Subaru Crosstrek vs Hyundai Kona: which is more reliable?
The Hyundai Kona is ahead of the Subaru Crosstrek on the federal record, 83/100 against 77/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
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)
Hyundai Kona
- 8 model years scored
- 769 owner complaints on record
- about 23 complaints per year on the road
- 10 recall campaigns, 4 safety-critical
- best year 2018 (93/100) · worst 2024 (74/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Crosstrek against Kona
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
Subaru Crosstrek
- Visibility/Wiper — 263 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 169 complaints
- Electrical System — 134 complaints
Hyundai Kona
- Engine — 396 complaints
- Electrical System — 135 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 133 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Crosstrek's complaints concentrate in Visibility/Wiper, the Kona's in Engine. 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
Subaru Crosstrek: no model year scores below 45; the strongest are 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2025.
Hyundai Kona: no model year scores below 45; the strongest are 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023….
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 Subaru Crosstrek prices at about $32,900 and a Hyundai Kona at about $30,500 — the Hyundai Kona is roughly $2,400 less, and they return 29.0 against 27.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Subaru Crosstrek or the Hyundai Kona more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Hyundai Kona scores 83/100 against the Subaru Crosstrek's 77/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Subaru Crosstrek and Hyundai Kona years should I avoid?
Subaru Crosstrek: no year scores below 45. Hyundai Kona: 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 Subaru Crosstrek and the Hyundai Kona?
The largest complaint group on the Subaru Crosstrek is Visibility/Wiper (263 complaints); on the Hyundai Kona it is Engine (396).
Is the Subaru Crosstrek or the Hyundai Kona cheaper to own?
A recent used Subaru Crosstrek prices at about $32,900 and a Hyundai Kona at about $30,500, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.