InsightArise CarsU.S. Owner Complaint Index
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2019 Subaru Impreza problems, complaints & recalls

Fewer Falling

NHTSA has received 194 owner complaints about the 2019 Subaru Impreza, or 24.9 per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.62, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 78 model-year 2019 vehicles we track, it ranks #34 of 78 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Subaru models its rate is 31% lower; against other Compact cars it is 13% higher.

Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count

Complaints filed between 2019-01-05 and 2026-09-01. Median delay from incident to filing: 6 days.

194Complaints
24.9Complaints per year on the road
0.62Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
5Recalls
3.6%Share involving a crash or fire
9Last 12 months

Analysis

The previous model year (2018) drew 17.2 complaints per year, fewer than this one. The following model year (2020) drew 12.5 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2019 model collected 38 complaints, 52% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.

The most common problem area is Lighting (32.0% of complaints), followed by Body & structure (30.4%) and Electrical (8.8%). Lighting complaints are 20.6 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 7 reports (3.6%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 5 injuries and 0 deaths.

Half of the reported incidents happened within 41 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was years three to five (37% of incidents). In the last 12 months 9 new complaints were filed, versus 13 in the 12 months before — down 31%.

NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls for this model year.

Complaint index

  • vs. all tracked vehicles0.62
  • vs. other Subaru models0.69
  • vs. other 2019 models0.55
  • vs. other Compact cars1.13
  • Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (38)0.48
  • #34 of 78 · 2019Rankings ›

1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.

Other model years

  • 201817.2 per year0.43
  • 201924.9 per year0.62
  • 202012.5 per year0.31
  • 20212.4 per year0.06
  • 20222.7 per year0.07
  • 20231.1 per year0.03
  • 202411.5 per year0.28
  • 20252.8 per year0.07
  • 20261.0 per year0.02

Subaru Impreza problems, complaints & recalls by model year ›

What owners complain about

  • Lighting62 · 32.0% · 20.62×
  • Body & structure59 · 30.4% · 3.34×
  • Electrical17 · 8.8% · 0.56×
  • Unspecified or other17 · 8.8% · 0.98×
  • Engine10 · 5.2% · 0.23×
  • Brakes8 · 4.1% · 0.68×
  • Steering5 · 2.6% · 0.41×
  • Transmission / powertrain4 · 2.1% · 0.18×

vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average

Problem areas: Body & structure · Lighting · Unspecified or other

When complaints were filed

2019: 12 12 2019 2020: 26 26 2020 2021: 37 37 2021 2022: 18 18 2022 2023: 53 53 2023 2024: 29 29 2024 2025: 10 10 2025 2026: 9 9 2026
  • Crashes reported: 6
  • Fires reported: 1
  • Injuries: 5
  • Deaths: 0

Vehicle age at incident

  • <1 yr11.9%
  • 1–2 yrs14.4%
  • 2–3 yrs18.6%
  • 3–5 yrs36.6%
  • 5+ yrs18.6%

Median age at incident: 41 months

What owners report

Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.

Segment peers · 2019 · Compact cars

ModelsComplaintsComplaints per year on the roadComplaint index
2019 Toyota Prius395.00.12
2019 Mazda Mazda3749.50.24
2019 Kia Forte14718.90.47
2019 Subaru Impreza19424.90.62
2019 Toyota Corolla20526.30.65
2019 Nissan Sentra22228.50.71
2019 Hyundai Elantra25532.70.81
2019 Honda Civic45358.21.44
2019 Volkswagen Jetta54970.51.75

Safety recalls (5)

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS Campaign 22V624000 · 2022-08-12

Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Impreza vehicles. The left and right side reflex reflector and left side low beam reflector may inadequately reflect light. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Risk: Reflectors that do not provide adequate illumination reduce the driver's ability to see and increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the front headlamp assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 15, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-22.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP Campaign 21V587000 · 2021-07-29

Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE Campaign 21V264000 · 2021-04-15

Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Subaru Impreza and 2018-2019 Crosstrek vehicles. The Engine Control Module (ECM) may continue to power the ignition coil after the engine is shut off, causing a short circuit.

Risk: A short circuit in the ignition coils may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will update the ECM software, replace the ignition coils and, if necessary, the front exhaust pipe, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning June 1, 2021. Owners can contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE-21. Note: This recall includes all vehicles previously repaired under Recall 19V743.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP Campaign 20V218000 · 2020-04-16

Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Impreza, Outback, Legacy, and Ascent vehicles. The low pressure fuel pump may become inoperative.

Risk: If the low pressure fuel pump fails, the engine may stall without the ability to restart the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the low pressure fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRD-20.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE Campaign 19V743000 · 2019-10-18

Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Impreza and 2018-2019 Crosstrek vehicles. The Engine Control Module (ECM) may continue to power the ignition coil after the engine is shut off, which could result in a short circuit and blown fuse.

Risk: If a short circuit occurs while driving, the vehicle may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will update the ECM software and inspect and replace the ignition coil, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, on vehicles with confirmed ignition coil damage and a certain stored diagnostic trouble code (DTC), Subaru will replace the front exhaust pipe, free of charge. The recall began December 4, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUQ-02.

How to check whether your car has an open recall ›

Investigations

No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.