Model Years

2026 Subaru Crosstrek Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 11 owner complaints for the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek (including the hybrid).

2 recalls for this model year tell owners not to drive or to park outside until repaired: Suspension, do not drive (26V-685); Fuel system, park outside (26V-106). Check your VIN below to see whether yours is affected. Every do-not-drive and park-outside recall on 2010 and newer models

Recalled components: suspension, fuel system, and equipment.

Too new to rank against other Crosstrek years

The 2026 Crosstrek has not had three full years of owner complaints yet.

Years to avoid: 2018 and 2019; best years: 2016, 2022, and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.

Every Crosstrek year ranked

3Safety recalls
11Owner complaints
1Complaints citing a crash
0Complaints citing a fire

Opens NHTSA's lookup in a new tab; your VIN goes to NHTSA, not to us. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard, the door jamb and your registration. Safety recall repairs are free at Subaru dealers.

How to check a car for recalls, step by step

Get a vehicle history report from EpicVIN (opens in a new tab): a paid report with the car's title, odometer and salvage records, from an approved NMVTIS data provider. Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you buy. If you typed a full VIN above, the link sends it to EpicVIN and opens its checkout page for that VIN. Check the price before you pay: EpicVIN's $1 trial lasts 3 days, then becomes a monthly subscription until you cancel ($49.99 to $99.99 a month on its pages as of Oct 2, 2026). Disclosure

Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated

Includes the Crosstrek Hybrid. Subaru sold the 2013 to 2015 models as the XV Crosstrek.

3 safety recalls for the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek

Do-not-drive and park-outside recalls first, then newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Suspension

Oct 19, 2026

front · control arm · lower ball joint

The castle nut on the left-front lower control arm ball joint may be improperly fastened, which can lead to the ball joint separating from the lower control arm.

Risk: A ball joint that separates from the lower control arm can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix and full notice

Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and replace the left-front lower control arm ball joint assembly, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 16, 2026. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRI26.

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek and Forester vehicles.

NHTSA listing: CROSSTREK. Subaru campaign WRI26.

Fuel system

Feb 23, 2026

storage · tank assembly · filler pipe and cap

When the fuel tank is near full capacity, an increase in ambient temperature may cause the fuel to expand and spill out of the filler neck due to an insufficient seal on the fuel cap.

Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

The fix and full notice

Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures, and to limit the fuel level to 50% until the remedy is completed. Dealers will replace the fuel filler cap gasket, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 25, 2026. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRD-26. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 16, 2026.

Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek hybrid, and 2025 Forester hybrid vehicles.

NHTSA listing: CROSSTREK HYBRID. Subaru campaign WRD-26.

Equipment

Jul 7, 2026

labels

  • Fails federal standard 110 (tire and rim labeling)
  • NHTSA 26V-436
  • 541,237 vehicles

These vehicles were manufactured with an incorrect Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) on the certification label. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 110, "Tire selection and rims."

Risk: An incorrect GAWR label may lead to an overloaded vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix and full notice

Fix: Subaru will mail a new certification label to owners, free of charge. Owners may also choose to have a dealer install the new label, free of charge. Letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed August 27, 2026. Additional letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRH-26.

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid, 2025-2026 Forester Hybrid, Forester, and 2019-2026 Ascent vehicles.

NHTSA listing: CROSSTREK HYBRID. Subaru campaign WRH-26.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek.

What owners report

Owners have filed 11 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Crosstrek. Below, they are sorted by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.

Subaru Crosstrek recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2026 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2019 Crosstrek drew the most (200).

Owner complaints

2026: 11 complaints

Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Subaru Crosstrek
Model yearComplaints
2013124
2014107
2015100
2016136
201799
2018195
2019288
202071
2021116
202232
202336
2024121
202548
202611

Safety recalls

2026: 3 recalls

Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Subaru Crosstrek
Model yearRecalls
20133
20141
20152
20161
20171
20185
20198
20201
20212
20221
20230
20242
20250
20263

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

Tested versionOverallFrontalSideRollover
SUBARU CROSSTREK HYBRID SW HEV AWD
Rollover risk 16.4%
SUBARU CROSSTREK SW N/A AWD
Rollover risk 16.4%
SUBARU CROSSTREK WILDERNESS SW N/A AWD
Not ratedNot rated

2026 Crosstrek MPG

EPA rates the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek up to 29 mpg combined with a gas engine, and 36 mpg as a hybrid.Every version and fuel cost

Questions

Is the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek safe?

In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.

Is NHTSA investigating the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek?

No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek.

How do I check if my Crosstrek has an open recall?

Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Subaru dealers.

Sources and method

  • NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
  • NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
  • NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
  • NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
  • NHTSA model names covered: CROSSTREK, CROSSTREK HYBRID.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.