Subaru Impreza Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy

Every Subaru Impreza model year from 1990 to 2026, benchmarked against each other with 3,451 federal complaints, 58 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.

Avoid: 2002, 2008, 2012–2013, 2017–2019. These years top the Impreza's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
Safer bets: 1997–1998, 2006, 2010 — the quietest years with at least four years on the road.

The method in one line: every NHTSA complaint for this model is counted, weighted for crashes, fires, injuries, and deaths, and each year is measured against the Impreza's own worst year — full methodology.

Under investigation. Federal regulators currently have an open defect investigation on the Subaru Impreza.

Air Bag Inflator Rupture EA15001 opened February 24, 2015 · still open

Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their…

Model years named: 2004, 2005

An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →

3,451Complaints on file
58Recall campaigns
37Model years

The trouble strip

One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.

1990 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

The defining problem

Airbags tops the Subaru Impreza file with 501 complaints, concentrated in the 2012–2013 model years, most often reported around 36,500 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.

Every year, ranked

YearVerdictComplaintsRecallsTop problemTrouble index
2026 Few reports 1 0 — 0
2025 Few reports 10 0 — 4
2024 Too early to call 53 2 — 17
2023 Few reports 6 2 — 1
2022 Few reports 15 1 — 5
2021 Few reports 19 2 — 6
2020 Typical 100 1 Visibility & wipers 28
2019 Avoid 224 5 Electrical 57
2018 Avoid 181 5 Electrical 56
2017 Avoid 162 7 Electrical 57
2016 Typical 108 1 Other 33
2015 Typical 99 2 Electrical 27
2014 Below average 157 3 Airbags 53
2013 Avoid 344 4 Airbags 100
2012 Avoid 337 6 Airbags 100
2011 Typical 75 14 Airbags 28
2010 Better year 60 15 Engine 17
2009 Below average 149 15 Transmission & drivetrain 43
2008 Avoid 249 15 Transmission & drivetrain 78
2007 Typical 84 9 Airbags 29
2006 Better year 68 10 Airbags 20
2005 Below average 95 6 Suspension 39
2004 Below average 113 8 Fuel system 38
2003 Typical 64 6 Fuel system 28
2002 Avoid 339 6 Fuel system 93
2001 Few reports 13 3 — 8
2000 Typical 54 4 Transmission & drivetrain 24
1999 Few reports 27 4 — 8
1998 Better year 55 3 Transmission & drivetrain 15
1997 Better year 38 3 — 19
1996 Few reports 25 3 — 14
1995 Below average 69 4 Airbags 35
1994 Few reports 8 3 — 2
1993 Typical 48 3 Visibility & wipers 22
1990 Few reports 2 0 — 0

Technical service bulletins

Beyond complaints and recalls, 7,429 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, service campaigns, warranty extensions — are on file for the Subaru Impreza. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

Browse the Subaru Impreza TSB list by year →

Questions buyers ask

What Subaru Impreza years should I avoid?

Federal complaint records point to 2002, 2008, 2012–2013, 2017–2019 as the Subaru Impreza years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.

What is the most common Subaru Impreza problem?

Airbags tops the Subaru Impreza file with 501 complaints, concentrated in the 2012–2013 model years, most often reported around 36,500 miles.

What are the best Subaru Impreza years to buy used?

The quietest Subaru Impreza years in federal records are 1997–1998, 2006, 2010 — each with at least four years on the road and well-below-average complaint volume for this model.

Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Counts cover the Subaru Impreza only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.