaru will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to inspect the condition of the bolts on the rear stabilizer bracket, and tighten them, if necessary. If a bolt is missing, the dealer will install a new bolt.
Electrical
2021-04-15Issue: On certain vehicles, the engine control module (ECM) may have been programmed incorrectly. As a result, the internal temperature of the ignition coils may increase. This could cause a short circuit and a blown fuse. This may result in a sudden loss of engine power with an inability to immediately restart. Note: This recall replaces WUQ-02 (Transport Canada recall 2019-526). Vehicles that were repaired under that recall also require this repair. Safety Risk: A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Subaru will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to reprogram the ECM if necessary, and replace the ignition coils. On vehicles with ignition coil damage, if a certain trouble code (DTC) is stored, the front exhaust pipe will also be replaced.
Electrical
2023-02-14Issue: On certain Crosstrek Hybrid models, the harness terminal that supplies low-voltage power from the converter to the 12 V battery could corrode. Over time, the terminal could break and cause the 12 V battery not to charge. If this happens, the vehicle could suddenly lose drive power. Safety Risk: A loss of power may increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Subaru will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the converter terminal mounting bracket. The dealer will also inspect the 12 V output terminals. If there is no corrosion, the dealer will install a protective cap on the terminals. If corrosion is found, the dealer will replace the 12 V output harness and terminals.
Label
2024-08-15Issue: On certain vehicles, the compliance label may be missing information in French. The words listed on the label for "Tires", "Rims", "Front" and "Rear" appear in English only, when they should be listed as "Tires/Pneus", "Rims/Jantes", "Front/Avant" and "Rear/Arriere". Canadian regulations require this information to be listed on the label in both English and French. Safety Risk: These small errors do not affect vehicle safety. Corrective Actions: This is not a recall. Subaru has corrected the compliance label for all new vehicles.
Contains information sourced from Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database, licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Data is provided "as is" from Transport Canada's monthly release and may not reflect real-time updates. Transport Canada does not endorse this service. Always confirm open recalls with the manufacturer or Transport Canada before purchase.
Owner Complaints
284 complaint(s) filed with NHTSA
Top complaint categories:
Want the full picture?
The free data above comes from public NHTSA records. The Smart Buyer Report adds buyer analysis for this exact model — reliability score, common problems by mileage, real maintenance costs in CAD, a pre-purchase inspection checklist, a market value estimate, and Canadian notes on rust, winter, and fuel.
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Data disclaimer:Vehicle history information on CarHistoryReport.ca is compiled from publicly available government sources, primarily the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Reports may not include all incidents, recalls, or issues related to a specific vehicle. Data is provided "as-is" without warranty of completeness or accuracy. Always obtain a professional pre-purchase inspection before buying any used vehicle. CarHistoryReport.ca is not liable for purchasing decisions made based on report contents.