Is the 2020 WRX the Least Reliable Subaru?
Subaru is one of a few auto brands that are renown for reliability. However, not every model of even the most reliable brands can avoid being deemed unreliable. The WRX, one of Subaru’s most favored models, earned the lowest predicted reliability score of all Subarus.
The 2020 WRX is not getting good marks so far. According to the Consumer Reports reliability review, the 2020 Subaru WRX is the most unreliable Subaru of the year. Though the WRX is nothing short of a cult classic, CR reviewed it for longevity. So far, it’s not making the cut. Going by the data collected by CR, the 2020 WRX is the least reliable Subaru.
Predicted reliability ratings
The CR experts have predicted poor reliability for the 2020 Subaru WRX model year. After all of the data they’ve collected for this WRX, CR doesn’t have a lot of good to say in terms of this Subaru’s reliability. However, there are some issues with this data.
The WRX doesn’t have any reliability history on record for the last ten years. Most of CR’s ratings are drawn from data taken over a long period of time. Long term data is not available for the 2020 WRX. We are wondering where the low 2 out of 5 predicted reliability score came from. There is very little reliability information available in the CR reliability review for the 2020 WRX.
Recalls
The presence of an active recall for any vehicle often seems to add insult to injury in terms of poor reliability. However, this is not the case for the 2020 WRX. There aren’t any active recalls on the 2020 WRX, so this can’t be a contributing factor to its poor reliability rating.
2020 Subaru WRX service bulletins
The latest model of the beloved Subaru WRX does, in fact, have a long list of posted Technical Service Bulletins. 65, to be exact. According to Car Complaints, a TBS is an official line of communication enacted between Subaru and its dealerships. These service bulletins explain in detail how to troubleshoot or repair common problems. Each manufacturer is legally required to make their TSBs available to the public. It’s hard to overlook a large total like 65 for TSBs. Is this evidence of an unreliable 2020 Subaru WRX? Maybe.
Owner satisfaction
Back to CR data, owner satisfaction may be another place to look which might give us a clue. Sub par owner satisfaction could definitely be a contributing factor in the scenario. The 2020 WRX scored a 3 out of 5 for owner satisfaction.
While a 3 out of 5 isn’t necessarily horrible, it isn’t good either. CR digs up data by sending out questionnaires to real consumers. The product consumers then submit the info and the data is used to help evaluate each vehicle.
When asked if they would buy another WRX given the chance for a do over, 67% responded with a yes. That means 43% of 2020 WRX consumers would not buy this car again, and that isn’t a good sign. This combined with the long TSB list are adding fuel to the fire where WRX reliability is concerned.
Is the 2020 WRX the least reliable Subaru?
Due to the massive gaps in the CR data for the 2020 (and previous) Subaru WRX models, it’s hard to judge. Going strictly off of the CR reliability rating, the 2020 WRX is surely the most unreliable Subaru in this year’s line up. But when the data is so thin, it’s more difficult to trust.
We aren’t so sure that the 2020 Subaru WRX is actually the least reliable Subaru. But we are sure that this year’s Subaru reliability scores were all very high, so it’s a bit hard to call any of them unreliable. As the model year cruises forward, we will keep an eye out for any developments that may give us a more definitive answer.
