2022 Subaru Impreza Problems & Owner Complaints

Power Train 3

“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, 2025

“To start of with the steering seems to loosen up while driving, it's hard to explain but while driving the vehicle it is very noticable that the car is jurking side to side , if your used to a certain pressure put on the steering wheel to turn or keep in a constant turn(like a long turn or steady turn on a long bend in a road , the steering loosens to the point that the pressure you are holding the car at going in the turn makes you go into oncoming traffic or to the opposite side towards the side of the road) and this is not a good situation to be in it's starting to happen more frequently no…”
NHTSA complaint #11631888, 2024

“The vehicle was at a stoplight. Once the light turned green, the driver stepped on the gas. All of a sudden the car would not move, all the warning lights came on, and we could smell a burning smell. The car was towed to the dealership where it was purchased. They discovered a rubber hose leading to the transmission had somehow gotten cut and all the transmission fluid leaked out. This caused a total transmission failure according to the dealer. It must have happened almost instantaneously as there was no warning prior to this. This hose is clearly critical to the operation of the vehic…”
NHTSA complaint #11533087, 2023

Visibility/Wiper 3

“Windshield cracked spontaneously at the middle base of the windshield in a perfect arch. Crack appears to be on the inside of the glass. No impacts or anything hit the windshield, no reason for this to happen. My car is parked in a garage. Called Subaru, they insist there is no recall.”
NHTSA complaint #11500276, 2023

“Windshield suddenly cracked on the freeway not due to rocks or anything, and has since spread dramatically. Visibility is affected as the sun will glisten throughout driving and all of the cracks almost to the point it’s shattered obstruct view and cause objects to appear the a slightly different area. Subaru has apparently known about this for years and they haven’t remedied it, in addition the offer a protection plan for windshield when you buy it new, but they’ll only replace 2 of them, and every subsequent windshield is subject to the same problem”
NHTSA complaint #11482687, 2022

“I turn my vehicle on while am waiting to car to get warm i turn on the heat the windshield crack by it self”
NHTSA complaint #11453945, 2022

Steering 2

“To start of with the steering seems to loosen up while driving, it's hard to explain but while driving the vehicle it is very noticable that the car is jurking side to side , if your used to a certain pressure put on the steering wheel to turn or keep in a constant turn(like a long turn or steady turn on a long bend in a road , the steering loosens to the point that the pressure you are holding the car at going in the turn makes you go into oncoming traffic or to the opposite side towards the side of the road) and this is not a good situation to be in it's starting to happen more frequently no…”
NHTSA complaint #11631888, 2024

“I picked up my vehicle that was made to order from the factory on 2/18/22. I drove the car for 12 days and found the steering to be over sensitive. The steering wheel felt disconnected from the car. I returned the car to the dealer from which it was purchased. The service advisor test drove the car and documented on the invoice that the car felt like” it wanders”. He also verbally stated on the phone that “he had a hard time keeping it in lane.” He contributed the problem to the tires being “over inflated “. He informed me that he “let some air out of the tires and that the problem seemed to…”
NHTSA complaint #11464918, 2022

Unknown Or Other 2 1 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 dec…”
NHTSA complaint #11440139, 2021 · fire

“I turn my vehicle on while am waiting to car to get warm i turn on the heat the windshield crack by it self”
NHTSA complaint #11453945, 2022

Electrical System 1 1 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, 2025 · fire

Engine 1

“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, 2025

Exterior Lighting 1

“To start of with the steering seems to loosen up while driving, it's hard to explain but while driving the vehicle it is very noticable that the car is jurking side to side , if your used to a certain pressure put on the steering wheel to turn or keep in a constant turn(like a long turn or steady turn on a long bend in a road , the steering loosens to the point that the pressure you are holding the car at going in the turn makes you go into oncoming traffic or to the opposite side towards the side of the road) and this is not a good situation to be in it's starting to happen more frequently no…”
NHTSA complaint #11631888, 2024

Service Brakes 1

“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…”
NHTSA complaint #11725160, 2026

Tires 1

“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, 2025