There are 5 owner-reported tires & wheels complaints for the 2012 Subaru Imprezain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Two of the four tires on the car have flaps / tears on sidewalls.
IN 2014 TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM LIGHT STARTED BLINKING THEN REMAINED ILLUMINATED. NOW 2016 SAME PROBLEM NOW TOLD ONE OF THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM SENSORS IS AGAIN DEFECTIVE BUT NOT UNDER WARRANTY.
IN A CRIME RIDDEN NEIGHBORHOOD I HAD A FLAT TIRE WHICH I WAS UNABLE TO CHANGE. THIS WAS DUE TO MY SUBARU LABELED AND PACKAGED "MCGARD" WHEEL KEY WHICH CRACKED AND BECAME UNUSABLE. TIRE SALES AND REPAIR FACILITY SUMMONED FOR ASSISTANCE REPORTS THEY HAVE A "BUCKET" FULL OF THIS BRAND OF WHEEL LOCK "KEYS" WHICH CRACKED AND BECAME UNUSABLE. AFTER MY FIRST MCGARD WHEEL LOCK KEY CRACKED, MCGARD SENT ME A FREE WHEEL LOCK "KEY" AND SAID THE ORIGINAL CRACKED, BECAUSE SOMEONE USED EXCESSIVE AIR-WRENCH TORQUE TO REMOVE LUG NUTS. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE UNTRUE, BECAUSE TO ELIMINATE THIS POSSIBILITY, I PERSONALLY ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE FOUR KEYED WHEEL LOCKS (WITH MY BRAND NEW WHEEL LOCK KEY) PRIOR TO A TIRE ROTATION AT A TIRE SALES FACILITY. THE BRAND NEW WHEEL LOCK KEY CRACKED AGAIN (AFTER THE THIRD MCGARD LUG), SIMPLY BY ME TRYING TO REMOVE THE KEYED LUGS. IT SHOULD BE NOTED SUBARU LUG NUT TORQUE HAD BEEN APPROXIMATELY 62' LBS., AND IT IS NOW APPROXIMATELY 85' LBS. PLEASE ALSO SEE MY OTHER NHTSA COMPLAINT REGARDING THE UNUSABLE SUBARU SUPPLIED LUG WRENCH. I BELIEVE THIS AFFECTS 2013 MODELS, AND VERY POSSIBLY MODEL YEARS PRIOR TO 2012. *TR
UNABLE TO CHANGE FLAT TIRE. THE WHEEL-NUT OR LUG-NUT TORQUE REQUIRED BY SUBARU IS 89FT LBS. THIS TORQUE WAS THE TORQUE ON MY WHEEL-NUTS, AS VERIFIED TWICE BY A NEW-TIRE SALES FACILITY. WITH SUBARU'S 11 1/2" WRENCH, MOST WOMEN AND MANY MEN (MYSELF INCLUDED) CANNOT LOOSEN THESE NUTS. MY WEIGHTLIFTING NEIGHBOR COULD NOT BELIEVE HE COULD NOT LOOSEN THE LUG-NUTS WITH THE SUPPLIED WRENCH. THEY ARE THAT TIGHT! THE OWNER'S MANUAL CAUTIONS NOT TO STAND ON THE WRENCH. THIS CONDITION CAN LEAVE SOMEONE STRANDED, PERHAPS IN A DANGEROUS AREA, OR UNDER DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. SUBARU SHOULD VERIFY THIS PROBLEM, BY HAVING INDIVIDUALS TRY TO LOOSEN THE NUTS. ANYONE WITH THIS VEHICLE (DO OTHER MODELS ALSO HAVE THIS CONDITION?) IS ADVISED TO FIGURE A WAY TO REMOVE THESE NUTS BEFORE AN EMERGENCY OCCURS. *TR
CRACK IN TIRE SIDEWALL. NO EXTERIOR DAMAGE. TIRE GUY SAID PROBLEM IN MANUFACTURE. *TR
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