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2023 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness

Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist, all in a shareable PDF

32 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 20, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Buywillitcar.com

Why buy?

Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.

Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.

Score breakdown, by factor

Full methodology →

#106 of 412Among the 2023 models with a matured record, the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness ranks #106, scoring higher than 73% of them. See the 2023 ranking →

Complaint volume95
Severity74
Recall load100
Trend57

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20222026 YTD

How it crashes

NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.

5/5 overall

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating · 2023 Subaru Crosstrek SW AWD

Front crash
Side crash
Rollover

Rollover risk in a single-vehicle crash: 16%

Stability control: StandardForward collision warning: OptionalLane departure warning: Optional

No open NHTSA defect investigations on file.

NHTSA crash-test photo, 2023 Subaru Crosstrek SW AWD

Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k mi

Also reported (mileage varies): Visibility & wipers (7) · Electrical system (5) · Driver assistance (5) · Engine (5)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.

Visibility & wipers

22%

7 complaints · 3 in the last 2 years

Windshield began to crack in the lower right corner (sitting in drivers seat) over a year ago, was replaced and just noticed a crack again recently starting in the sam…

Read the visibility & wipers complaints →

Electrical system

16%

5 complaints · 3 in the last 2 years

Replaced battery 3 times. Believe this car has the parasitic battery issue. Attached on of the bills. Looking for the other 2.

Read the electrical system complaints →

Driver assistance

16%

5 complaints · 4 in the last 2 years

THE BRAKE PEDAL SOME TIME GOES DOWN TO THE FLOOR. I BROUGHT VEHICLE IN SUBARU DEALER FOR CHECK UP. THEY STATED THAT THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER IS DEFECTIVE, NEED TO BE RE…

Read the driver assistance complaints →

Engine

16%

5 complaints · 4 in the last 2 years

Passenger side valve cover gasket and spark plug seal failure.

Read the engine complaints →

Check it against this car’s mileage

Type the odometer reading on the actual car you’re looking at to see which of these problem areas owners tend to report before it, around it, or after it.

miles

Too few owners named a mileage on this model to place issues against an odometer yet.

Read all 32 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 4 crash/fire/injury reports →

Recalls (0)

No recall campaigns on file for this model year.

Questions to ask the seller

Questions worth asking the seller of this Subaru before you buy, drawn from its public record:

  1. Owners of this model report visibility & wipers problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any visibility & wipers symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  2. Owners of this model report electrical system problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any electrical system symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  3. Has this car been in any accident or had any structural, airbag, or flood-related repair? Do you have a clean title and a recent history report (Carfax / AutoCheck)?
  4. How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
  5. Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?

Before you hand over money

Check the VIN for open recalls

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check

Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2023 Subaru CROSSTREK WILDERNESS beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2023? See how every Crosstrek Wilderness model year scores →

Cross-shopping? Compare the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness against another car →

What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

See what owners are saying about other cars →

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only, so always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.