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

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.
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| Year | Vs. other years | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Impreza | Among the worst years | 243 | 6 |
| 2013 Impreza | Among the worst years | 251 | 4 |
| 2014 Impreza | About average | 108 | 3 |
| 2015 Impreza | One of the better years | 77 | 2 |
| 2016 Impreza | One of the better years | 75 | 1 |
| 2017 Impreza | About average | 125 | 7 |
| 2018 Impreza | Worse than most years | 152 | 5 |
| 2019 Impreza | Worse than most years | 194 | 5 |
| 2020 Impreza | About average | 85 | 1 |
| 2021 Impreza | One of the better years | 14 | 2 |
| 2022 Impreza | Too new to judge | 14 | 1 |
| 2023 Impreza | Too new to judge | 4 | 2 |
| 2024 Impreza | Too new to judge | 32 | 2 |
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.
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.
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.
NHTSA lists 41 recalls across the 2012 to 2024 Impreza, counted per model year. A recall can cover several years.
These problems are for the model year as a whole. Here is how to find out about the one you are looking at.
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