IllustrationTAIL LIGHTS DON'T TURN ON , FIRST TIME THE WHOLE ELECTRICAL HARNESS WAS BURNED OUT , DEALER CHANGED THE WHOLE THING , THIS IS SECOND TIME TAIL LIGHTING IS COMPLETELY OFF WHEN THE SWITCH IS ON , I AM AFRAID IT WILL BURN OUT THE WHOLE HARNESS AGAIN !
2013 Subaru Impreza
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Impreza years
Owner complaints for the 2013 Subaru Impreza are substantially higher than 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
370–25K
2225–50K
3850–75K
3375–100K
20100–150K
4150K+
154 reports with mileage · 95 unknown
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 79 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 74 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
13 crash reports7 fire reports3 injury reports
Electronic Stability Control (esc) complaints
4 reportsON 07/08/2019 I TOOK MY SUBARU IMPREZA TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO HAVE RECALLS WUE90 AND WTY84 COMPETED. IT NOW SEEMS THAT WHATEVER WORK WAS DONE TO SATISFY THE RECALLS HAS BEEN CAUSING THE CAR TO MALFUNCTION. THE RECALL SERVICE WAS COMPLETED ON 07/09, AND I PICKED IT UP THAT DAY. BEGINNING ON 07/10, HOWEVER, THE CHECK ENGINE A…
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ON 07/08/2019 I TOOK MY SUBARU IMPREZA TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO HAVE RECALLS WUE90 AND WTY84 COMPETED. IT NOW SEEMS THAT WHATEVER WORK WAS DONE TO SATISFY THE RECALLS HAS BEEN CAUSING THE CAR TO MALFUNCTION. THE RECALL SERVICE WAS COMPLETED ON 07/09, AND I PICKED IT UP THAT DAY. BEGINNING ON 07/10, HOWEVER, THE CHECK ENGINE AND VEHICLE DYNAMICS CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS STARTED COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY. SO FAR, THESE WARNING LIGHTS HAVE DISPLAYED FOR A PORTION, OR FOR THE ENTIRETY, OF 22 OF THE PAST 32 DAYS. BOTH LIGHTS (CHECK ENGINE AND VDC) HAVE DISPLAYED TOGETHER EVERY TIME, AND ARE USUALLY ON OR OFF WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED. WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE ON, THE CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT FUNCTION AND I HAVE NOTICED A SIGNIFICANT (-21.6%) DECREASE FROM MY AVERAGE GAS MILEAGE. ON FOUR OCCASIONS THAT I AM ABLE TO RECALL, THE WARNING LIGHTS ALSO CAME ON UNDER BRAKING (I.E. THEY WERE OFF WHEN I STARTED THE CAR AND THEN TURNED ON AT SOME POINT DURING MY TRIP WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKES). WHETHER THE WARNING LIGHTS ARE ON OR OFF, I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHAT ISN'T WORKING (OTHER THAN THE CRUISE CONTROL AS I MENTIONED). I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE BACK TO SUBARU TWICE TO TRY TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE: FIRST ON 07/10 AND THEN ON 08/07. THEY SCANNED THE CODES, DID SOME WORK ON IT, AND GAVE THE CAR BACK TO ME, CLAIMING THAT IT WAS FIXED. THE ONE THING THEY ARE FAILING TO CONSIDER IS THAT THE PROBLEM MAY ACTUALLY BE RELATED TO THE SERVICE PERFORMED TO COMPLETE THE RECALLS BECAUSE I'VE NEVER HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE VDC SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR ALMOST SIX YEARS AGO, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON DURING THAT PERIOD EITHER. AT THIS POINT, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THE CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE. ATTACHMENT: PHOTO OF WARNING LIGHTS AFTER LEAVING THE CAMELBACK SUBARU (PHOENIX, AZ) SERVICE SHOP ON 08/07/2019.
THE BRAKE SENSOR SWITCH FAILS TO REPORT POSITION OF THE BRAKE AND TURNS OFF ANTI LOCKING BREAKING SYSTEM. IF FAILS YOU CAR TURNING THE CAR APPLY BRAKE AND THE FOLLOWING LIGHTS TURN ON. HILL ASSIST,ABS,SKID CONTROL. WHEN THIS COMES ON ABS DOES NOT WORK. IT SOMETIMES LOCKS THE CAR IN PARK. THIS HAPPEN THEN TRIED TO STOP QUICKLY I…
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THE BRAKE SENSOR SWITCH FAILS TO REPORT POSITION OF THE BRAKE AND TURNS OFF ANTI LOCKING BREAKING SYSTEM. IF FAILS YOU CAR TURNING THE CAR APPLY BRAKE AND THE FOLLOWING LIGHTS TURN ON. HILL ASSIST,ABS,SKID CONTROL. WHEN THIS COMES ON ABS DOES NOT WORK. IT SOMETIMES LOCKS THE CAR IN PARK. THIS HAPPEN THEN TRIED TO STOP QUICKLY IN THE RAIN AND BRAKING SYSTEM DID NOT WORK CORRECTLY. REAR-ENDED A CAR. REPORTED THIS TO A DEALER YEAR AGO THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED IT. I FOUND IT QUICKLY WHEN SEARCHING THE WEB. COMMON ISSUE THAT COULD BE DEADLY.
BRAKE FAILURE AT LOW SPEED COMING TO STOP AT TRAFFIC LIGHT, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON,BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. RETURNED TO DEALER TO REPAIR. DEALER TOOK 2 DAYS TO REPAIR . AT WITCH IT LASTED TILL TODAY(12/30/2013). THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. VERY SCARY YOU WONDER IF THE CAR IS RELIABLE AND AL…
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BRAKE FAILURE AT LOW SPEED COMING TO STOP AT TRAFFIC LIGHT, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON,BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. RETURNED TO DEALER TO REPAIR. DEALER TOOK 2 DAYS TO REPAIR . AT WITCH IT LASTED TILL TODAY(12/30/2013). THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. VERY SCARY YOU WONDER IF THE CAR IS RELIABLE AND ALWAYS AFRAID TO TRAVEL NOW. HAVE GRANDCHILDREN AND CANNOT TRUST THIS CAR. I HOPE SOMEONE CAN HELP. HAVE TO RETURN TO DEALER (AGAIN) TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT (AGAIN). WONDER IF THEY KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. *TR
Official recalls
419V149000 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch
Feb 28, 2019
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.
18V772000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
Nov 1, 2018
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Subaru Impreza, 2012-2013 Impreza Stationwagon, 2013 Subaru BRZ, XV Crosstrek and Toyota Scion FR-S vehicles. The engine valve springs in these vehicles may fracture causing an engine malfunction or a possible engine stall.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. Toyota will notify the FR-S owners. Dealers will replace the valve springs, free of charge. The recall began December 26, 2018. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614, Toyota owners may contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-888-270-9371. Subaru's number for this recall is WTY-84.
16V738000 · Electrical System
Oct 13, 2016
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2008-2014 Impreza vehicles and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, all equipped with turbo-charged engines. The relay that controls the secondary air injection pump may fail, causing the pump to continuously operate and overheat.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the air injection pump overheats, it may melt and increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary air injection pump relay, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTM-73.
13V061000 · Electrical System; Equipment
Feb 25, 2013
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with an automatic or CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, certain model year 2012-2013 Impreza vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, and certain model year 2013 XV Crosstrek vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory. Additionally included are certain model year 2013 Legacy and Outback vehicles that may have received replacement RES fobs. If the RES fob is dropped, the fob may malfunction and randomly transmit an engine start request without pressing the button.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The engine may inadvertently start and run for up to fifteen minutes. The engine may continue to start and stop until the fob battery is depleted, or until the vehicle runs out of fuel. If the vehicle is parked in an enclosed area, there is a risk of carbon monoxide build-up which may cause headaches, dizziness or, in extreme cases, unconsciousness and/or asphyxiation.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RES key fobs, free of charge. The recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783 for more information.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Equipment
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with an automatic or CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, certain model year 2012-2013 Impreza vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, and certain model year 2013 XV Crosstrek vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory. Additionally included are certain model year 2013 Legacy and Outback vehicles that may have received replacement RES fobs. If the RES fob is dropped, the fob may malfunction and randomly transmit an engine start request without pressing the button.
Consequence: The engine may inadvertently start and run for up to fifteen minutes. The engine may continue to start and stop until the fob battery is depleted, or until the vehicle runs out of fuel. If the vehicle is parked in an enclosed area, there is a risk of carbon monoxide build-up which may cause headaches, dizziness or, in extreme cases, unconsciousness and/or asphyxiation.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RES key fobs, free of charge. The recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783 for more information.
Electrical System
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with an automatic or CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, certain model year 2012-2013 Impreza vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, and certain model year 2013 XV Crosstrek vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory. Additionally included are certain model year 2013 Legacy and Outback vehicles that may have received replacement RES fobs. If the RES fob is dropped, the fob may malfunction and randomly transmit an engine start request without pressing the button.
Consequence: The engine may inadvertently start and run for up to fifteen minutes. The engine may continue to start and stop until the fob battery is depleted, or until the vehicle runs out of fuel. If the vehicle is parked in an enclosed area, there is a risk of carbon monoxide build-up which may cause headaches, dizziness or, in extreme cases, unconsciousness and/or asphyxiation.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RES key fobs, free of charge. The recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783 for more information.
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.