IllustrationAIR BAG MODULE FAILED CAUSING THE AIR BAG LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. NLM
1998 Subaru Impreza
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 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 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.
- Suspension. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
30 reportsNOISE FROM REAR STRUTS. DEALER SAID THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED REPEATED WEAR/FAILURE OF THE REAR WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY (29033, 44724, 54813, 58637) WHICH CAUSED NOISE IN THE REAR WHEEL ARER AND VIBRATION WHILE DRIVING. NLM
REPEATED FAILURES OF LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY BEGINNING AT 29, 033 MILES. MOST RECENT REPAIR AT 58, 637 MILES REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY, AXLE SHAFT ASSEMBLY , RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY, AND SEALS. RECENT FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 65 MPH; SOME HANDLING PR…
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REPEATED FAILURES OF LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY BEGINNING AT 29, 033 MILES. MOST RECENT REPAIR AT 58, 637 MILES REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY, AXLE SHAFT ASSEMBLY , RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY, AND SEALS. RECENT FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 65 MPH; SOME HANDLING PROBLEMS DURING FAILURE AT THIS SPEED. MANUFACTURER'S REPRESENTATIVE STATES THAT SUBARU CORPORATE POLICY DOES NOT REIMBURSE CONSUMER/OPERATOR FOR INCIDENTAL EXPENSES -- RENTAL TRANSPORTATION, LODGING, TAXIS, AND SO FORTH -- AS A CONSEQUENCE OF BREAKDOWN. MY CONFIDENCE IN THE SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF THE VEHICLE IS LOW; I BELIEVE THAT THE SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN COMPROMISED THROUGH EITHER MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND/OR WORKMANSHIP. WILL FORWARD FULL DOCUMENTATION OF INCIDENTS AND REPAIR HISTORY TO NHTSA VIA U.S. MAIL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE. *AK
I BELIEVE THERE IS A SUB-STANDARD PART BEING USED IN SUBARU IMPREZA REAR WHEEL BEARINGS. BESIDES MY 2 FAILURES, I KNOW OF DOZENS OF OTHER PEOPLE IN MY CAR CLUB WITH SIMILAR REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILURES. CURRENTLY THE FAILURES ARE BEING HANDLED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT AS THE CARS AGE, THE WHEEL BEARING FAILURES SEEM LIKELY TO CONTIN…
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I BELIEVE THERE IS A SUB-STANDARD PART BEING USED IN SUBARU IMPREZA REAR WHEEL BEARINGS. BESIDES MY 2 FAILURES, I KNOW OF DOZENS OF OTHER PEOPLE IN MY CAR CLUB WITH SIMILAR REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILURES. CURRENTLY THE FAILURES ARE BEING HANDLED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT AS THE CARS AGE, THE WHEEL BEARING FAILURES SEEM LIKELY TO CONTINUE AND WILL START TO GET EXPENSIVE.
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
FAULTY REAR WHEEL BEARINGS MAKE NOISE AND CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. NLM
HEATED GREASE LEAKING FROM THE AXLES CAUSING DAMAGE. MJS
DESIGN OF SEAT BELT CAUSES DIFFICULTY IN CLIPPING ON, DUE TO BEING RECESSED, ALSO VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. *TT
VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED AND PUSHED INTO THE REAR OF VEHICLE IN FRONT. THE DRIVERS SEAT WAS TWISTED BACK TOWARD THE BACK SEAT AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT AND THE AIR BAGS DID NO DEPLOY.
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.