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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

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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

Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints

1 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jun 9, 1998
Service Brakes, HydraulicCrash

ABS BRAKE PROBLEMS; WHEN STOPPING IN A PANIC SITUATION, STOPPING DISTANCE WAS GREATER THAN EXPECTED. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN, AND THE SYSTEM KICKED IN. BUT IT SEEMED LIKE THE DRIVER WAS DRIVING A VERY HUGE VEHICLE, WITH THE WEIGHT PUSHING FORWARD. THE VEHICLE REAR ENDED THE BACK OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. TH…

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ABS BRAKE PROBLEMS; WHEN STOPPING IN A PANIC SITUATION, STOPPING DISTANCE WAS GREATER THAN EXPECTED. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN, AND THE SYSTEM KICKED IN. BUT IT SEEMED LIKE THE DRIVER WAS DRIVING A VERY HUGE VEHICLE, WITH THE WEIGHT PUSHING FORWARD. THE VEHICLE REAR ENDED THE BACK OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CAR HAS BEEN TOTALLED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #824101

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.