2023 Subaru Crosstrek

Showing the 2023 Crosstrek Base. We haven't verified this trim's engine; 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
25–35 mpgcombined; city 22–36, highway 29–35; every version of this model year; plug-in hybrid versions on gasoline, 90 MPGe on electricity
Five years of fuel
$10,830–$12,990U.S. average; Ohio $9,680–$11,610 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. Plug-in hybrid versions: $9,500, EPA's own estimate for plug-in hybrids: its national gasoline and electricity prices and the share of miles it expects on electricity; not priced for any state
NHTSA overall safety rating
5 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
0none on file
Owner complaints
34filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2023 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 34 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 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
Unknown or other11000
Electrical system6201
Visibility/wiper6000
Engine5100
Forward collision avoidance5101
Service brakes4100
Lane departure3000
Air bags2203
Back over prevention1101
Seat belts1102
Seats1000
Structure1000
4 more parts
Suspension1000
Tires1000
Vehicle speed control1101
Visibility1000

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 no recalls for the 2023 Crosstrek. NHTSA's recall lookup checks a specific VIN.

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 219 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2023 Crosstrek, the latest on Oct 5, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: electrical system (141), equipment (44), engine (36), unknown or other (26), fuel/propulsion system (17).

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 2023 Crosstrek.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Used ones for sale

See used 2023 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: 5–9 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Crosstrek
All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cylAutomatic (AV-S8)Regular Gasoline28 / 33 / 30
Crosstrek
All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cylAutomatic (AV-S8)Regular Gasoline27 / 34 / 29
Crosstrek
All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cylManual 6-spdRegular Gasoline22 / 29 / 25
Crosstrek Hybrid
All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cylAutomatic (variable gear ratios)Regular Gasoline or Electricity
17 miles on electricity, 480 miles in all
36 / 35 / 35 on gasoline
90 MPGe on electricity

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