2015 Subaru Crosstrek

Showing the 2015 Crosstrek Premium. NHTSA's VIN data shows it with a 2.0 L engine, but that may not be every version of it, so the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
26–31 mpgcombined; city 23–29, highway 30–33; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$10,480–$12,490U.S. average; Ohio $9,360–$11,160 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
5 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
2over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
100filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2015 Crosstrek. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 100 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Crosstrek. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by part of the car
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Power train25000
Unknown or other24101
Electrical system19000
Engine18000
Service brakes10310
Vehicle speed control7201
Air bags5201
Structure5000
Fuel/propulsion system4100
Steering4000
Electronic stability control (ESC)3100
Exterior lighting3000
8 more parts
Wheels2000
Forward collision avoidance1000
Seat belts1000
Seats1000
Suspension1000
Tires1000
Visibility1000
Visibility/wiper1000

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

  1. 2013124
  2. 2014107
  3. 2015100
  4. 2016135
  5. 201794
  6. 2018195
  7. 2019285
  8. 202069
  9. 2021116
  10. 202231
  11. 202334
  12. 2024120
  13. 202544
  14. 20269

Every Crosstrek year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2015 Crosstrek over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.

Exterior lighting: brake lights

NHTSA campaign 19V149000 · reported Feb 28, 2019 · 1,303,530 vehicles potentially affected

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.

Risk: Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.

NHTSA's record and documents

Exterior lighting: brake lights; Forward collision avoidance: crash imminent braking

NHTSA campaign 15V366000 · reported Jun 12, 2015 · 71,710 vehicles potentially affected

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy vehicles manufactured March 10, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Outback vehicles manufactured February 24, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Impreza vehicles manufactured September 9, 2014, to April 14, 2015, XV Crosstrek vehicles manufactured October 16, 2014, to April 15, 2015, and 2016 WRX vehicles manufactured March 23, 2015, and equipped with the Eyesight Driver Assist System. If the switch that activates the brake lights fails, the automatic pre-collision braking component of the driver assist system will not function.

Risk: If the automatic pre-collision braking system does not function as intended, the vehicle will not react to an obstacle in its path, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the driver assist system, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQS-54.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 429 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2015 Crosstrek, the latest on Oct 5, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: electrical system (163), equipment (163), power train (48), engine (35), engine and engine cooling (32).

NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2015 Crosstrek.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Used ones for sale

See used 2015 Subaru Crosstreks for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax

These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.

Specs

EPA class: small sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 6–8 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
XV Crosstrek
All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cylAutomatic (AV-S6)Regular Gasoline26 / 33 / 29
XV Crosstrek
All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cylManual 5-spdRegular Gasoline23 / 30 / 26
XV Crosstrek Hybrid
All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cylAutomatic (AV-S6)Regular Gasoline29 / 33 / 31

Sources and dates

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data