2019 Subaru WRX Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2019 Subaru WRX, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical1437.8%
- Engine1129.7%
- Fuel system38.1%
- Powertrain (other)25.4%
- Visibility25.4%
- Other / unspecified12.7%
- Interior & seats12.7%
- Airbags12.7%
- Steering12.7%
- Suspension12.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 seeping, but not pouring. This runs the risk of the engine bleeding oil fast and running dry without checking oil levels every week or so and carrying extra emergency oil. This is a huge safety risk and given the proliferation of this issue across subaru vehicles and the CVT it needs to be addressed by SOA. There are no warning lights for this issue and this would not have been caught if I hadn't gone to the dealership for a general car inspection as I suspected something may be wrong. The problem has been reproduced at other shops/dealerships and is a very common almost guaranteed issue with these vehicles.
fuel pump cut off intermeeting mager loss off power tech at subaru refuse to repair car has 72000 miles on well manetane
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 seeping, but not pouring. This runs the risk of the engine bleeding oil fast and running dry without checking oil levels every week or so and carrying extra emergency oil. This is a huge safety risk and given the proliferation of this issue across subaru vehicles and the CVT it needs to be addressed by SOA. There are no warning lights for this issue and this would not have been caught if I hadn't gone to the dealership for a general car inspection as I suspected something may be wrong. The problem has been reproduced at other shops/dealerships and is a very common almost guaranteed issue with these vehicles.
fuel pump cut off intermeeting mager loss off power tech at subaru refuse to repair car has 72000 miles on well manetane
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
fuel pump cut off intermeeting mager loss off power tech at subaru refuse to repair car has 72000 miles on well manetane
I've had two fuel pumps replaced under warranty after the 2nd fuel pump failed hours after the Subaru dealership installed it. They installed the 3rd which worked until a week ago when my car stalled at a red light. The car would not start back up and it has since been diagnosed as a fuel issue.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
UNKNOWN - Car will occasionally not shift into 2nd gear, and will be able to engage every other gear other than second.
VERY SIMILAR ISSUES DESCRIBED IN PREVIOUS ENGINE FAILURES REPORTED. NEW CAR, OFF THE SHOWROOM FLOOR, SERVICED ON FREQUENT. THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOUD CLUNKY NOISE AND COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. 7 WEEKS LATER STILL AT SUBARU AND DEALERSHIP NOT ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE ISSUE BUT NOT STARTED TO SAY IT WAS DRIVER FAULT?
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 SUBARU WRX. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED AT THE TOP WITHOUT IMPACT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SUBARU OF WICHITA (11610 E KELLOGG DR N, WICHITA, KS 67207; (316) 264-7777) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A STONE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100.
SMALL GLASS CHIP DEFECT OCCURRED IN THE CENTER OF THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD. THIS OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND SITTING IN A PARKING LOT. THIS VEHICLE WAS ISOLATED IN THE PARKING LOT AND DID NOT HAVE ANY OTHER VEHICLES NEAR IT. IT IS UNKNOWN WHETHER THE WINDSHIELD TEMPER OR COMPOSITION MAY BE DEFECTIVE AND EASILY PROPOGATED A DEFECT ON THE WAY TO THE PARKING LOT. THE WAY THE WINDSHIELD CHIPPED/DEVELOPED THE SMALL CRACK WOULD HAVE HAD TO OCCUR WITH EASE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS BRAND NEW (350 MILES) AND HAD NO INTERACTIONS WITH FLYING DEBRIS ESPECIALLY WITH THE SHORTER DRIVE. THE CHIP/SMALL CRACK WAS SMALL ENOUGH TO BE REPAIRED BUT STILL IS VISIBLE INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY EPOXIED THE SMALL CHIP TO MITIGATE MORE POTENTIAL CRACKING. DUE THE AFOREMENTIONED CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS APPEARS TO HAVE THE SAME OCCURRING INCIDENTS HAPPENING ACROSS ALL AFFECTED SUBARU MODELS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 the spare. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where the rim was replaced. The dealer indicated that the owner had damaged the rim. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
Mid-Drive the Airbag (SRS) light came on indicating here was a fault in the system. After some diagnostic testing it was determined that there was a fault in the Occupant detection system causing the vehicle to not activate the airbag regardless of the fact that someone was sitting in the seat. The issue was present in same type of seats (heated) that were previously recalled shortly before this vehicle was produced.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
Mid-Drive the Airbag (SRS) light came on indicating here was a fault in the system. After some diagnostic testing it was determined that there was a fault in the Occupant detection system causing the vehicle to not activate the airbag regardless of the fact that someone was sitting in the seat. The issue was present in same type of seats (heated) that were previously recalled shortly before this vehicle was produced.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 longer before the power steering fails again. It has happened in the middle of multiple turns, highways driving, city driving and is very dangerous. If you look online it is a very common issue amongst other Subaru models with the same steering system, as well as the wrx but not for my year. If you look online you will see multiple people complaining about it. Messaged Subaru and they said they weren't concerned with the safety issue, they were only concerned about it not being covered under warranty anymore. I did take it to a Subaru dealership and they even said it was very common and didn't even really look at the car to diagnose and its around 3000 to repair. This is going to cause an accident at some point if not in my car someone else's. It doesn't matter either what speeds you are going if it happens. It has happened multiple different days so I'm only putting today in since it happened today as well.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 longer before the power steering fails again. It has happened in the middle of multiple turns, highways driving, city driving and is very dangerous. If you look online it is a very common issue amongst other Subaru models with the same steering system, as well as the wrx but not for my year. If you look online you will see multiple people complaining about it. Messaged Subaru and they said they weren't concerned with the safety issue, they were only concerned about it not being covered under warranty anymore. I did take it to a Subaru dealership and they even said it was very common and didn't even really look at the car to diagnose and its around 3000 to repair. This is going to cause an accident at some point if not in my car someone else's. It doesn't matter either what speeds you are going if it happens. It has happened multiple different days so I'm only putting today in since it happened today as well.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .