Owners have filed 12 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the transmission, engine, and wipers and visibility. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2021Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2021 Subaru WRX: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/4
Engine off, key in hand0/1
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/3
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2021's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2021 checks
Worth adding to your 2021 checks
Worth adding to your 2021 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2021 Subaru WRX. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | AWD | 23 mpg |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | AWD | 18 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2021 Subaru WRX, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Engines fail outright in several reports. Symptoms include knocking on deceleration, rising oil temperature, jerking, and stalling, and the cars end up needing a new short block or a full engine replacement. Dealers deny warranty claims on cars with a cold air intake, and some miss engine problems across repeat service visits. Transmissions are also reported binding in gear in traffic. The RPMs surge, the car will not accelerate, and dealers cannot find the cause. Other filings cite service bulletins for a redesigned clutch release bearing and for ECM reprogramming, plus a broken aftermarket shifter.
Power drops and the car stalls while driving, and both reports describe catastrophic failure or warn of it. One report blames oil starvation from improper service and a modified ECM installed before the sale. The engine quits on a busy road, and the car sits at a dealer for over 6 months waiting on warranty repair. The other report cites excessive blow-by that contaminates the MAP sensors and makes the engine run lean or rich, causing power loss and stalling. It also calls the EGR system faulty.
Windshields crack, and the cracks spread fast, sometimes all the way to the outer edge of the glass. One crack starts at the base of the driver's side during defrosting, with the car parked and nothing hitting it. Another grows from a pinhead-size chip that barely left a mark. Both cracks end in a full windshield replacement. Dealers blame rock chips even when the owner reports no impact, and owners worry about the windshield's structural integrity.
Excerpts from complaints WRX owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
Excessive blow by contaminating MAP sensors & creating lean/rich conditions. This causes loss of power, stalling and will lead to catastrophic engine failure. EGR system is faulty
Filed with NHTSA, February 2025
Windshield cracked to the point of requiring repair from pinhead size chip that barely left a mark. The windshield is being replaced but photos are available upon request. The crack quickly spread to the outer edge of the windshield, causing further risk to the structural integrity of the entire windshield. The problem was confirmed by a glass shop as requiring a replacement.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2022
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2021 ranks sixth for owner complaints among 8 WRX years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2021 is the seventh model year of the WRX's fourth generation (2015–2021).
It includes the 2019 update.
What changed for 2019
Recall repairs are free at any Subaru dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
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.
Risk: Inoperative backup lights and an inoperative rearview camera can reduce vehicle visibility and driver awareness, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the backup light switch, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE-22.
Cars shoppers compare with the Subaru WRX, with their own 2021 checklists.
2021 owner complaints, side by side
