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The 2020 Subaru Impreza has 85 NHTSA owner complaints and 1 active recall campaign on file. Here's the breakdown — what's serious, what's noise, and what a working mechanic would actually do about it.
The 2020 Subaru Impreza has 85 NHTSA owner complaints and 1 recall on file (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). The most-reported system is visibility at 53 complaints, typically surfacing around 12,979 miles (~$350 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 Impreza | 125 | 7 |
| 2018 Impreza | 149 | 5 |
| 2019 Impreza | 192 | 5 |
| 2020 Impreza (this page) | 85 | 1 |
| 2021 Impreza | 14 | 2 |
| 2022 Impreza | 12 | 1 |
| 2023 Impreza | 4 | 2 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Driver-assist features on the tested model: Electronic stability control: Standard · Forward collision warning: Optional · Lane departure warning: Optional
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program — tested configuration: 2020 Subaru Impreza SW AWD. Stars rate crash protection in NHTSA's tests, not overall reliability — see the owner-complaint data below for what actually goes wrong.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: electrical is flagged severe on this model . Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 1 active recall on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 7.6/10 model. The priciest documented failure is airbags (~$1,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
The vehicle is about a month old, I was driving on the freeway when a tiny piece of gravel hit my windshield resulting in a crack about 10 inches in length located in the middle of the passenger and driver seat section. I didn't have any heating on and it was a sunny day
The windshield cracked without any reason, at the top by the passenger side. The initial crack was approximately a foot and it has since grown and is moving horizontally across the windshield. It is available for inspection. This happened while the car was parked.
The contact owns a 2020 SUBARU IMPREZA. The contact stated that after warming up the after driving approximately 1/10 th of a mile at approximately 10 mph or less when the vehicle's windshield suddenly fractured under the seal rubber in the lower center of the vehicle. in the…
For a new car that is less than a year old,5000 mile,the chassis parts fall off during driving,which is too dangerous in motion - on a city street -turning
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.6 out of 10 based on 85 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2020 Subaru Impreza is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
On the NHTSA data, the 2020 Subaru Impreza does not need avoiding. Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally. The record behind that call: No systemic severe-failure pattern in the complaint record; Reliability score 7.6/10 — above the segment average; 1 recall campaign on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the visibility first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 53 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 12,979 miles. Average repair cost runs about $350 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 7.6 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 85 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is visibility. Typical failure occurs around 12,979 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is visibility, with 53 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 12,979 miles. Average repair cost runs about $350 at an independent shop.
The visibility is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $350 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 12,979 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 85 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $350, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.