Subaru Impreza Complaints

2,698 consumer complaints on file.

#11682604August 23, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The fan controls in the center of the dash failed. Fan speed 1&2 work, but 3&4 do not. After pulling the center dash controls out, I found that the plug connecting the fan speed controls to the wiring harness was burnt. This is a concern cause it could have burned other components or caused a fire.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682621August 23, 2025
POWER TRAIN
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. Concern is that high resistance in the failing bearings creates a lot of heat and could eventually cause catastrophic failure. In 40+ years of driving and owning cars with mileage accruals up to 229,000, this is the only one that ever required a wheel bearing replacement. This, and the technician's reference to upgraded bearings makes me believe that this is a manufacturing defect that should have been covered by a recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681924August 20, 2025
STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that upon approaching the vehicle, excessive corrosion on the driver’s side rocker panel was observed. The contact inspected the passenger’s side rocker panel and found excessive corrosion. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the frame needed to be cut, and the rocker panel needed to be refabricated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 48,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682011August 20, 2025
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
Since new, the image/reflection of the driver side rear view mirror shakes and unsteady at speed. The passenger side rear view mirror is rock steady and stable with a clear image/reflection. This creates a safety issue because the image I see in the mirror is distorted. This is an ongoing issue. It always happens during every drive.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679319August 8, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I own a 2024 Subaru Impreza purchased new 7 months ago. While driving under normal conditions, a small rock entered through the factory grille and struck the air conditioning condenser. The condenser was punctured, causing refrigerant (likely R-1234yf) to escape directly into the atmosphere. This refrigerant is regulated under the U.S. EPA Clean Air Act, Section 608, due to its environmental impact and potential health risks when inhaled. The sudden, uncontrolled release of refrigerant from a poorly protected component may constitute a violation of federal environmental regulations regarding the proper containment and handling of refrigerants. This leak also poses a health and safety risk to occupants, as the refrigerant can enter the ventilation system and be inhaled by the driver and passengers, potentially causing dizziness or other symptoms. The repair facility quoted over $2,000 for replacement of a condenser that retails for approximately $300. Subaru refused warranty coverage, claiming “road debris” damage. However, the condenser’s exposed position directly behind an inadequately protected grille makes it highly vulnerable to impact from small rocks under normal driving conditions — a foreseeable and preventable hazard. This is not an isolated incident. Multiple Subaru owners have reported similar issues Subaru has previously acknowledged condenser vulnerabilities in other contexts, issuing Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs 15-222-18 and 15-223-18R) addressing condenser assembly issues and Service Program WRB-21 for condenser corrosion in 2017–2018 Foresters. These actions demonstrate that Subaru is aware of condenser weaknesses and has taken corrective measures in the past. Given the safety risks, potential EPA refrigerant handling violations, and recurring nature of this issue across multiple Subaru models and years, I request that NHTSA investigate the grille/condenser design in the 2024 Impreza constitutes a safety defect and regulation failure
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678597August 5, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
After reading forums online and my own experience I’m convinced the Subaru sun visors are improperly installed or fitted and pose a danger to drivers and those on the road. The sun visors on the driver and passenger side are incredibly loose and prone to falling off while I’m driving. I cannot use it to deflect sun because it will fall off while I’m driving - creating incredibly dangerous driving conditions. It has fallen in my lap but I’m afraid it might fall down to where the pedals are and cause further issues. This has been an issue since I purchased the vehicle in 2019 and happens almost weekly It doesn’t appear that Subaru sells the parts separately so replacing it would be costly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678119August 3, 2025
TIRES
Yokohama Avid (front x2) 4UT76EX1623 and (rear x2) 4UT7EX1723 225/40R18 while the Passenger Front (4UT76EX1623) tire completely blew out the sidewall after third party inspection all 4 tires on my New 2024 Subaru Impreza are failing per the tire technician "after inspection it appears that all four tires show significant premature tire wear on the vehicle". Alignment preformed April 10, 2025 by DCH Subaru of Riverside and again alignment and suspension were checked the day after blowout of tire on July 28,2025 by American Tire Depot " no issue found with the vehicles suspension and alignment is within specs at this time". I was driving on a mountain road approximately 25 MPH when blowout occurred. Significant POP sound heard and vehicle TPS system immediately alerted us that the tire pressure dropped to 0. Tires had been maintaining tire pressure well before the incident. The "significant premature tire wear" is indicated by a noticeable crack that appears around the sidewall of all four tires as well as the steel cord showing significantly along the inner wall of the tire that blew out. This was only visible after removing the flat tire to apply the spare.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11677928August 2, 2025
TIRES
Front driver side tire sidewall bubbled at 7900 miles on a 2024 Subaru Impreza on June 22nd. They are the original equipment tires: Yokohama Advan S34P P225/40R18 88V. A sidewall bubble is a sign of a structural failure and indicates the tire will eventually blow out. This can lead to loss of control as well as sending debris towards other road users. No warnings or tire pressure changes occurred. There was no impact, only normal highway driving prior to the damage. The damage was not present prior to 300 mile road trip, but was present upon arrival at our destination. The problem was immediately reported to Capitaland Subaru who the vehicle is leased from. Initially they refused to let me bring it in. Eventually they did get me an appointment for June 30th, and they allegedly inspected the tire at that time. They told me to keep driving on it until the warranty replacement was approved. A warranty case was never opened by the dealer. 17 days later, I received a call from the dealer saying I must open the case with Yokohama myself. The vehicle comes with a sealed kit of owner's documents and booklets including tire warranty information, but it contains Goodyear and Bridgestone warranty info and not Yokohama, which is the OEM tire on Subaru Imprezas. I had no info on my warranty nor a guide on how to submit such a claim. After searching online, I did so and gave the case number to the dealer, but I have not gotten any notification since. It has been well over a month and I've logged over 1300 miles on the damaged tire. The car now has significant vibration coming through the steering wheel as of 7/30/25. Dealer was supposed to provide a loaner but did not. The manager has made no attempt to address the issue. A complaint has been filed with Subaru corporate as well.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11677920August 1, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
My vehicle’s windshield developed an approximately 4-inch crack starting at the base of the glass without any impact point. There is no visible sign of damage or debris strike anywhere near the crack. The crack appeared suddenly and has since extended across the entire height of the windshield. Because the crack originated without any impact, it appears to be a defect in the windshield itself.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11677019July 29, 2025
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated while attempting to secure the front driver’s side seat belt, the locking mechanism failed to immediately lock. The contact stated that several attempts were needed before the seat belt locked as needed. The driver was also unable to immediately unlock the seat belt buckle from the locking mechanism. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 62,000. The VIN was not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11675308July 22, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
TPMS safety system failure. Vehicle display of tire pressure readings on the dash has changed from displaying tire pressures for each tire to no pressures displayed (pressures are blank; on the Subaru App which also accesses this data, all tires show red/abnormal with dashes displayed) for several weeks now and TPMS error warning light remains illuminated on dash. Manufacturer has suggested I take car to dealer to diagnose at my upfront cost for their defect as the vehicle is out of warranty. A friend with the same car has experienced the same problem, replaced all TPMS sensors at their expense, still having this same problem despite the attempted fix. This safety defect is not being adequately addressed by the manufacturer despite contacting the advocacy department and corporate executive.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11675427July 22, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Unnecessary braking in two instances. One happened when Subarus Eyesight system mis identified a road reflector. At least that is what I saw. It happened on a 40 mile an hour highway in a curve with moderate traffic. No one directly behind me. The car had a sudden deceleration and warning. The second time came when approaching freeway speeds on an on ramp. At heavy acceleration approaching 50 miles per hour the car violently slammed on the brakes. A shadow from a tall fir tree crossed the on ramp. Again no one was behind me. It can't be good for my new car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669766June 27, 2025
AIR BAGS
My vehicle contains faulty airbags that can launch shrapnel at the passenger if it goes off, this is a common recall for many vehicles. This airbag system can put everyone in the car at risk if it ever triggers. Subaru has refused multiple times to fix this recall because the vehicle was originally Canadian and the VIN number is not in the US branches data base. Over the past 2 years I have made efforts to both Canadian and American corporate branches as well as multiple dealerships. At the end of the day the duty to transfer the VIN between databases falls on the dealers efforts to reach out and the corporate branches cooperation—neither of which are happening. The vehicle is fully and legally imported, registered in California, stock, and has passed smog very recently.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11668965June 24, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Front wheels locked up while doing 75 miles an hour. Per shop the transmission locked up. There were no signs of transmission failure car ran perfectly fine and had been serviced and new tires 7 days before. This could have caused a very serious accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666058June 10, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
head on collision/hit the side of another car head, 2024 subaru impreza was smoking before vehicle stopped moving after impact (was slung in the opposite direction), not even five minutes after exiting vehicle it caught flames starting a the front of the engine that spread to the hood
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665374June 6, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
On [XXX], my 2022 Subaru Impreza caught fire in Lincolnwood, IL. My sister in-law and nephew escaped the vehicle just before it was consumed by the fire. The Lincolnwood Fire Department Fire Inspector said the fire was caused by a defected car battery. The car was declared a total loss. Subaru America only offered $2,000.00 credit towards the purchase of a new Subaru. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11663580May 29, 2025
ENGINE
White smoke mechanic claims oil mixed with the antifreeze. And stated that the engine needed to be replaced.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11663693May 29, 2025
ENGINE
Engine oil leak. An engine oil leak could potentially cause a fire hazard by igniting when leaking into hot components. It could cause engine damage due to inadequate lubrication leading to overheating and severe engine damage. The leak can contaminate the environment including soil and water, and it can create slippery surfaces which would be a risk to people walking in the area with leaked oil. I took my vehicle to a Subaru dealership for service, and they indicated that it was leaking oil everywhere. I looked it up and found numerous reports in online forums of others having the exact same issue. I was quoted over $5000 to repair and forums also indicate that others have been quoted multiple thousands of dollars to repair as well. I have noticed that the vehicle would always give me a low oil light approximately 3000 miles after an oil change, so I would top it off. It has been doing this since I originally purchased the vehicle with approximately 16000 miles. I took it to a Subaru dealership back then and was told by the service providers that it's normal for engines under 60,000 miles to consume more oil and dismissed it. Now it no longer falls under warranty and am expected to pony up $5000 to fix it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11663055May 27, 2025
ENGINE
I was driving in my car had lost of power n started to make a noise n ALLL that so eather valve spring broke then messed up rod bearings n now to the point I can't drive my vehicle is like to know what to do next
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11662436May 21, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Unknown
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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