What breaks most · 1990 to 2019 model years
Subaru Impreza problems by year
Owners have filed 1,623 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Subaru Impreza across model years 1990 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2002 for fuel system complaints, 2012 for air bags complaints and 2008 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 1990, 1994 and 2001.
- Years to check closely: 2002, 2012, 2008
- Fewest complaints: 1990, 1994, 2001
- Complaints on file
- 16231990 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 2002284 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 14624 fires · 116 injuries · 2 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 46kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 167Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Exterior lighting (1) | |
| 33 | 9 | 3 | Visibility (13) | |
| 8 | 1 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (3) | |
| 46 | 11 | 4 | Air bags (20) | |
| 20 | 4 | 3 | Air bags (5) | |
| 30 | 6 | 3 | Air bags (6) | |
| 30 | 1 | 3 | Suspension (11) | |
| 22 | 2 | 4 | Suspension (6) | |
| 41 | 6 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (10) | |
| 11 | 5 | 3 | Tires (3) | |
| 284 | 10 | 6 | Fuel system (88) | |
| 57 | 8 | 6 | Brakes (hydraulic) (13) | |
| 85 | 7 | 8 | Fuel system (20) | |
| 66 | 9 | 6 | Suspension (13) | |
| 49 | 3 | 10 | Air bags (18) | |
| 63 | 6 | 9 | Air bags (25) | |
| 166 | 8 | 15 | Powertrain and transmission (57) | |
| 81 | 1 | 15 | Powertrain and transmission (25) | |
| 34 | 3 | 15 | Air bags (6) | |
| 48 | 5 | 14 | Air bags (17) | |
| 171 | 9 | 6 | Air bags (89) | |
| 127 | 8 | 4 | Air bags (46) | |
| 46 | 11 | 3 | Air bags (16) | |
| 30 | 4 | 2 | Unknown or other (5) | |
| 23 | 4 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (5) | |
| 36 | 4 | 7 | Electrical system (13) | |
| 13 | 1 | 5 | Wipers and visibility (3) | |
| 3 | 0 | 5 | Air bags (1) |
What fails on the 2002 Subaru Impreza
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 31% |
88 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2002 Subaru Impreza |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 20% |
56 | 6 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2002 Subaru Impreza |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 16% |
45 | 1 | Shop suspension parts for the 2002 Subaru Impreza |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 8% |
24 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 7% |
21 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2002 Subaru Impreza |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 7% |
19 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2002 Subaru Impreza |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 6% |
17 | 1 | Shop visibility parts for the 2002 Subaru Impreza |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 2% |
7 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 2002 Subaru Impreza |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
During cold temperatures there is a gas leak. Car is an impreza outback sport. There is a recall for wrx for the same problem but not my car.
-
The impreza consumes a lot of oil. Between 800-1200 miles im having to top it off. I have been having issues with it shutting off immediately after starting it in my driveway. I have had it in the shop several times with no ideas. No lights turn on to figure out what's going on. It's throwing no code either.
-
We had a new clutch installed and the brake pedal and clutch pedal now move together. Simultaneously this not only is a safety issue but has potential to cause premature clutch and brake failure.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Subaru Impreza years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2002, 2012, 2008 carry the most filings on the Subaru Impreza. The 2002 alone has 284 complaints, led by fuel system.
What is the most common Subaru Impreza problem?
On the 2002 model year, the most-reported component is fuel system with 88 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Subaru Impreza problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Subaru Impreza complaints that include mileage is about 46,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.