Subaru Impreza reliability by year
16 recalls and 1,983 owner complaints across 21 model years. Best year to buy: 2024. Year to avoid: 2008.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 2 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024 and others. Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 21 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the Impreza aggregated across 21 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Subaru Impreza?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2024 Subaru Impreza scores 8.2/10 — the strongest in the 2005–2025 range. 28 complaints on file, 1 active recall. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Subaru Impreza year should I avoid?
The 2008 Subaru Impreza scores 6.2/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 209 owner complaints with NHTSA, 2 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2008 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Subaru Impreza should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2008 (avoid — the engine — engine: 29 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 11,000–48,500 mi); 2013 (high-risk ownership — engine: 57 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 23,850–95,224 mi). The cleaner years on the data are 2024, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2016, 2015. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Subaru Impreza are tracked?
21 model years (2005 through 2025) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 16 recalls and 1,983 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Subaru Impreza?
airbags is the most-reported category — 345 complaints across 15 model years. Average shop repair runs about $1,100.