Subaru Impreza years to avoid
Across the 2015–2020 Subaru Impreza, the 2019 model year drew the most owner complaints to NHTSA: 194, about 2.3× the 85 median of the other five model years with enough complaints to compare. The most-reported components that year were exterior lighting and the windshield wipers. The 2016 drew the fewest of the years with enough complaints to compare, at 75. NHTSA holds fewer than 40 complaints for 2021 and 2022, too few to read as a quiet year rather than a gap in the records. Separately, the 2017 carries the most recall campaigns, 7. Complaint volume and recall campaign counts also reflect how long a model year has been on the road and how many were sold, so they rank years within this model rather than measuring build quality.
The 2019 Impreza is the outlier of the 2015–2020 Subaru Impreza, with 194 complaints against the model's 105 median.
Every Impreza model year, ranked
Every Impreza model year NHTSA holds records for, most complaints first. Counts are NHTSA records as of 2026-09-15; recall campaigns and complaints are counted separately because a recall is the manufacturer acting and a complaint is an owner reporting. Years with enough on record have a page of their own.
| Model year | Owner complaints | vs the 105 median | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Impreza | 194 | 1.8× | 5 | exterior lighting |
| 2018 Impreza | 149 | 1.4× | 5 | exterior lighting |
| 2017 Impreza | 125 | 1.2× | 7 | exterior lighting |
| 2020 Impreza | 85 | 0.8× | 1 | the windshield wipers |
| 2015 Impreza | 79 | 0.8× | 2 | the electrical system |
| 2016 Impreza | 75 | 0.7× | 1 | the electrical system |
| 2021 Impreza | 14 — too few to compare | — | 2 | — |
| 2022 Impreza | 12 — too few to compare | — | 1 | — |
Buying a Subaru Impreza? Check its VIN.
Model-year complaint totals do not describe one car. Confirm its identity free, then decide whether to review its reported title, mileage and auction history before you buy.
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See what the paid report includes →How to read these numbers
- A higher count is not proof of a worse car. Complaint volume rises with sales volume and with years on the road.
- The comparison is between years of the Impreza only. It says nothing about how the Impreza compares with other models.
- NHTSA publishes owner reports without verifying them. A complaint is an allegation, not a defect finding.
- Recall campaigns cover production ranges. Only a VIN lookup shows whether one vehicle is included and whether the work was done.
Primary sources behind this page
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
Subaru Impreza year-by-year questions
Which Subaru Impreza year should I avoid?
Across the 2015–2020 Subaru Impreza, the 2019 model year drew the most owner complaints to NHTSA: 194, about 2.3× the 85 median of the other five model years with enough complaints to compare. The most-reported components that year were exterior lighting and the windshield wipers. The 2016 drew the fewest of the years with enough complaints to compare, at 75. NHTSA holds fewer than 40 complaints for 2021 and 2022, too few to read as a quiet year rather than a gap in the records. Separately, the 2017 carries the most recall campaigns, 7. Complaint volume and recall campaign counts also reflect how long a model year has been on the road and how many were sold, so they rank years within this model rather than measuring build quality.
Which Subaru Impreza year is the safest bet?
Of the 2015–2020 Subaru Impreza, the 2016 drew the fewest owner complaints to NHTSA — 75, against the model's 105 median. Years NHTSA holds fewer than 40 complaints for (2021 and 2022) are left out: too few reports is a gap in the records, not a quiet year. Newer years have had less time on the road, which lowers their count on its own, so treat this as a starting point and check the individual VIN.
Do complaint counts mean the Subaru Impreza is unreliable?
No. NHTSA complaints are unverified owner reports, and the count rises with how many vehicles were sold and how long they have been on the road. They are useful for comparing years of the same model — which is what this page does — not for ranking one model against another.
How do I check a specific Impreza?
Take the 17-character VIN from the windshield or driver-door label and run it through NHTSA's free recall lookup. That reports open campaigns for that exact vehicle, including whether the repair is still outstanding. A model-year page cannot tell you that.