2017 Subaru Impreza Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 35,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that the "Check Headlight Assembly" message was displayed, and the front passenger’s side headlight occasionally turned off or on, while attempting to start the vehicle and while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 69,534 miles

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 60,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 4,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

I am filing a safety complaint regarding an Engine Control Module (ECM) failure in my 2017 Subaru Impreza and the handling of a prior recall repair. Dealership records show that a recall repair (WRE21, ignition coil recall) was completed in June 2021. At that time, the dealership documented that the ECM calibration was up to date and…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owned a 2017 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the driveway and turned off, a fire ignited. The neighbor had discovered three vehicles in the driveway were on fire and called the fire department to the scene who extinguished the flames. During the incident, the three-vehicle were…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 54,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 9,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

This is not a safety complaint. However I wish to share this information for your records kindly . Oil usage for 2017 Impreza per 2000 miles : 1.5Quarts (1419ml) ; Odometer approx 32 000 miles ; 5MT; Age 4 years Manufacturer notes this to be normal operating finding.Owner complaint, filed 2021

Loss of power, hesitation, bucking ( jerky) with hints of stalling between 2000 and 3000 RPM in 2nd grear at appropriate speed and momentum . This is a 2017 manual Impreza sport sedan .Owner complaint, filed 2021

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 5,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owned a 2017 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH, she crashed into the rear of another vehicle on the front passenger side of her vehicle. The contact mentioned that the seat belt did retract during the impact. No air bags deployed. The vehicle was towed to IAA by the insurance company. The insurance…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 69,000 miles

I was driving on the freeway and the all the airbags in my vehicle deployed, sides, front and under the steering wheel. I did not have an accident or hit anything in the road. The airbags blocked my view of the road, and the cabin filled with smoke. I was traveling at a freeway speed. I do not know if the issue has been reproduced. I…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 8,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

The brakes on the car rusted out and were making noise. I took it to multiple Subaru dealerships and all of them told me nothing was wrong with my car. After dealing with this issue for 2 years, I finally took it to an independent mechanic who found the rust along with an absurd amount of lubricant on my rotors. He was the first person…Owner complaint, filed 2021

I received a notice from subaru described as a service program wur-03. Therefore it is not a recall like the ecm and pcv valve issues. I was unable to make an appointment since I received the notice so close to the holiday. Unfortunately I was involved in a traffic accident before I was able to get the vehicle in for the service. The…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 28,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle began to hesitate without warning. The contact then stated that while at a stop light, the vehicle stalled upon the depression of the accelerator pedal with the traction control symbol flashing on the instrument panel. The vehicle failed to…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 68,500 miles

The contact owns a 2017 subaru impreza. When starting the vehicle, it idled strangely. There were no warning indicators illuminated during the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer (ocean subaru of fullerton, 1100 euclid st, fullerton, ca 92832), but the failure could not be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 11,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

Premature failure of wheel bearings. Both rear wheel bearings had to be replaced after only 54,192 miles. Technician indicated that replacements were upgraded "sealed" systems. At 73,712 miles the front driver's side wheel bearing was also replaced by the dealer after the same symptoms of excessive noise and poor mileage occurred.…Owner complaint, filed 2025

The clutch release bearing seized while driving preventing the clutch from being depressed. The only way to stop the car was by overpowering the clutch with the brakes and pulling the emergency brake. There is a service information bulletin (NUMBER: 03-82-18) currently for the known defective part. There were no dash lights on at the…Owner complaint, filed 2024

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

1. Any and all airbags failed to deploy. The car is currently parked in my garage and is available for inspection. The insurance company has declared the car a "total loss," and would like to tow it away as soon as possible. 2. The driver had a concussion and whiplash after their forehead hit the steering wheel. 3. No safety inspector…Owner complaint, filed 2025

A crack appeared in the windshield on the driver's side of the car. The car was moving when the crack appeared but was stationary (driveway) when the crack expanded from the driver's side to the passenger side by the next day.Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 14,953 miles

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

Since new, maybe once a month, Cruise control idiot light comes on and flashes until car is turned off. usually no bother but one day it started braking without me and I bought the DUMB base model!!! before extended warranty expires, this august, hopefully dealer will replace wheel speed sensors on rear wheels. not sure if this will fix…Owner complaint, filed 2024

I had purchased a subaru impreza 2017 in june of 2017. Since leaving the parking lot with the car I've experienced all the info entertainment issues. I have a weird engine ticking noise. The vehicle will continue to accelerate. It has never gone out of control. However the 'forward' momentum/ inertia that's created by the engine doesn't…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 1 miles

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

The rear wheel bearing hubs continuously have to be replaced due to failure. I have 110,000 miles and have replaced the same rear wheel bearing 3x since buying the vehicle new. The 1st occured withing the first 30,000 milesOwner complaint, filed 2023

I drive approx. 145 miles a day for work; normal highway driving. I bought my car 2.5 years ago and have just over 96,000 miles on it. In this time span I've had to replace two wheel bearings; 40,000 miles and 96,000 miles. This seems to me to be a high rate of wear on a fairly critical part.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 96,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

On march 22, 2018, my 2017 subaru impreza sport wagon, with approximately 10,000 miles experienced a catastrophic failure of the rear suspension components traveling at 8 miles per hour. I was proceeding through a green light ' making a right. 3/4 of the way thru the turn I felt a violent jarring of my car on the left side and the…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 11,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

The vehicle started to get rust in the trunk around where the rain water slides down the vehicle. I took the vehicle to the subaru dealership where I purchased it and tried to claim the [VIN]'s 3 year anti corrosion warranty to repair the damage but the subaru dealership claimed that subaru of america determined that the rust was caused…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 9,572 miles

2017 subaru impreza. Consumer writes in regards to dealers putting aftrmarket parts on vehicle during repair and removing orignal subaru parts.Owner complaint, filed 2019

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

With steering wheel held straight or turning, in town or highway speeds, wheels will pull left or right as road surface varies causing car to move in lane, putting pressure on the steering wheel to be corrected. It is as if the car wants to steer itself. This is an ongoing issue since leasing the vehicle.Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 3,000 miles