Buyer Research

2019 Subaru WRX — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $19,000–$26,000. There are 2 high-severity known issues you need to know before handing over a check.

Deciding between model years? Compare the 10 Subaru WRX years we've written up →

Kestrel Take

Same 2.0L direct-injection turbo, same six-speed or CVT, same two recalls as the 2018 — this year adds a Series.Gray trim and not much else mechanically. Only 30 complaints reached NHTSA, and not one reports a crash or fire, which is worth saying but is a thin file, not a clean bill. What is in it is concentrated: battery drain and rod-bearing engine failures make up 84% of the record between them, and the fuel pump recall sits underneath. Most engine failures here landed at 60,000–80,000 miles, so a low-mileage car buys time but not immunity. Have a Subaru specialist do a compression and leak-down test, confirm recall 21V587 closed on the VIN, and ask for oil receipts. If all three come back clean, this is a good year of a car that rewards owners who look after it.

What we checked

Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 30 owner complaints for the 2019 Subaru WRX, and 2 recall campaigns.

A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. 47% of them are about one thing — electrics and electronics. That much concentration is a genuine pattern rather than background noise, and it is the first thing to check on any example you look at.

2 recall campaigns cover this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.

Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.

Known Issues for the 2019 Subaru WRX

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.

Rod bearing and piston failure on the FA20DIT, typically between 60,000 and 80,000 milesHigh — wallet impact

Engine is 37% of this year's record, and the reports name the parts: a rod bearing let go on a highway off-ramp at 61,700 miles, a popping noise then a seized engine at 40 mph, and the number two connecting rod and piston destroyed at 77,000 miles, that one covered by a Subaru Gold extended warranty and needing a short block. Owners who were outside warranty were told the repair was on them. There is no warning light before it happens. Before buying: a compression and leak-down test, a cold-start listen for a knock, and a look at the oil for glitter. Ask whether the car carries a Subaru Added Security plan that transfers — it made the difference for one owner here.

Repair cost (estimate): $5,000–$12,000 for a short block or replacement engine — around 53% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (11).

Battery drains in a day or two; random shutdowns and a Starlink head unit that locks upMedium

The largest cluster at 47%, and the word that recurs is battery: the car dies after a day parked, three drains before 20,000 miles, the dealership finds nothing. The WRX ships with a small battery and the dome lights have no timeout, but the pattern here outlasts a new battery, so ask for a parasitic-draw test rather than a jump start. Two owners describe something worse — the car shutting off for a second at speed and restarting on its own, locking the steering wheel until it does, sometimes while CarPlay is running — and one describes the power steering assist dropping out intermittently. The Starlink 7-inch unit freezing, skipping tracks and dropping calls is a known Subaru complaint of this era and a dealer firmware update is the usual answer.

Repair cost (estimate): $200–$400 for a battery; $150–$500 to trace a drain; $0–$1,200 for a head unit update or replacement

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under electrics and electronics (14).

Low-pressure fuel pump fails — stalling at a red light or sputtering at 60 mph (recall)High — wallet impact

Recall 21V587 covers this year's WRX: the Denso low-pressure pump inside the tank can fail, and the engine loses fuel and stalls. One owner here had three pumps in a row, the second failing hours after the dealer fitted it and the third leaving the car dead at a red light; another describes a sputter at 60 mph and a loss of power. A 2026 report says a dealer refused to repair an intermittent cutout at 72,000 miles. Look the VIN up on the NHTSA recall page and get the dealer's completion invoice, then on the test drive hold a steady 60 mph and listen for a stumble.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the fuel system (3); 2 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Cam carrier oil leak around 75,000–90,000 milesMedium

One 2026 owner filed it under both engine and electrical: the cam carriers on the FA20 — the sealed housings that hold the camshafts on each cylinder head — weep and then drip oil at high mileage. It is a well-known FA20 job among Subaru shops because the fix is labour-heavy: the carriers come off and get resealed. On a car with more than 60,000 miles, look under each side of the engine with a flashlight for wet oil on the block below the valve covers and a burning smell after a drive.

Repair cost (estimate): $800–$2,000 to reseal both cam carriers

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (11).

Backup light switch corrodes — reverse lights and camera go dark (recall)Low

Recall 22V522 covers 2015–2021 manual WRXs: the switch on the transmission that senses reverse can corrode, so the reverse lights and rear camera do not come on. The remedy is a free switch. With the engine running, select reverse and confirm both the white lights and the camera image; then check the NHTSA VIN lookup shows the campaign closed.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: 2 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Knock or popping from the engine on a cold start or under load
✗Car that needs a jump to start on the lot, or a brand-new battery with no receipt for a draw test
✗Stumble or sputter holding a steady highway speed
✗Oil weeping from the sides of the engine below the valve covers
✗A tune, an aftermarket intake or an exhaust with the factory parts nowhere in sight

Good Signs

✓Recall 21V587 fuel pump shown replaced on the NHTSA VIN lookup
✓Compression and leak-down test within spec, done in the last month
✓Subaru Added Security extended warranty that transfers to the next owner
✓Oil changes on a 3,000–5,000 mile interval with receipts
✓Starlink firmware updated at a dealer, with the invoice