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Subaru · NHTSA safety record

2022 Subaru Impreza

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

Owners have filed 13 safety complaints about the 2022 Subaru Impreza with the US government. Of those, 2 mention a fire and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering visibility.

The most complained-about system is the power train, named in 4 complaints, 31% of the total.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers November 2021 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

13 complaints on file

13

Complaints

0

Describe a crash

2

Mention fire

0

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
POWER TRAIN 4 · 31%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 3 · 23%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 · 15%
STEERING 2 · 15%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 · 15%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 · 8%
ENGINE 1 · 8%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 · 8%
TIRES 1 · 8%
0 4 8

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 13.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2025 at 4.

8 6 4 2
21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2021 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2022 Subaru IMPREZA, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test 4 DR AWD SW AWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 9.5% 9.5%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

1 on file

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

22V712000 · September 22, 2022

The defect
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2022 Impreza and Outback vehicles. The incorrect paint clearcoat may have been applied, which can cause the windshield to be insufficiently bonded to the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 212, "Windshield Mounting."
The risk
An insufficiently bonded windshield can detach during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
Subaru will offer owners a vehicle exchange or repurchase, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 21, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRH-22.

Subaru of America, Inc. · up to 42 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

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

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

fire

I was driving on a three-lane parkway commuting to work, and the weather was clear. I was the only person in the vehicle. I left just after 7:40AM I had been driving for about 40 minutes. I had the cruise control ready to be set as I had turned it on briefly earlier in the drive, but it was not turned on at the time. When the cruise control button is pushed and "ready," lane keeping assistance turns on. The dashboard suddenly alerted saying the "Eyesight Driver Assist" was not working. Seconds later it said "check owner's manual" and then "check engine." Within a few seconds, the car began decelerating quickly. I got over to the right lane, turned on my hazard lights, and then pulled off on

NHTSA complaint 11440139, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire

On [XXX], my 2022 Subaru Impreza caught fire in Lincolnwood, IL. My sister in-law and nephew escaped the vehicle just before it was consumed by the fire. The Lincolnwood Fire Department Fire Inspector said the fire was caused by a defected car battery. The car was declared a total loss. Subaru America only offered $2,000.00 credit towards the purchase of a new Subaru. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint 11665374. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
total failure of brake booster at 49.5k miles, caused air leak in engine intake system, which caused lean run and burning more fuel and failure of air/fuel ratio sensor.

NHTSA complaint 11763372. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
The vehicle's rear brake lines (both left rear and right rear) had ballooning present. The issue was initially identified by an independent mechanic during brake pad and rotor replacement on all four wheels. The ballooning was subsequently confirmed during an inspection by a Subaru dealership technician. This issue posed a safety risk, as the compromised brake lines could rupture under braking pressure, potentially resulting in reduced or complete loss of braking ability and increasing the risk of a crash. To safely operate the vehicle, replacement of the rear brake lines was required. Per the dealership’s recommendation, the front brake lines were also replaced, as they advised that if the

NHTSA complaint 11725160, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
We have a hesitation when hitting the gas with our Subaru Impreza. I took it to a mechanic who said there isn't officially an issue with the car, but it is consistent with a CRT transmition issue on other Subarus. The only way we are able to fix it is to take it to a Subaru dealership who insist there isn't an issue. I am not sure what to do but it seems like there is a consistent issue with the car model.

NHTSA complaint 11701455. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Front wheels locked up while doing 75 miles an hour. Per shop the transmission locked up. There were no signs of transmission failure car ran perfectly fine and had been serviced and new tires 7 days before. This could have caused a very serious accident.

NHTSA complaint 11668965. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

TIRES
Driving between 40-50mph on streets, my tire burst and the rubber part completely shredded off. I just had my tires checked a couple weeks ago where they said everything was great. This tire completely disintegrated out of nowhere and nearly damaged my rim! The tire guy said there's no way this happened from a nail or road injury to the tire

NHTSA complaint 11644680. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Subaru Impreza

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2024 32 2 —
2021 14 2 —
2020 85 1 —
2019 194 5 —
2018 151 5 1
2017 125 7 —
2016 75 1 —
2015 77 2 —
2014 108 3 —
2013 249 4 —
2012 243 6 —
2011 57 14 —
2010 46 15 —

Other 2022 Subaru models

Outback 464 Forester 98 Ascent 55 Legacy 33 Crosstrek 31 WRX 25 BRZ 10

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Subaru on this site — 99 vehicles.

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. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

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