1997 Subaru Impreza Problems, Recalls & Reliability
38 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1997 Subaru Impreza, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 19/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 1997 Subaru Impreza has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 1997 sits among all Impreza years
What owners report
Recalls (3)
DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
K2 MOTOR IS RECALLING 1,921 AFTERMARKET HEADLAMPS OF VARIOUS MODELS SOLD FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS ARE MISSING THE AMBER SIDE REFLEX REFLECTOR WHICH FAILS TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD…
Fix: K2 MOTOR WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMEBER 17, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT K2 MOTOR AT 1-909-839-2992.
Technical service bulletins
27 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and electrical — are on file for the 1997 Subaru Impreza. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1997 Impreza TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1997 Subaru Impreza reliable?
The 1997 Subaru Impreza drew 38 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 19/100, scored against the model's worst year (2012).
What are the most common 1997 Subaru Impreza problems?
The top reported problems for the 1997 Subaru Impreza are airbags (6 complaints), wheels & tires (5), and transmission & drivetrain (5).
Does the 1997 Subaru Impreza have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 1997 Subaru Impreza. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
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. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.