If one of the statements being suggested here is: "New Model cars tend to be recalled more than cars that have been in production for a longer period of time." Then I would agree with that statement statistically. The statement, in my mind, is speaking to the production of a car that is substantially different from a previous model being released to customers for the first time. I'm don't believe that the 2018 Subaru Crosstrek is substantially different from the global platform introduced earlier by Subaru in the 2017 Subaru Impreza. Having said that the new Global Platform is a substantial redesign and the 2017 Subaru Impreza had 5 recalls- recall info from NHTSA. The 2016 (last of the 3rd Generation of cars built between 2011 and 2016- from Wikipedia) Subaru Impreza had 1 recall. In my mind this supports the new model/higher recall idea with the (2017) being more likely to be recalled than the previous model (2016).
I'm not sure how to measure reliability though. If the failures that require recalls are part of the reliability question then I assume reliability of new models is worse than models near the end of their production. I'd prefer to go with Consumer Reports although some of you Subaru Brainiacs probably have better sources. Using this metric then Subarus and other cars considered generally "reliable" might produce a "reliable" car that is a brand new model...even though it has more recalls. I'm in Arizona (just came back from going down 1400 feet into the Bisbee Queen Copper Mine) and don't have my CR report on reliability.
Fascinating. In my minds eye I think of reliability as a subjective feeling I have when one of my kids wants to borrow the car and drive across the country. If I think it is completely reliable if they want to borrow it and I would say yes, so my Crosstrek is fair game to mooching grown up children. If it was my ancient 1968 Fiat 128 I'd say no way because I would consider it highly probable that it would break down/burn up/collapse/ corrode/rust/explode completely away on a long trip. I consider my Crosstrek reliable for the 18,000 miles I have driven it. It hasn't failed...and yet I've taken it in twice for recalls, so maybe it all depends on the differences between the words "recall" and "reliable."
Sorry, stuck in a motel and there's nothing to do at the moment.
I'm not sure how to measure reliability though. If the failures that require recalls are part of the reliability question then I assume reliability of new models is worse than models near the end of their production. I'd prefer to go with Consumer Reports although some of you Subaru Brainiacs probably have better sources. Using this metric then Subarus and other cars considered generally "reliable" might produce a "reliable" car that is a brand new model...even though it has more recalls. I'm in Arizona (just came back from going down 1400 feet into the Bisbee Queen Copper Mine) and don't have my CR report on reliability.
Fascinating. In my minds eye I think of reliability as a subjective feeling I have when one of my kids wants to borrow the car and drive across the country. If I think it is completely reliable if they want to borrow it and I would say yes, so my Crosstrek is fair game to mooching grown up children. If it was my ancient 1968 Fiat 128 I'd say no way because I would consider it highly probable that it would break down/burn up/collapse/ corrode/rust/explode completely away on a long trip. I consider my Crosstrek reliable for the 18,000 miles I have driven it. It hasn't failed...and yet I've taken it in twice for recalls, so maybe it all depends on the differences between the words "recall" and "reliable."
Sorry, stuck in a motel and there's nothing to do at the moment.