← New search

2017 Subaru Wrx

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
Compare all Wrx 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

33 reports with mileage · 20 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 →
  • Engine. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

8 crash reports2 fire reports6 injury reports

What owners actually said

53 reports
Mileage unknown · Oct 4, 2021
Electrical System

Vehicle suffers from repeated battery drain issues - continue to replace top of the line batteries in the vehicle because they are constantly draining

NHTSA ODI #11435329

Mileage unknown · Jul 13, 2021
Electrical System

I had parked my car in front of my house and did not use it for 2 days. When I went to drive the car, it with not turn on. I had to call AAA to jump the car and I let it run for 30 minutes then drive it for the next 30 minutes. I parked the car again and 6 hours later went to go out and it would not start again. Called AAA again…

Read full complaint

I had parked my car in front of my house and did not use it for 2 days. When I went to drive the car, it with not turn on. I had to call AAA to jump the car and I let it run for 30 minutes then drive it for the next 30 minutes. I parked the car again and 6 hours later went to go out and it would not start again. Called AAA again and had them come jump start the car. Both AAA mechanics said this is a problematic battery. I went to my Subaru dealer in Rye, NY and they said my battery is fine and I had a loose negative terminal. This was a lie and incorrect. The battery was first put it on 7/15/2019 and this was less than 2 years later that it died on me twice. I have service documents from the car dealer for the battery install and the recent service to check the battery as well as AAA to vouch for my calls to them.

NHTSA ODI #11424689

Mileage unknown · Jul 12, 2021
Electrical System

Had to replace the battery in 2019, really short life for a 2017 model.

NHTSA ODI #11424469

32,000 miles · May 14, 2021
Power Train

STARTED HAVING A RATTLING NOISE WHILE DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH IN FIRST AND SECOND GEAR. TOOK IT IN TO THE SHOP AND THEY SAID THROW OUT BEARING WENT BAD. HAD IT REPLACED IN 5/12/2019. SAME ISSUE RECURRED A FEW MONTHS LATER. TOOK IT IN AND THEY SAID IT NEEDED REPLACING AGAIN. SECOND REPAIR WAS ON 11/19/2019

NHTSA ODI #11416645

34,000 miles · May 14, 2021
Electrical System

BATTERY DRAINED VERY QUICKLY. LEAVING CAR UNDRIVEN FOR 5 DAYS WOULD RESULT IN DEAD BATTERY. TOOK INTO DEALERSHIP DEC 2019 AND THEY TESTED THE BATTERY, AND FOUND THAT BATTERY WAS BAD!AND REPLACED THE BATTERY.

NHTSA ODI #11416644

3,000 miles · Apr 12, 2021
SteeringSuspensionUnknown Or Other

I HAVE ISSUES WITH SURGING, AC SYSTEM, SUSPENSION, EXTREME TIRE WEAR, TIRES WEAR UNEVENLY, STEERING ASSIST, INABILITY TO ALIGN STEERING, WINDOWS ROLL DOWN FOR NO REASON AND WON'T ROLL BACK UP UNLESS YOU ROLL THEM ALL THE WAY DOWN AND THEN UP BUT THEY USUALLY JUST ROLL BACK DOWN HALF WAY AGAIN (IT'S A BATTLE!) WINDOWS SCRATCH JUS…

Read full complaint

I HAVE ISSUES WITH SURGING, AC SYSTEM, SUSPENSION, EXTREME TIRE WEAR, TIRES WEAR UNEVENLY, STEERING ASSIST, INABILITY TO ALIGN STEERING, WINDOWS ROLL DOWN FOR NO REASON AND WON'T ROLL BACK UP UNLESS YOU ROLL THEM ALL THE WAY DOWN AND THEN UP BUT THEY USUALLY JUST ROLL BACK DOWN HALF WAY AGAIN (IT'S A BATTLE!) WINDOWS SCRATCH JUST FROM DUST SO THEY LOOK HAZY AND WINDSHIELDS COST ALMOST $2000 WITH ALL SAFETY CAMERA JUNK. ONLY ONE AIRCON VENT BLOWS COLD AIR WHILE ALL OTHERS JUST BLOW AIR. THIS CAR WAS A LEMON BEFORE 2018 ENDED. SUBARU REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE PROBLEMS WHILE UNDER EXTENDED BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY. I TRIED TO FILE LEMON LAW AND LOST BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T SAVE MY COMPLAINT VISITS IN COMPUTER SYSTEM. IM CERTAIN THAT WAS INTENTIONAL SINCE THEY ARE THE LEMON KINGS! SUBARU IS A TERRIBLE COMPANY NOW AND I RECOMMEND YOU DON'T OWN ONE. THE SURGING IS VERY DANGEROUS AS THE CAR LITERALLY HOPS AND SOMETIMES YOU PUSH ACCELERATOR AND NOTHING HAPPENS FOR WAY TOO LONG. DANGEROUS WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC. FIGHTING WITH WINDOWS WHILE DRIVING IS ALSO DANGEROUS. LED LIGHTS ARE THE WRONG COLOR SO IT'S HARD TO SEE MANY THINGS AT NIGHT. THE BATTERY IS JUNK OPEN TOP AND LEAKS ACID EVERYWHERE ROTTING OUT THE BATTERY TRAY. FOR $42,000 YOU WOULD EXPECT A MUCH BETTER CAR.

NHTSA ODI #11407791

58,000 miles · Feb 26, 2021
Power Train

BOUGHT THE CAR AND EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM DEALER USED WITH 33K MILES 11/21/19 A COUPLE MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE I WAS GETTING ONTO THE FREEWAY AFTER WORK (6AM) AND THE RPMS WERE GOING UP BUT MY SPEED WAS NOT. CAR HAD 38K MILES. I PERSONALLY ONLY HAD 4K MILES SINCE OWNERSHIP AND I WOULDN'T THINK THE CLUTCH WAS SHOT DUE BEING A REGU…

Read full complaint

BOUGHT THE CAR AND EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM DEALER USED WITH 33K MILES 11/21/19 A COUPLE MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE I WAS GETTING ONTO THE FREEWAY AFTER WORK (6AM) AND THE RPMS WERE GOING UP BUT MY SPEED WAS NOT. CAR HAD 38K MILES. I PERSONALLY ONLY HAD 4K MILES SINCE OWNERSHIP AND I WOULDN'T THINK THE CLUTCH WAS SHOT DUE BEING A REGULAR MANUAL DRIVER. I USE THE VEHICLE TO COMMUTE ABOUT 40-50 MILES DAILY. 3/4/20 WAS THE DAY I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP. DEALER DID NOTHING TO HELP FINANCIALLY. CALLED SOA AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD HELP PARTIALLY PAY FOR THE REPAIR. 13K MILES AFTER THE CLUTCH REPLACEMENT THROW OUT BEARING STARTED CHIRPING WHEN CLUTCH WASN'T ENGAGED. 2/26/2021 - AFTER AN OIL CHANGE I NOTCED A FLUID ON THE BOTTOM OF MY TRANSMISSION AND WENT ONLINE LOOKING TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG. IN MY SEARCH FOR THAT I FOUND SUBARU SERVICE BULLETINS AND SEEN INFORMATION THAT THEY HAD BETTER PARTS THAT WERE AVAILABLE TO INSTALL ON 2015-18 WRXS. I WAS NOT OFFERED ANY OTHER OPTIONS OTHER THAN PAY FOR REPLACEMENT OR DRIVE IT BROKEN. AFTER FINDING OUT THAT INFORMATION I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS THEN INFORMED THAT FOR THE CLUTCH PARTS, IT'S ONLY FOR PROBLEMS OCCURRING IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS, AND THERE'S NOTHING THEY WERE GOING TO DO FOR ME. AS FOR THE THROW OUT BEARING I WAS TOLD IF I BROUGHT IT IN WITHIN 12K MILES FROM THE REPLACEMENT THEY COULD HAVE FIXED IT, BUT SINCE I'M AT 53K MILES (15K MILES SINCE REPLACEMENT) ONCE AGAIN, NOTHING. AS FOR THE FLUID ON THE TRANSMISSION THEY ROUTED IT TO THE CV AXLE AND ACCORDING TO THE PAPERWORK IT WAS DEEMED "ACCEPTABLE" PER SUBARU. I'VE OWNED A MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLE SINCE 2007 AND NEVER HAD ANY CLUTCH ISSUES THAT I'VE HAD WITH THIS CAR. AND BEING TOLD THAT SQUEEKS AND LEAKS ARE ACCEPTABLE IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING.

NHTSA ODI #11398136

43,000 miles · Jan 14, 2021
Electrical SystemWheelsInjury

MY TIRE IS WORN OUT AFTER I PURCHASE A CAR FROM CARMAX

NHTSA ODI #11387981

82,000 miles · Jan 8, 2021
Visibility/wiper

I WENT TO START MY CAR AND DISCOVERED THAT MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED DIRECTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD, THERE ISN'T A CHIP OR ANYTHING INDICATING THAT SOMETHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD. IT WAS A U SHAPED CRACK DIRECTLY IN THE MIDDLE. I HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OF ANYTHING EVER HITTING AGAINST THE WINDSHIELD, IT SEEMS TO HAVE JUST CRAC…

Read full complaint

I WENT TO START MY CAR AND DISCOVERED THAT MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED DIRECTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD, THERE ISN'T A CHIP OR ANYTHING INDICATING THAT SOMETHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD. IT WAS A U SHAPED CRACK DIRECTLY IN THE MIDDLE. I HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OF ANYTHING EVER HITTING AGAINST THE WINDSHIELD, IT SEEMS TO HAVE JUST CRACKED ON ITS OWN. CAR WAS PARKED IN A DRIVEWAY PRIOR TO THE CRACK APPEARING.

NHTSA ODI #11387250

Mileage unknown · Jan 3, 2021
Unknown Or Other

MY WINDSHIELD HAS BEEN CRACKED.

NHTSA ODI #11386215

Official recalls

1

22V522000 · Exterior Lighting:back Up Lights:switch

Jul 21, 2022

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2021 WRX vehicles. The backup light switch may corrode and become inoperative, which can result in the backup lights not illuminating and the rearview camera image not displaying when the vehicle is in reverse.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Inoperative backup lights and an inoperative rearview camera can reduce vehicle visibility and driver awareness, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the backup light switch, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE-22.

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.