2012 Subaru Impreza Problems, Recalls & Reliability
337 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Subaru Impreza, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 43,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2012 Subaru Impreza sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1997–1998, 2006, 2010.
Avoid
Where 2012 sits among all Impreza years
What owners report
“There is a safety issue with the occupant detection system. When there is a passenger in the front right seat the airbag sign will say passenger airbag off. This will happen when the car is moving or stationary.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Impreza
“Earliest that subaru santa fe retailer can address recall wty-84 "engine valve springs" is september 2019.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Impreza
“When a passenger of 215lbs or more sits in my 2012 subaru impreza passenger seat for more than 10miles the airbag light comes on and the passenger airbag is turned off.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Impreza
“Transmission valve body failure causing dangerous erratic shifting while driving.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Impreza
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 257 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 45,900 miles. Half of those reports fall between 19,000 and 87,556 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake…
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's…
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Subaru Impreza, 2012-2013 Impreza Stationwagon, 2013 Subaru BRZ, XV Crosstrek and Toyota Scion FR-S vehicles. The engine valve springs in these vehicles may fracture causing an engine…
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. Toyota will notify the FR-S owners. Dealers will replace the valve springs, free of charge. The recall began December 26, 2018. Subaru owners may contact Subaru…
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2008-2014 Impreza vehicles and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, all equipped with turbo-charged engines. The relay that controls the secondary air…
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary air injection pump relay, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at…
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2012 model year Subaru Impreza 4-Door and Station Wagon vehicles (except WRX/STI models) manufactured April 21, 2011, to February 16, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the Occupant Detection System (ODS)…
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the Occupant Control Unit with a modified one, free of charge. The recall began August 21, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at…
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with an automatic or CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, certain model year 2012-2013 Impreza vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission…
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RES key fobs, free of charge. The recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783 for more information.
SUBARU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 IMPREZA SEDANS AND WAGONS (EXCEPT WRX/STI MODELS), MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 21, 2011, THROUGH NOVEMBER 15, 2011, AND LEGACY AND OUTBACK VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 17, 2011, THROUGH NOVEMBER 23, 2011. THESE…
Fix: SUBARU WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AND IF NECESSARY, REPLACE IT, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING DECEMBER 2011. OWNERS MAY…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 15V419000.
Technical service bulletins
512 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2012 Subaru Impreza. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2012 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 2012 Subaru Impreza reliable?
The 2012 Subaru Impreza drew 337 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (2012).
What are the most common 2012 Subaru Impreza problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Subaru Impreza are airbags (116 complaints), engine (56), and electrical (34).
At what mileage do 2012 Subaru Impreza problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Subaru Impreza problems around 45,900 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 19,000 and 87,556 miles.
Does the 2012 Subaru Impreza have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 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.