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2016 Subaru Impreza

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2016 Subaru Impreza do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 56.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

41 reports with mileage · 34 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.

  • Electrical System. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

7 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports

Engine complaints

3 reports
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Mileage unknown · May 8, 2023
Engine

I bought my 2016 Subaru Impreza brand new and take great care of it. The car has 80,300 miles and when I did a sharp U turn the car stalled out and I was almost rear-ended. At a busy intersection a few weeks I was at a red light and my car was noticeably idling rough and when the light went green my car stalled out causing the r…

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I bought my 2016 Subaru Impreza brand new and take great care of it. The car has 80,300 miles and when I did a sharp U turn the car stalled out and I was almost rear-ended. At a busy intersection a few weeks I was at a red light and my car was noticeably idling rough and when the light went green my car stalled out causing the road to be blocked. After taking my car to a certified mechanic I find out that the head gasket has already failed and has coolant leaking into it. It aslo showed a PO302 code. Subaru years before stated that this problem had been fixed when it clearly has not been. I purchased this car because it was suppose to be reliable and now I owe $5,500 to have my car repaired and hopefully run well & safe.

NHTSA ODI #11521083

Mileage unknown · Sep 23, 2021
Engine

The vehicle's engine displayed an "check engine" light, the cruise control indicator light flashed on and off continuously when not engaged at a standstill, and the VDC vehicle dynamics control off indicator remained lit. This occurred while the vehicle was parked and these indicators came on when the engine was switched on. …

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The vehicle's engine displayed an "check engine" light, the cruise control indicator light flashed on and off continuously when not engaged at a standstill, and the VDC vehicle dynamics control off indicator remained lit. This occurred while the vehicle was parked and these indicators came on when the engine was switched on. When driving a noticeable decrease in engine performance and louder exhaust noise was evident. Took vehicle to dealer and subsequently was informed that there was a complete four valve engine failure that would require a complete overhaul of engine at an extremely high cost. The safety issue would be if this had occurred at highway speeds potentially losing control of vehicle causing accident. This was the second time this has occurred with this particular vehicle. When purchased new in 2016 after roughly 38k miles engine failed and had to be rebuilt at dealer cost. This current failure occurred at just under 101k miles, so this second failure occured at approximately 60k miles after first repair. This indicates to me that: 1. Poor engine quality, 2. Poor repair parts, 3. Poor quality control at the factory, 4, Poor repair service. As of writing of this complaint vehicle is still at the dealer undergoing repair which according to service rep will take a few days. We believe the cost of this repair should lay at the feet of Subaru for producing a defective engine.

NHTSA ODI #11434109

45,000 miles · Sep 9, 2020
Electrical SystemEngine

KEY LOCKS INTO IGNITION AND VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE RESTARTED AND THE SHIFT MOVED FROM PARK POSITION BACK TO PARK POSITION A FEW TIMES BEFORE THE KEY WILL RELEASE. I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ONLINE REGARDING THIS ISSUE IE. FAILING LOCK CYLINDER/PARK SENSOR PROBLEMS. WILL THERE BE AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS AND A POSSIBLE RECALL? M…

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KEY LOCKS INTO IGNITION AND VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE RESTARTED AND THE SHIFT MOVED FROM PARK POSITION BACK TO PARK POSITION A FEW TIMES BEFORE THE KEY WILL RELEASE. I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ONLINE REGARDING THIS ISSUE IE. FAILING LOCK CYLINDER/PARK SENSOR PROBLEMS. WILL THERE BE AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS AND A POSSIBLE RECALL? MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 50,000M ON IT.

NHTSA ODI #11353983

Official recalls

1

19V149000 · 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.

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.