IllustrationHUBS KEEP COMING OFF VEHICLE WHEN DRIVING. DEALER CONTACTED, AND IS IN PROCESS OF REPLACING HUBS. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
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 →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: 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
What owners actually said
30 reportsSTEERING WHEEL CRACKED, ABOUT A 6 INCH GAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STEERING WHEEL, WHERE THE AIRBAG IS SUPPOSE TO DEPLOY. CANNOT DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED IT TO CRACK.*AK
HAD STARTED VEHICLE AND IT LURCHED FORWARD. HIT GARAGE WALL & WENT THROUGH IT. HAD FOOT ON BRAKES & VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. TOOK TO MECHANIC TO CHECK. WAS INFORMED HARD TO LOCATE PROBLEM DUE TO WIRING & COMPUTER PROBLEMS.
THE ORIGINAL HUBCAPS ARE A SAFETY VIOLATION. SUBARU MADE A VERY BAD ENGINEERING DESIGN. THEY FASTENED A PLASTIC RING WITH HOLES TO EACH RIM THAT THE HUBCAPS ARE SUPPOSED TO FIT IN WITH A TWIST. THE PROBLEM IS THE AMOUNT OF FORCE OR POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH THAT'S REQUIRED TO REMOVE THE HUBCAP SO ONE CAN CHANGE A TIRE IN AN EMER…
Read full complaint
THE ORIGINAL HUBCAPS ARE A SAFETY VIOLATION. SUBARU MADE A VERY BAD ENGINEERING DESIGN. THEY FASTENED A PLASTIC RING WITH HOLES TO EACH RIM THAT THE HUBCAPS ARE SUPPOSED TO FIT IN WITH A TWIST. THE PROBLEM IS THE AMOUNT OF FORCE OR POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH THAT'S REQUIRED TO REMOVE THE HUBCAP SO ONE CAN CHANGE A TIRE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. A SPECIAL TOOL TO DO THIS IS PROVIDED (AN AFTERTHOUGHT BY THE COMPANY -OOPS). PUTTING THE HUBCAPS ON IS MORE DIFFICULT AND EITHER WAY THE TOOL HAS TO BE RESTRAIGHTENED AT LEAST ONCE PER TIRE. I'VE RECENTLY RETIRED FROM THE MILITARY AND I'M IN GOOD SHAPE. I'M (6'& 188 LBS) AND I HAVE TO STRUGGLE TO REMOVE THE HUBCAPS. MY DAUGHTER COULD NOT EVEN COME CLOSE TO REMOVING THE HUBCAP. SHE CAN WORK A JACK AND THE LUGNUTS BUT CANNOT TAKE THE HUBCAP OFF. WOMEN, SENIOR CITIZENS, AND MANY MEN CAN NOT PROVIDE THE LPS PER INCH TO REMOVE THE WHEELCOVER WHICH IS NECESSARY TO GET TO THE LUGNUTS. I WAS TOLD THAT SUBARU ONLY HAD THIS TYPE OF WHEELCOVER FOR 1996 & 1997. DO I HAVE TO REMOVE THESE RINGS AND PURCHASE NEW WHEELCOVERS SO I KNOW MY DAUGHTER WILL NOT GET STRANDED FROM A FLAT TIRE? I THINK SUBARU MISSED A VERY BASIC SAFETY MARK HERE AND SHOULD RECTIFY THE SITUATION.
WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DETAILED THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THE PERSON DETAILING THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. WHEN THE BAGS DEPLOYED THE WINDSHIELD AND DASHBOARD WERE DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH BRAKE LIGHTS CONTINUALLY GOING OUT. CONSUMER REPLACING FUSES TO PREVENT IT FROM BECOMING A NORMAL CONDITION. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
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…
Read full complaint
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
DESIGN OF MULTIFUNCTION LEVER CAUSES HEADLIGHTS TO ACCIDENTALLY BE TURNED OFF WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACTIVATE TURN SIGNAL.
CONTACTED DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER BOTH SENT CONSUMER A TOOL TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT WILL BE A REACCURRING PROBLEM. WHEN EVER USINGWINDSHIELD WIPERS AND TURNING MOTOR TO HIGH MODE, THE WIPERS WILL THEN STOP AT RANDOM UNTILL CONSUMER TIGHTENS THE WIPERSWITH THE TOOLS PROVIDED BY MANUFACTURER. …
Read full complaint
CONTACTED DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER BOTH SENT CONSUMER A TOOL TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT WILL BE A REACCURRING PROBLEM. WHEN EVER USINGWINDSHIELD WIPERS AND TURNING MOTOR TO HIGH MODE, THE WIPERS WILL THEN STOP AT RANDOM UNTILL CONSUMER TIGHTENS THE WIPERSWITH THE TOOLS PROVIDED BY MANUFACTURER. *AK
DUAL AIRBAGS DIPLOYED DURING FRONTAL CRASH, DRIVER RECEIVED BURNS ON ARMS FROM A BROWN LIQUID, VEHICE BROADSIDED ANOTHER MOVING VEHICLE, TOTALED.
Official recalls
0No 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.