CSR

Subaru · NHTSA safety record

2017 Subaru WRX

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

53

Complaints

8

Crashes

2

Fires

7

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2017 Subaru WRX have filed 53 safety complaints with NHTSA between March 2018 and May 2026. The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 14 of them (26%). The typical failure was reported at 36,000 miles, the median across the 33 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 1 recall covering this vehicle.

Recalls (1)

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BACK UP LIGHTS:SWITCH

22V522000 · July 21, 2022

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

Subaru of America, Inc. · up to 59,934 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 53.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 14 26%
ENGINE 12 23%
POWER TRAIN 11 21%
STEERING 6 11%
AIR BAGS 4 8%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 4 8%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 4 8%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 6%
SUSPENSION 3 6%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 6%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 3 6%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 4%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2021 at 10.

2018 2021 2026
2018 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed

UNKNOWN. Was hit very hard, approximately at 70mph, on rear passenger corner of car, hit caused my vehicle to slide and hit the guardrail on front end of vehicle, and no airbags deployed at any point in collision. Airbags are intact. I have included close up pictures of the airbag crash sensors on the front of the vehicle if they are of any use.

NHTSA complaint 11506392. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 37,000 miles

DRIVING AND ON A TURN BETWEEN 35-40 MPH MY WRX FREAKED OUT. THE DASH LIGHT UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE, THE LANE TRACKING ALONG WITH THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL INDICATORS FLASHED, AND THE DASH SAID EYESIGHT UNAVAILABLE. IT FELT LIKE I COULDN'T CONTROL THE CAR AND ALMOST FELT AS IF IT ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. I HIT THE BREAKS AND THE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND ENDED UP IN A DITCH. THE FRONT OF THE CAR RAN THROUGH BRUSH AND ENDED IN FRONT OF A TREE. THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED ON THE SIDE BUT WERE DELAYED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE UNTIL THE CAR STOPPED. MY FIANCE WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. FRONT AIRBAGS DID NOT GO OFF EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A FRONT COLLISION. THE CAR WAS ON A COUNTRY ROAD WITH OTHER

NHTSA complaint 11205226, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

1 injured · crash · towed · 37,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 SUBARU WRX. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN AND WAS UNCONTROLLABLE. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A DITCH. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS FLASHED AND ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. ALSO, "EYESIGHT" NOT AVAILABLE WAS DISPLAYED. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED HAND INJURIES, BUT MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT RECEIVED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE

NHTSA complaint 11205234, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed

Going about 55mph, I struck a deer head on. It struck towards the center, but more so on the passenger side. During the impact, no airbags deployed, however, based off IIHS videos, it seems likely that they should have. Additionally, I have reasonable suspicion to believe I hit my head on the pillar of the door, which would have been unlikely if the airbags deployed.

NHTSA complaint 11697979. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Experienced catastrophic engine failure with no known cause. The car had been inspected and had an oil change 3,000 miles prior to the incident. Thankfully, I had already exited the thruway and was on a quiet backroad but if this had happened 15 minutes earlier on the thruway this could have been a much different story.

NHTSA complaint 11735991. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

towed

Car all the sudden stall/ lock up tires at high way speeds due to sudden no warning engine failure causing a massive safety concern My car locked up during a normal drive up a slowly passing a semi when my car died no power steering no engine power transmission locking due engine failure Car was checked and maintenance at the dealer less then a week prior for a small misfire then was dismissed due to car all the sudden running fine so I drove it 100 miles then it died and almost killed me due to the sudden lockup 2017 Subaru wrx WITH THE FA20 DIT Also worth mentioning cars 100% factory stock Car wasn’t terribly damaged, although I was very shaken up from sudden failure into a ditch

NHTSA complaint 11730211. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed

Hit a deer. Airbags did not deploy, however I have reasonable suspicion to believe my head hit the A pillar during impact.

NHTSA complaint 11698178. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
The current issues with my recently purchased used vehicle are as follows: Clutch, odometer tampering, steering rack, 2 axle leaks, electrical issues, inspection issues. I tried to see if the dealership that I bought the car from is willing to fix these issues they keep going back and forth with me on these issues even though I just recently purchased the car stating that I have to pay for it. I purchased this car [XXX]. There were several issues with this car prior to purchase that were not disclosed when I purchased it. The dealership that I bought the car from, highline car connection/Yankee Auto sales, insisted we buy an extended warranty. Upon inspection at Dan Perkins Subaru, one of

NHTSA complaint 11630702, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

70,000 miles

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru WRX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V522000 (Exterior Lighting). The contact stated that while reversing, the backup lights intermittently failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that he had to pay the labor cost to have the recall repair performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA complaint 11619054. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Subaru WRX

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2022 25 1
2021 13 1
2020 17 1
2019 30 2
2018 42 2
2016 31 3
2015 52 3

Other 2017 Subaru models

Every Subaru on this site — 97 vehicles, 147 recall campaigns and 1 open investigation .

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst