The smallest complaint file of the whole range and one free recall — but the manual's shift fork and a seeping cam carrier are the two things to actually inspect.

Subaru's FB boxer does not use a conventional gasket where the camshaft carrier meets the cylinder head; it uses a silicone sealing bead, and over time that seam weeps oil. A mechanic source puts the start of it as early as 40,000 miles, with valve-cover and timing-cover leaks following around 100,000. An owner in this year's file has exactly that: a cam-carrier leak dripping onto a catalytic-converter sensor and making it misbehave. There is no warranty extension for it and no recall, and resealing the seam is engine-out work on the related Subaru models where the corpus has costs. What you are buying is a slow leak, not a sudden failure, so it is worth catching early and monitoring. Get the car on a lift, wipe the seam clean, and look for fresh wetness where the cam carrier meets the head on both banks — and check for oil baked onto the exhaust, which is the smell owners notice first.

Three separate owners in this year's file describe the same thing: after switching off in Park, the key will not come out. The workaround is to turn the ignition to accessory or start the car and switch it back off, sometimes several times, until it releases. A first-generation buyers guide calls this the most frequently reported problem on these cars, notes it has never been the subject of a recall, and warns that it is routinely misdiagnosed as a steering-column fault — a repair that costs upwards of $480 and does not fix it. The actual cause sits in the gear-selector mechanism, and Subaru's own bulletin file confirms it: a design change to the CVT select-lever mechanism, issued for 2016 through 2018 cars, addressing owners 'not being able to remove the key from the ignition switch when the vehicle is in Park.' Test it on the drive: park, switch off, and pull the key out. If it fights you, that is this.

An owner reports wheel bearings failing after 40,000-plus miles and, having researched it, calls it 'a very common issue for this vehicle.' A first-generation buyers guide agrees the failures happen and notes plainly that wheel bearings on the Crosstrek were never recalled. The corpus has an attributed price from a 2019 owner who paid about $750 at an independent shop for the bearing and its integral hub. This is easy to hear before you buy: drive at 40 to 50 mph on a quiet road and sway the car gently left and right — a bearing hum will rise and fall with the load. Separately, some owners in this year's file report a whining or humming traced to the rear wheel backing plates under Subaru service bulletin 05-70-19, which is a different, cheaper fix.

The only recall on the 2017, and 2017 is the last model year in its scope. Recall 19V149, Subaru code WUE-90, covers a brake-light switch that can fail after contaminant exposure. Beyond the brake lights not illuminating, the switch also gates keyless starting and the ability to shift a CVT or automatic out of Park. Dealers replace it free. Confirm it shows closed by VIN — and note that it is a different fault from the stuck-key problem above, which no recall covers.

Subaru's oil-consumption powertrain warranty extension to 8 years/100,000 miles, and the class-action settlement attached to it, cover 2012 through 2015 cars only, and the 2014 to 2015 portion was restricted to manual-transmission cars. Nothing in that programme reaches a 2017. That matters because the lore is loud: a first-generation buyers guide points out that the 2.0-litre FB engine in this car is 'much less prone to this problem than the larger bore FB25', and a second guide scopes the trouble to 2013 cars specifically, saying owners consider you clear from 2014 onward. We also searched every 2016 through 2023 Crosstrek complaint payload for oil-consumption language and found none. Spend your inspection budget on the cam carrier and the gearbox instead.