IllustrationAIR BAGS DEPOYED BY HITTING A SMALL DIP IN THE ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 5-10 MPH OR LESS. DEALER CONTACTED. DUE TO DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS DAMAGE TO INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE, WINDSHIELD EXPLODED THE REARVIEW MIRROR FLEW THROUGH THE CAR AND SHATTERED THE REAR WINDOW, KNOBS CAME OFF THE DASHBOARD. *AK
1995 Subaru Impreza
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1995 Subaru Impreza do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 56.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Impreza years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 6 of 46 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
11 crash reports2 fire reports11 injury reports
What owners actually said
46 reportsAIR BAGS DEPLOYED DURING A U-TURN NEAR A CURVE. PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE, SPEED LESS THAN 5 MPH. DEALER CONTACTED, AND STATED NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND CHECK IT FOR INVESTIGATION. EXTENDED WARRANTY EFFECTIVE. NO RESPONSE IN REFERENCE TO THE PROBLEM. *AK
THE HEADLIGHTS BLINK ON AND OFF EXCEPT WHEN RAINING, THE HEADLIGHTS GO COMPLETELY OUT. DEALER CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. *AK
BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WHEN THE VEHICLE TRANSPORT LOOPS SCRAPED THE PAVEMENT AT 10 MPH.
FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WHEN VEHICLE'S TRANSPORT HOOKS SCRAPED THE PAVEMENT WHEN ENTERING A PARKING LOT AT 10 MPH.
PASSENGER FILLS WITH NOXIOUS FUMES WHEN DEFROSTER OR HEATER IS ON.
ENGINE FAILURE.
BRAKE PEDAL GOES ALMOST TO THE FLOOR WHEN STOPPING.
AIR BAGS: DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30-35MPH AND HIT A DEER . DRIVING A T A SLOW SPEED AND BY A DEER, BEING A LIGHTWEIGHT OBJECT, DO NOT FEEL THAT THE AIR BAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. *AK
HAD A FRONTAL COLLISION, NEITHER OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. *AK
Official recalls
198V315000 · Air Bags
Dec 11, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT CAN OCCUR AFTER UNDERCARRIAGE CONTACT OF THE TOW HOOKS WITH CURBS, DIPS, SPEEDBUMPS, POTHOLES, ETC.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: UNEXPECTED AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT COULD RESULT IN PERSONAL INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE FRONT TOW HOOKS.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA97010 · Oversensitive Air Bag Deployment
Opened Apr 30, 1997 · Closed Dec 23, 1998
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags
IN ITS LETTER DATED DECEMBER 21, 1998, SUBARU STATED THAT THE VEHICLES IDENTIFIED ABOVE WILL BE RECALLED.SUBARU DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE FRONT TOWING/TIE-DOWN HOOKS.REFER TO NHTSA RECALL NO. 98V-315 FOR DETAILS.
PE96075 · Oversensitive Air Bag Deployment
Opened Dec 18, 1996 · Closed Apr 30, 1997
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags
ODI HAS REVIEWED 33 COMPLAINTS OF OVERSENSITIVE' AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT (I.E., ANY NON-CRASH DEPLOYMENT) RECEIVED BY ODI AND SUBARU INVOLVING MODEL YEAR 1995 SUBARU IMPREZA & LEGACY VEHICLES AND ALL OTHER IMPREZA & LEGACY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AIR BAG SYSTEMS IDENTICAL OR SIMILAR TO THOSE IN THE 1995 IMPREZA & LEGACY; THEY ARE LATE 1994-1996 IMPREZA AND ALL1995 & 1996 LEGACY (33 COMPLAINTS OUT OF 165,385 VEHICLES).ODI'S ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT CERTAIN IMPREZA & LEGACY VEHICLES - - LATE 1994 & EARLY 1995 IMPREZA AND ALL 1995 & EARLY 1996 LEGACY (29 COMPLAINTS OUT OF 95,678 VEHICLES) -- HAVE MUCH HIGHER COMPLAINT RATE THAN THE REMAINING VEHICLES WHICH ARE DIFFERENT IN VEHICLE STRUCTURE OR EQUIPPED WITH DIFFERENT AIR BAG SENSING SYSTEM.MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS (26 OF THE 29) INDICATE THAT THE VEHICLE'S DUAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED FROM AN UNDERCARRIAGE IMPACT WITH A CURB, BUMP, DIP, POTHOLE, ETC.IN THE REMAINING 3 COMPLAINTS, THE DRIVER ALLEGED THAT THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY OR WITHOUT ANY IMPACT.IN 13 OF THE 29 CASES, ONLY THE VEHICLE'S FRONT TOW HOOKS REPORTEDLY WERE FOUND DAMAGED OR SHOWED EVIDENCE OF IMPACT, AND IN 6 OTHER CASES BOTH TOW HOOKS AND OTHER UNDERCARRIAGE COMPONENTS WERE REPORTEDLY DAMAGED OR IMPACTED; NO DETAILS WERE GIVEN IN THE 10 REMAINING CASES.THIS PE HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO EA97-010