Honda HR-V vs Subaru Crosstrek: which is more reliable?
The Subaru Crosstrek is ahead of the Honda HR-V on the federal record, 77/100 against 70/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Honda HR-V
- 10 model years scored
- 1,810 owner complaints on record
- about 46 complaints per year on the road
- 32 recall campaigns, 21 safety-critical
- best year 2017 (92/100) · worst 2023 (37/100)
Subaru Crosstrek
- 6 model years scored
- 800 owner complaints on record
- about 25 complaints per year on the road
- 14 recall campaigns, 8 safety-critical
- best year 2020 (93/100) · worst 2019 (51/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: HR-V against Crosstrek
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Honda HR-V
- Unknown Or Other — 399 complaints
- Visibility/Wiper — 333 complaints
- Electrical System — 304 complaints
Subaru Crosstrek
- Visibility/Wiper — 263 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 169 complaints
- Electrical System — 134 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the HR-V's complaints concentrate in Unknown Or Other, the Crosstrek's in Visibility/Wiper. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Honda HR-V — avoid: 2023, 2024.
Subaru Crosstrek: no model year scores below 45; the strongest are 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2025.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Honda HR-V prices at about $30,500 and a Subaru Crosstrek at about $32,900 — the Honda HR-V is roughly $2,400 less, and they return 27.0 against 29.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Honda HR-V or the Subaru Crosstrek more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Subaru Crosstrek scores 77/100 against the Honda HR-V's 70/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Honda HR-V and Subaru Crosstrek years should I avoid?
Honda HR-V: 2023, 2024. Subaru Crosstrek: no year scores below 45. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Honda HR-V and the Subaru Crosstrek?
The largest complaint group on the Honda HR-V is Unknown Or Other (399 complaints); on the Subaru Crosstrek it is Visibility/Wiper (263).
Is the Honda HR-V or the Subaru Crosstrek cheaper to own?
A recent used Honda HR-V prices at about $30,500 and a Subaru Crosstrek at about $32,900, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.