SkipThatYearREAL DATA. SMARTER CAR DECISIONS.
← New search

1997 Subaru Impreza

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1997 Subaru Impreza do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 56.

About this comparison →
30Owner complaints

Model-year median: 56

0Recall campaigns

View recall details →

0Investigations

View investigation details →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
8
199446
199520
199630
199730
199822
199941
2000
Compare all Impreza years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Air Bags
6Power Train
5Wheels
5Suspension
4Seats
3
All reported categories
Electrical System
2Seat Belts
2Vehicle Speed Control
2Visibility
2Engine And Engine Cooling
1Equipment
1Exterior Lighting
1Service Brakes, Hydraulic
1Steering
1Structure
1

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: 3 of 30 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 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Wheels. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

6 crash reports1 fire reports5 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

1 reports
Clear category filter
Mileage unknown · Nov 12, 2000
Engine And Engine Cooling

ENGINE SHUTS DOWN AT HIGHWAY AND CITY SPEEDS UNEXPECTEDLY. OFTEN DIFFICULT TO RESTART. CAR HAS BEEN TOWED ON THREE OCCASSIONS TO SUBARU DEALERS. N…

Read full complaint

ENGINE SHUTS DOWN AT HIGHWAY AND CITY SPEEDS UNEXPECTEDLY. OFTEN DIFFICULT TO RESTART. CAR HAS BEEN TOWED ON THREE OCCASSIONS TO SUBARU DEALERS. NEITHER OF TWO LOCAL AUTHORIZED SUBARU DEALERS ( CASEY OF NEWPORT NEWS VA OR ROUGHTON OF NORFOLK VA ) HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ANALYZE OR REPAIR VEHICLE. WAITED 9 WEEKS FOR PARTS WHICH NEVER ARRIVED FROM JAPAN WHICH ONE DEALER THOUGHT, BUT WOULD NOT GUARANTEE, MIGHT SOLVE PROBLEM. ELECTRICAL FAILURES OCCURRED IN VEHICLE O/A MAY OF 1998. I HAVE ALL MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR RECORDS. VEHICLE IS SO UNSAFE ICANNOT DRIVE IT. I ONLY WISH TO HAVE VEHICLE REPAIRED SO THAT SAFE OPERATION IS AGAIN POSSIBLE. CAN ANALYXE OR REPAIR VEHICLE. ENGINE SHUTDOWN WITNESSED BY WIFE.*AK

NHTSA ODI #736196

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.