Owners have filed 194 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Subaru Crosstrek over 9 years — 33 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Crosstrek years here — over the median of the other years, which is 13. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Rear, Electrical system, software, and PCV system.
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33
5
9
The complaints owners file most often name Visibility and wipers (64 of 194), then Electrical system (32) and Engine (32). Those filings include 10 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 1 that reports an injury.
The 2017 Crosstrek has 97 complaints, 11 per year, and the 2019 has 284 complaints, 67 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019.
The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Subaru Crosstrek. How we count. Data as of .
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1
1
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"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…"
"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."
"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…"
"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…"
"Starting at around 75,000 mileage on my 2018 Subaru Crosstrek, a persistent howling noise is heard while driving. This noise comes from the rear of the vehicle and occurs at nearly all driving speeds, measuring at…"
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Subaru Crosstrek SW AWD | 5 stars | 4 stars | 5 stars | 4 stars |
Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.
| Trim | Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Combined | Annual fuel cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crosstrek all-wheel drive | 2L, 4-cyl | Automatic (AV-S7) | All-wheel drive | 27 | 33 | 29 MPG | $2250 |
| Crosstrek all-wheel drive | 2L, 4-cyl | Manual 6-speed | All-wheel drive | 23 | 29 | 25 MPG | $2600 |
NHTSA safety recall 19V404000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that subaru 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.". Improperly tempered glass can shatter into large pieces, increasing the risk of injury. 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. When NHTSA lists multiple Subaru nameplates in one campaign, the published unit count is shared across them.
Owners have filed 194 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Subaru Crosstrek over 9 years — 33 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Crosstrek years here — over the median of the other years, which is 13. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Rear, Electrical system, software, and PCV system.
The complaints owners file most often name Visibility and wipers (64 of 194), then Electrical system (32) and Engine (32). Those filings include 10 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 1 that reports an injury.
The 2017 Crosstrek has 97 complaints, 11 per year, and the 2019 has 284 complaints, 67 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019.
The 2018 Subaru Crosstrek has 5 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.
Owners have filed 194 complaints about the 2018 Subaru Crosstrek with NHTSA.
EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Subaru Crosstrek is 27 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.
Recent US Crosstrek manuals specify 0W-20 synthetic for the FB 2.5L, with temporary 5W-30 only when 0W-20 is unavailable.
2nd generation (2023-on) on this site's Crosstrek record.
Common US sizes include 225/60R17 and 225/55R18 depending on trim.
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