Subaru Crosstrek maintenance costs. Full year-by-year breakdown, common problems, and which years to buy or avoid.
Last verified June 2026
$492
Annual maint.
9/10
Reliability
7%
Major repair risk (5yr)
$1,968
Avg. insurance / yr
Better than segment average
Worse than segment average
// RELIABILITY BY YEAR
Which year Crosstrek should you buy?
Tap any year to see what to expect. Green is safe, red means known issues.
NA
NA
NA
Recommended
Neutral
Avoid
Not Enough Data
N/A
2018 Subaru Crosstrek
Avoid
Complaint volume is more than 2× the model average. At least 10% of complaints involve an injury or death.
First year of 2nd gen. Windshield stress fracture complaints are the defining issue — multiple owners reported spontaneous cracking. Worst complaint year of the generation. Electrical system issues also concentrated here.
5 recalls on record. Affected systems:
Engine And Engine Cooling
Suspension
Electrical System
Service Brakes
// COMMON PROBLEMS
What breaks on the Crosstrek
Top issues ranked by share of total NHTSA complaints.
Visibility/wiper
Common
Years affected: 2018–2019, 2021, 2023–2025
Engine
Moderate
Years affected: 2018–2019, 2021, 2023–2024
Seats, lane departure
Moderate
Years affected: 2018–2019, 2021, 2023–2026
Electrical system
Moderate
Years affected: 2018–2019, 2021, 2023–2025
Steering
Rare
Years affected: 2018–2019, 2021, 2024–2025
Exterior lighting
Rare
Years affected: 2018–2019, 2021, 2024–2025
Wheels
Rare
Years affected: 2018–2019, 2023–2024
Service brakes
Rare
Years affected: 2018–2019, 2021, 2023–2024
Air bags
Rare
Years affected: 2018–2019, 2021, 2023–2025
Suspension
Rare
Years affected: 2018–2019, 2021, 2023–2024
// EXTENDED WARRANTY
Is a Crosstrek extended warranty worth it?
Probably not. The Subaru Crosstrek's 7% major repair probability over 5 years is below the segment average — 93 out of 100 owners won't hit a repair that exceeds the warranty cost. The most reliable years to buy are the 2021. The exception: if you're buying a 2018, 2019, and 2023, check the known issues before deciding.
// NEW VS USED
Buy new or save on a used Crosstrek?
The Crosstrek holds 91% of its value after 3 years — one of the best in its class. That strong resale narrows the used-car savings, but here's the real math.
91%
Value retained · 3 yr
71%
Value retained · 5 yr
60%
Value retained · 7 yr
Better than segment average
Worse than segment average
New Crosstrek
$27,600
MSRP including destination charge for base trim
Used Crosstrek
$21,100
KBB Fair Purchase Price, 2023, national average, good condition, ~36k miles
At $492/year the Crosstrek sits just $26 above the subcompact segment average of $466 — essentially at par on sticker cost. Where it distinguishes itself is frequency: a 13% repair rate versus the segment average of 20% means fewer unscheduled shop visits per year. Combined with a 7% major repair probability (below the 9% class average) and a 9/10 reliability score, it's a strong long-term ownership choice.
How we calculated this. Maintenance costs and reliability scores from RepairPal. Complaints and recalls from NHTSA. Fuel economy from the EPA. Insurance averages from CarEdge. Pricing from KBB. Depreciation from iSeeCars. Full methodology →