There are 6 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2006 Subaru Imprezain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I was driving home, and my foot fell to the floor when I hit the brakes. Thankfully, I was coasting to the front of my house, so I was able to stop using the hand brake. Upon inspection and professional opinion from the Subaru dealership, the brake line rusted through just after the rear junction block, identical to the recall NUMBER: WQK-47. However, my VIN was not included in this recall, and I am learning on YouTube and from the dealership that this is a common failure with my year and model vehicle.
WHILE MY 75 YEAR-OLD MOTHER WAS DRIVING HOME FROM THE JOB SHE STILL WORKS TO PAY HER BILLS, THE BRAKES ON HER SUBARU FAILED. THE CAR WAS IN MOTION, PULLING OUT OF THE PARKING LOT OF THE BUILDING WHERE SHE WORKS. FORTUNATELY, SHE WAS ABLE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE AND STOP THE VEHICLE, AND THANKFULLY SHE WAS NOT INJURED. UPON INSPECTION, WE DISCOVERED THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO CORRODED BRAKE LINES. THE LINES LEAKED IN THE RIGHT REAR AREA, NEAR THE WHEEL. INVESTIGATING ONLINE, I DISCOVERED A HUGE RECALL OF SUBARUS AROUND THE SAME YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL AS MY MOM'S. BUT ACCORDING TO SUBARU OF AMERICA AND NHTSA, UNFORTUNATELY, MY MON'S CAR IS FOR SOME REASON NOT COVERED BY THIS RECALL. THAT SEEMS LIKE AN OVERSIGHT, BECAUSE THE LINES ARE DEFINITELY CORRODED, AND MY MOM LIVES IN THE SAME 'SALT BELT' AREA (WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS) WHERE THE 600K+ OTHER, COVERED, SUBARUS ARE. I KNOW RECALL INVESTIGATIONS TAKE TIME, SO THIS COMPLAINT PROBABLY WON'T HELP US ' MOM WILL HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO REPAIR THE LINES, WHICH WILL LIKELY COST ALL OF HER LIMITED MONTHLY INCOME FROM SOCIAL SECURITY AND JOBS ' BUT IF MAKING THIS COMPLAINT HELPS OTHERS, IT'S WELL WORTH THE EFFORT. THANKS VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND ASSISTANCE.
2006 SUBARU IMPREZA OCCURRENCE RELATED TO THE BRAKE SYSTEM*CW THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKE SHOE SEPARATED FROM THE BACKING PLATE. ALSO, ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THE BRAKES STARTED SMOKING AS A RESULT OF THEM DRAGGING. THE LAST OCCURRENCE, THE SPLASH GUARDS FOR THE BRAKES COLLAPSED AND FELL OFF. *JB
2006 SUBARU IMPREZA. CONSUMER STATES WHILE PULLING AWAY HE HEARD A CONTINUOUS GRINDING/ SHEARING NOISE WHICH BECAME MORE SEVERE UPON BRAKING *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE SWERVED WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE CONSUMER STATED IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THE BRAKE SHOE ASSEMBLIES HAD DISINTEGRATED WHILE DRIVING. THE BACKING PLATES FOR THE PADS WERE HEAVILY RUSTED AND BROKE OFF WITH LITTLE PRESSURE. *JB
THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCIDENT, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY, MANY INCIDENTS WHEN THERE IS EVEN THE TINIEST BIT OF SNOW/ICE ON THE ROAD. IF I NEED TO BRAKE FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR TO TURN OR FOR ANY OTHER REASON, THE BRAKE PEDAL DOES NOT GO DOWN. THEREFORE, THE CAR DOES NOT STOP. I HAVE SKIDDED INTO INTERSECTIONS FAR TOO OFTEN. I FEAR FOR ANY VEHIICLE, ANIMAL, OR PEDESTRIAN THAT MIGHT BE IN FRONT OF MY 2006 SUBARU IMPREZA. SEVERAL MECHANICS AND DEALERS ARE TELLING ME THIS IS THE WAY ABS SYSTEMS ARE SUPPOSED TO WORK. WE'VE REPLACED THE TIRES SO THAT I AM DRIVING WHAT SHOULD BE A GOOD, SAFE VEHICLE. HOW CAN THIS BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY FEATURE? I AM NOT A SPEEDSTER. I AM A 60 YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO LIVES IN UPSTATE NEW YORK WHO DOES NOT FEEL SAFE AND SECURE DRIVING MY AWD CAR IN THE SNOW. *TR
2006 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STI, EQUIPPED WITH FACTORY BREMBO BRAKES. DRIVING IN RAIN ON HIGHWAY W/O USING THE BRAKES (NO BRAKING) FOR ABOUT 15-20 MINUTES WILL RESULT IN A DELAY OF 3-4 SECONDS BEFORE ACTUAL BRAKE EFFECTS START TO FEEL. RUNNING WITH NO BRAKES LITERARY IS A SCARY FEELING. CONTACTED DEALER BUT THEY HAVEN'T RAISED ANY CONCERNS. WHAT SHOULD I DO?*JB
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026