2021 Subaru WRX: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 13 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 1 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
13
Complaints
1
Recalls
0
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
0
Injuries
0.0
Severity index
Severity index 0.0 - Low. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 6 | 46.2% |
| ENGINE | 5 | 38.5% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 | 15.4% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 15.4% |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 2 | 15.4% |
| SEATS | 1 | 7.7% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 7.7% |
| STEERING | 1 | 7.7% |
The single most-reported system is POWER TRAIN, cited in 6 of 13 complaints (46.2%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 1 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 3.0x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22V522000 | 21/07/2022 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BACK UP LIGHTS:SWITCH | 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. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.