There are 10 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2007 Subaru Imprezain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
THE VVL PRESSURE SWITCH HOUSING UNIT CHIPPED CAUSING OIL TO SPILL ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND MAKES THE OIL I PUT BACK IN THE CAR JUS TLEAK RIGHT BACK OUT THE NEXT DAY. THE CAR IS NO UNDRIVABLE I HAVE NO WAY TO OR FROM WORK THE BUS RUNS NO WEAR NEAR MY HOUSE IM LOSING MONEY DAILY I SEARCHED UP THIS PROBLEM AND THIS HAPPENS TO MOST PEOPLE.
WE BOUGHT OUR SUBARU IMPREZA WITH 119.000 MILES ON IT. THE MOTOR LEAKS OIL AROUND THE PASSENGER SIDE HEAD GASKETS. OURS BLOW UP. WARP THE HEADS IN ANOTHER. WE HAVE DONE HAD 5 MOTORS PUT IN IT, N THEY ALL DO IT. THIS LAST MOTOR DOES IT BUT NOT AS BAD AS THE OTHER ONES. THE WARRANTY COMPANY ON OUR SUBARU SAID THEY GET ALOT OF CALLS ABOUT THIS PROMBLEM.
BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT HEAD GASKETS FAILED. $2000 REPAIR AT SUBARU DEALER. LOW MILEAGE FOR SUCH A FAILURE. *TR
PURCHASED CAR AUGUST 20TH. AUGUST 24TH, 2013 ON THE WAY BACK FROM PA ON 80 EAST MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS CAM POSITION TIMING OVER ADVANCE OR SYSTEM PERFORMANCE B1 AND B2. CODE WAS P0011 AND P0021. WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2013 THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO SUBARU WORLD OF NEWTON TO BE FIXED. NEEDED NEW CAM SPROCKETS AND TIMING BELT, ALONG WITH THE TIMING BELT THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER WAS CHANGED AND A SMALL OIL LEAK WAS PLUGGED WITH AN OIL CHANGE. THAT ALL CAME OUT TO AROUND 1,500 AND THAT WAS AFTER NEGOTIATING. MONDAY SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2013 MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WITH IT HAD ROUGH IDLING. THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2013 I HAD THE CODE READ AND THE CODE P0301 CAME UP WHICH WAS A CYLINDER 1 MISFIRE. THE CODE WAS RESET TO SEE IF IT WOULD REOCCUR AND TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 24TH, 2013 THE CHECK ENGINE CAME BACK ON WITH THE SAME CODE. I THEN PLANNED ON GOING TO SUBARU WORLD OF NEWTON ON SATURDAY THE 28TH. ON FRIDAY THE 27TH I WAS DRIVING TO THE MALL IN ROCKAWAY, NJ 20 MINUTES FROM MY HOUSE AND I STARTED TO FEEL POWER LOSS. ON THE WAY HOME FROM THE MALL THE POWER LOSS CONTINUED AND ABOUT 30 SECONDS FROM THE SPARTA EXIT MY ENGINE MADE A KNOCKING NOISE LIKE SOMETHING SPRUNG LOOSE AND MY ENGINE CUT OFF AND THE CAR SHUT OFF, WITH NO POWER STEERING I HAD TO GET ACROSS THE LANES TO PULL OVER AND WAIT FOR A TOW TRUCK. TODAY SEPTEMBER 30TH THE CAR IS SITTING AT SUBARU BECAUSE THE DIAGNOSTIC FEE 1-2,000$ AND APPROXIMATE COST FOR PARTS AND LABOR IS 5-7,000$, TOTAL IS 6-9,000$. *TR
MY SISTER WAS DRIVING MY CAR WHILE I WAS AWAY. SHE WAS DRIVING ON THE ROAD WHEN SUDDENLY THE CAR BROKE DOWN. SHE HAD IT TOWED TO OUR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THEY STATED THAT THE HEAD GASKET BLEW. (SOA MENTIONED TO ME THAT NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAINED ABOUT IT AND THEY MAY REIMBURSE ME FOR MY REPAIR IF I WAS AT A SUBARU DEALER, BUT SINCE IT WAS AT MY INDEPENDENT MECHANIC THEY HAVE TO REVIEW IT AND THE PARTS ARE SUPPOSE TO BE ORIGINAL) I NEEDED TO REPLACE THAT. NOW IT SMELLS IN THE CAR SOMETIMES (FOR INSTANCE AFTER HAVING HEAT ON, AND WORSE WHEN IT RAINS OR SNOWS). IT ALSO BUCKS UNCONTROLLABLY WHEN COMING TO A STOP. I WAS TOLD TO HAVE A SUBARU DEALER CHECK IT OUT EVEN THOUGH IT'S NO MORE ON THE WARRANTY. ALSO, WHEN I BOUGHT MY CAR THE WINDOW DEFROSTERS ON THE BACK WINDOW WERE DAMAGED. THEY STATED TO ME THAT IT WAS MY FAULT THAT IT WAS DAMAGED AND I SHOULD REPAIR IT OUT OF MY OWN POCKET. I DON'T RECOMMEND A SUBARU TO ANY PERSON, AND HONESTLY I DON'T LIKE THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE. THEY ONLY WANT TO RECEIVE MONEY AND NOT HELP PEOPLE WHEN THEY HAVE PROBLEMS. LIKE OTHER PEOPLE MENTIONED. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
SINCE THE HEAD GASKET BLEW. MY CAR KEEPS BREAKING DOWN. I HAVE A TODDLER. BY THE OIL SENSOR GAUGE IT KEEPS BREAKING AND MY CAR STARTS SMOKING. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME IF I KEPT DRIVING THE CAR WOULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO THE HOT OIL UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. I FOUND OUT I NEED TO REPAIR THE HEAD GASKET AGAIN THE SECOND TIME. SINCE IT WAS CHANGED THE FIRST TIME MY CHECK ENGINE AND CRUISE CONTROL KEEP TURNING ON WHEN I HAVE LOW RPMS, AND AM IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC AND HIGH RPMS. THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND SUBARU TOLD ME THEY WILL PAY FOR DAMAGES THAT THEY OWN UP TO. FOR MY HEAD GASKET I ONLY RECEIVED OVER $200 WHICH IT COST ME ALMOST $1500. THEY DON'T ACKNOWLEDGE ALL THE OTHER MATERIAL THAT WENT INTO FIXING THE HEAD GASKET LIKE OIL AND ETC. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN 2 YEARS I WILL BE FIXING THE HEAD GASKET. *TR
THE SUBARU OF AMERICA DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT PAY FOR A ECU REPLACEMENT AT THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP I BROUGHT THE 2007 IMPREZA OUTBACK SPORT TO. THE BILL IS $1,100.00 AND I AM REALLY DISAPPOINTED IN THIS DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID THE MILEAGE IS TOO HIGH TO BE COVERED BY ANY WARRANTY. THE MILEAGE TO DATE IS AT 113,000 MILES. I RECEIVED A LETTER TO GET THE FUEL TANK ONE WAY FUEL VALVE REPLACED. I DID NOT GET THAT REPLACED AND THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP SAID THAT HAS NO EFFECT ON THE ECU TO FAIL. IS THAT TRUE? *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SUBARU IMPREZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND WHEN ACCELERATING IN FOURTH OR FIFTH GEAR, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE AIR VALVE WAS CLOGGED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 114,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.
OIL LEAK STARTED, AND WAS POOLING ON TOP OF ENGINE. TOOK CAR TO GET REPAIRED, WAS TOLD GASKET WOULD NEED REPLACEMENT. UPON STARTING REPAIRS, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT HELI-COIL HAD BEEN OVER TORQUED SUPPOSEDLY DURING INSTALLATION AND DUE TO OVER TORQUING, HAD BECOME STRIPPED RESULTING IN A LOOSE BOLT AND OIL WAS ABLE TO LEAK OUT. THE FAILURE CAUSED OIL TO LEAK OUT AT A CATASTROPHIC RATE, WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE ENGINE FIRE AND/OR DAMAGE TO CATALYTIC CONVERTER. OLD COIL WAS TAKEN OUT, THREADS CAME OUT WITH IT (DEMONSTRATING OVER TORQUING), AND NEW COIL WAS INSTALLED. THREADS FROM COIL ARE AVAILABLE. *TR
(POTENTIAL FOR A SERIOUS INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT). VEHICLE SURGES AND BUCKS UNCONTROLLABLY IN ALL GEARS AT LOW SPEEDS, WHICH OCCASIONALLY FORCES THE FOOT TO DEPRESS ACCELERATOR ACCIDENTALLY DO TO VIOLENT BUCKING IN SLOW TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. OTHER SUBARUS IN THE 2.5 LITER CATEGORY DO THE SAME THING. I WAS INFORMED THAT IT IS AN INHERENT CONDITION IN THIS VEHICLE I MUST LIVE WITH DESPITE THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS ENOUGH COMPLAINTS ON THE 2006 MODEL SUBARU FORESTER EXPERIENCING THIS CONDITION, THAT SUBARU OF AMERICA CAME UP WITH AN ECU UPGRADE THAT CURED THE PROBLEM. I WAS BASICALLY TOLD THAT THEY WOULD KEEP ME ON RECORD SO THAT IF AND WHEN AN ECU UPGRADE BECOMES AVAILABLE THEY WILL CONTACT ME, BUT UNTIL THEN THIS IS A FLAW IN THIS MODEL I MUST LIVE WITH. SUBARU OF AMERICA ACKNOWLEDGE THE COMPLAINT AND PASSED IT ON TO THE DEALER. I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING BACK FROM SUBARU OF AMERICA AFTER THE INITIAL CONTACT AND THE DEALER SAID THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN CURRENTLY BE DONE. *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 25, 2026