Reliable Auto DB

2019 Subaru WRX reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 30 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Subaru WRX over 8 years — 3 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most WRX years here — under the median of the other years, which is 5. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Switch and Fuel pump.

2015 Subaru WRX
Photo by Zytonits, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0
Complaints

30

Per year

3

Recalls

2

Years on the road

8

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (14 of 30), then Engine (11) and Fuel and propulsion system (2).

Next to 2018 and 2020

The 2018 WRX has 42 complaints, 6 per year, and the 2020 has 17 complaints, 3 per year. The 2019 has fewer complaints per year than the 2018. The 2019 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2020.

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 2019 Subaru WRX. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall exterior lighting, backup lights, switch 2022-07-21 · NHTSA campaign 22V522000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2021 WRX vehicles. The backup light switch may corrode and become inoperative, which can result in the backup lights not illuminating and the rearview camera image not displaying when the vehicle is in reverse.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the backup light switch, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE-22.
Recall Fuel pump 2021-07-29 · NHTSA campaign 21V587000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Remedy Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.

Complaints by component (30 total)

Electrical system
14
Engine
11
Fuel and propulsion system
2
Powertrain
2
Air bags
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Seats
1
Steering
1
Suspension
1
Visibility
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Wheels
1
Show 4 more Show less
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

1201932020620219202222023320241202552026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2019 Subaru WRX. The contact stated that the driver's-side rear rim spoke was cracked in two pieces. The contact stated that new tires were installed on the vehicle. The contact replaced the tire with…"
    Wheels · filed 2026-06-22
  • "The cam carriers for my vehicle are leaking oil. This is an incredible common, seemingly almost guaranteed, issue with these vehicles from Subaru at the 75-90k mile mark. The carrier are dripping oil, so worse than…"
    Electrical system, Unknown or other, Engine · filed 2026-06-04
  • "fuel pump cut off intermeeting mager loss off power tech at subaru refuse to repair car has 72000 miles on well manetane"
    Electrical system, Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-04-22
  • "I'm driving down the road and unexpectedly the power steering completely goes out and the car is almost impossible to steer. When I shut the car off it usually resets sometimes for only a couple seconds, sometimes…"
    Steering, Suspension, Electrical system · filed 2026-02-04
  • "At 77,000 miles, my vehicle suffered a major failure where the #2 connecting rod and piston were destroyed, requiring a short block replacement. This repair was performed by Autonation West Subaru in Golden, Colorado…"
    Engine · filed 2026-01-23

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2019 Subaru WRX 4 DR AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated

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.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
WRX 2.5L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed All-wheel drive 17 22 19 MPG $4200
WRX 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S8) All-wheel drive 18 24 21 MPG $3800
WRX 2L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed All-wheel drive 21 27 23 MPG $3450

Specs and fitment

VA generation, 2015–2021
Body styles Sedan
Oil 5W-30 synthetic (FA20 turbo) , 5.1 qt capacity
Tire size 245/40R18, 245/35R19 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 22V522000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2021 WRX vehicles. The backup light switch may corrode and become inoperative, which can result in the backup lights not illuminating and the rearview camera image not displaying when the vehicle is in reverse. Inoperative backup lights and an inoperative rearview camera can reduce vehicle visibility and driver awareness, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the backup light switch, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE-22. When NHTSA lists multiple Subaru nameplates in one campaign, the published unit count is shared across them.

Compare

Previous year 2018 Subaru WRX Next year 2020 Subaru WRX See every Subaru WRX model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 Subaru WRX reliable?

Owners have filed 30 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Subaru WRX over 8 years — 3 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most WRX years here — under the median of the other years, which is 5. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Switch and Fuel pump.

What are common problems with a 2019 Subaru WRX?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (14 of 30), then Engine (11) and Fuel and propulsion system (2).

Is the 2019 Subaru WRX more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2018 WRX has 42 complaints, 6 per year, and the 2020 has 17 complaints, 3 per year. The 2019 has fewer complaints per year than the 2018. The 2019 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2020.

Has the 2019 Subaru WRX been recalled?

The 2019 Subaru WRX has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2019 Subaru WRX?

Owners have filed 30 complaints about the 2019 Subaru WRX with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2019 Subaru WRX get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2019 Subaru WRX is 21 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Subaru WRX take?

VA (2015-2021 FA20 turbo) and VB (2022+ FA24 turbo) US models commonly use 5W-30 synthetic (about 5.1 qt VA; about 5.4 qt VB with filter).

Does NHTSA recall 22V522000 cover the Subaru WRX?

It covers certain 2015-2021 WRX vehicles: the backup light switch may corrode and prevent the reverse lamps from illuminating; dealers replace the switch.

What generation is a 2020 Subaru WRX?

VA generation (2015-2021). The VB redesign starts in 2022.