2019 Subaru Wrx problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (7) · Electrical System (7) · Fuel/Propulsion System (2)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Subaru Wrx model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (2)
Exterior Lighting:back Up Lights:switch 2022-07-21 · campaign 22V522000 · 59,934 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2021 WRX vehicles. The backup light switch may corrode and become inoperative, which can result in the backup lights not illuminating and the rearview camera image not displaying when the vehicle is in reverse.
Risk: Inoperative backup lights and an inoperative rearview camera can reduce vehicle visibility and driver awareness, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the backup light switch, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE-22.
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump 2021-07-29 · campaign 21V587000 · 175,968 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.
Service bulletins (371)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-10-05 · SubaruNet Announcement (M · Other
this announcement provides information on a new software update for the midtronics dss and dca machines.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-18 · 13-109-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles.
Electrical System 2026-09-18 · 18-244-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
"this bulletin announces additional troubleshooting steps for the following dtcs: dtc c1956: rh actuator circuit dtc c1957: lh actuator circuit"
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-15 · SubaruNet Announcement (C · Other
this announcement provides an update to all 2027 model year subaru warranty coverages for wear items and adjustments.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-14 · 15-333-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. this is an revised version of the original bulletin.
Electrical System 2026-09-14 · 15-304-22R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of infotainment concerns. this is an revised version of the original bulletin.
Showing the 6 most recent of 371 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-06-22 · Wheels:rim · 45,000 mi“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 i…”
2026-06-04 · Unknown Or Other“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 …”
2026-04-22 · Fuel/Propulsion System“fuel pump cut off intermeeting mager loss off power tech at subaru refuse to repair car has 72000 miles on well manetane …”
2026-02-04 · Suspension“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 ver…”
2026-01-23 · Engine“at 77,000 miles, my vehicle suffered a major failure where the #2 connecting rod and piston were destroyed, requiring a short block replacement. this repair was performed by autonation west subaru in golden, colorado and was covered under the sas gold plan, certified pre-owned 7yr/100,00mi. warranty purchased with the vehicle. according to the tech…”
2025-01-06 · Unknown Or Other“there is what looks to be water spots inside the radio screen causing the radio to malfunction. after reading online this is happening to many cars my same year and the website mentioned a recall for this issue. i have less than 60,000 miles on my car. …”
2024-09-06 · Engine“with 61,700 miles on the car the engine lost a rod bearing going around a sharp corner on and off ramp of interstate highway. if failure had caused block to crack or break it would have put oil down on the highway and would of caused loss of control of the car. from research done online it seems sharp corners cause engine catastrophic failure. car …”
2024-07-10 · Seats“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) t…”
2024-01-10 · Engine · 49,000 mi“the contact owns a 2019 subaru wrx. the contact stated while driving 40 mph, there was an abnormal popping sound detected, and the engine seized. there were no warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who informed the contacts that the repair was not covered under the warranty. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired…”
2023-11-22 · Engine“engine failed while driving causing vehicle to stall…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.