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Subaru Impreza Problems by Year

Which Subaru Impreza years have the most owner complaints, what goes wrong, and how many recalls each year has.

2024 Subaru Impreza
Photo: Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0

Owners have filed 1,374 complaints with NHTSA about the Subaru Impreza from 2012 to 2024. Across every year, the most reported problem areas are the lights, wipers and visibility, the air bags and the engine and cooling. The years with the most complaints are 2013, 2012 and 2019.

Years to avoid

The most complaints compared with other Impreza years.

Safer bets

Clearly fewer complaints than a typical Impreza year. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate.

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Complaints by year

Tap a year to see its most reported problems, its recalls and what to check before you buy. Newer years have had less time on the road, so they always look better here. Red marks the worst years, orange years worse than most, and green the better ones.

Every year at a glance

YearVs. other yearsComplaintsRecallsMost reported
2012 ImprezaAmong the worst years2436Air bags
2013 ImprezaAmong the worst years2514Air bags
2014 ImprezaAbout average1083Air bags
2015 ImprezaOne of the better years772Electrical system
2016 ImprezaOne of the better years751Electrical system
2017 ImprezaAbout average1257Lights, wipers and visibility
2018 ImprezaWorse than most years1525Lights, wipers and visibility
2019 ImprezaWorse than most years1945Lights, wipers and visibility
2020 ImprezaAbout average851Lights, wipers and visibility
2021 ImprezaOne of the better years142Driver assist systems
2022 ImprezaToo new to judge141Transmission and drivetrain
2023 ImprezaToo new to judge42Wheels and tires
2024 ImprezaToo new to judge322Lights, wipers and visibility

Subaru Impreza questions

What are the worst Subaru Impreza years?

Compared with its other years, the Impreza years with the most owner complaints to NHTSA are 2012 and 2013. The most reported problem area across all years is the lights, wipers and visibility.

What are the best Subaru Impreza years?

The Impreza years with clearly fewer complaints than a typical year are 2015, 2016 and 2021. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate fairly, since complaints keep coming in as cars age.

What are the most common Subaru Impreza problems?

Across 2012 to 2024, owners report problems with the lights, wipers and visibility, the air bags and the engine and cooling most often. Each model year has its own pattern, so check the year you are looking at.

How many recalls does the Subaru Impreza have?

NHTSA lists 41 recalls across the 2012 to 2024 Impreza, counted per model year. A recall can cover several years.

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Where these numbers come from. Complaints are reports that owners filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), counted from NHTSA’s complaint database as of November 5, 2026. Owners do not have to prove a problem to file one, so a complaint is a report, not a confirmed defect. Models that sell in big numbers get more complaints, and newer model years have had less time on the road, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Recalls come from NHTSA’s recall database and cover every vehicle of that model year, not one particular car. Quotes are trimmed, and anything that looks like a VIN is hidden.