NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Subaru Impreza. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated and the high-temperature warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and determined that an engine reseal had failed and needed to be redone. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.
The problem started on towards the end of Dec 2025. The primary latch that holds the hood down failed, and the safety latch kept the hood from flying off. I pulled the car over and shut it, and it seemed okay. Because the hood hadn't been lifted for a few days ( since its last service ), I was at a loss as to what could be causing it. Since then, it's happened several times. I've also examined the latch, and it appears to be fine. When it pops up, the safety latch catches it, and I pull over and close it. My next step is to have a mechanic put in a new latch. The car has 95,000 miles on the ticker,
My vehicle has repeatedly displayed a “low tire pressure” warning despite having been serviced twice for this issue. In addition, there is an open case with Subaru of America regarding ongoing performance concerns – fuel tank?! In addition, I have reported both verbally and in writing to the dealership that my car often loses power when driving uphill and, at times, runs unevenly or hesitantly—similar to an engine stutter or sputter. Most recently, multiple problems occurred simultaneously. The low tire pressure warning remained on, my cell phone was no longer recognized or paired with the vehicle and would not charge, part of the clock display stopped illuminating, and then the vehicle suddenly began to shake. Within seconds, all dashboard warning lights turned on and the engine shut off entirely. This happened so rapidly that I had no time to react. Fortunately, I had pulled over the car; otherwise, this incident could have resulted in a serious crash with me behind the wheel. Although no prior warning lights had appeared, I was later informed that the vehicle had a cracked ignition coil and a dead battery—despite the car having relatively low mileage and there being two recalls related to this issue. The new manager went above and beyond to assist me during this ordeal and I am beyond grateful for everything – Subaru of America is lucky to have him on staff!! However, as of today, I still have not received a clear explanation of what caused this failure or what risks may remain if I continue driving the vehicle. My understanding is that ignition coils should run for 80K - 100K. I am aware that others have experienced similar problems, and I request that this matter be thoroughly addressed before it results in a potentially preventable, yet serious accident.
This making model has become known for a parasitic drain of the DCM module. It’s all over the public forums that this module doesn’t shut down properly and causes a drain on the battery system. The remedy is to plug your car into a battery tender system.
Engine oil leak. An engine oil leak could potentially cause a fire hazard by igniting when leaking into hot components. It could cause engine damage due to inadequate lubrication leading to overheating and severe engine damage. The leak can contaminate the environment including soil and water, and it can create slippery surfaces which would be a risk to people walking in the area with leaked oil. I took my vehicle to a Subaru dealership for service, and they indicated that it was leaking oil everywhere. I looked it up and found numerous reports in online forums of others having the exact same issue. I was quoted over $5000 to repair and forums also indicate that others have been quoted multiple thousands of dollars to repair as well. I have noticed that the vehicle would always give me a low oil light approximately 3000 miles after an oil change, so I would top it off. It has been doing this since I originally purchased the vehicle with approximately 16000 miles. I took it to a Subaru dealership back then and was told by the service providers that it's normal for engines under 60,000 miles to consume more oil and dismissed it. Now it no longer falls under warranty and am expected to pony up $5000 to fix it.
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
On 8/9/24 I was involved in a fender bender minor collision with a parked car which damaged my right-hand headlamp assembly on my 2018 Subaru Impreza. On 8/23/24 I brought my car to Subaru of Ann Arbor to have Safety Recall WRG-22 NHTSA ID 22V-624 performed on it. Both headlamp assemblies were under recall by Subaru. I was told by the service manager that the right hand and left hand headlamp assembly replacement procedure could not be performed free of charge, as promised by Subaru, because the front bumper was damaged (due to the accident), and Subaru could not remove and replace it in order to accomplish either headlamp replacement. On 9/9/24 I brought my car to Heritage Collision Center for a repair estimate on my damaged right hand front fender. (See Picture 1) I told Heritage Collision that the right hand headlamp assembly was under recall and Subaru was going to replace it free of charge. During the time of repair, I asked Heritage if I could take a picture of the damaged and recalled right hand headlamp assembly (See Picture 2). Upon reviewing my final bill of repair from Heritage Collision, I saw that Subaru had charged the MSRP of $319.95 to replace the recalled right hand headlamp assembly after promising to replace the recalled headlamp assembly for free. Subaru owes me $319.95 for my replacement of the recalled headlamp assembly. (See Picture 3)
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The headlight reflectors on both the left and right front sides of the car aren't effectively reflecting light, which compromises visibility for other road users and jeopardizes nighttime driving. Moreover, both front halogen low beam reflectors fail to adequately light up the road for the driver, significantly reducing visibility. It's a genuine safety concern, and this recall was issued on August 12, 2022. Are Subaru cars safe when they don't address recalls?
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
A recall was issued for this vehicle about 17 months ago and a remedy is still unavailable. We find this to be unacceptable especially considering it is a safety hazard.
NOTIFYED 10/2022 OF SAFTY RECALL WRG-22 / NHTSA ID 22V-624 DEALER GRAND PRIX SUBARU 500 SOUTH BROADWAY HICKSVILLE New York 11801 CLAIMS NO INFO ON THIS RECALL. HAS NOT CALLED ME BACK.
Received recall notice 10/22 and still have not received a phone call to have it repaired. I have called the dealer and they said they are starting with the older cars first and I will receive a letter when I can bring it in. Per the recall notice it states "increasing the risk of a crash". I find this to be very concerning because my son drives this car.
Engine began failing at 68k miles. The vehicle spews blue smoke from the tailpipe and under the hood and loses power when accelerating intermittently. It also consumes large amounts of oil. I've had the car worked on by an independent mechanic and will have to have the engine rebuilt at a cost of $6500 or more. Local dealership claims car is out of warranty an nothing can be done. The car didn't have a light on despite these symptoms. At 83k miles, the car became completely unsafe to operate.
I can't see far enough at night with the low beams on. I drive to work on coastal roads and have had several near misses. I have been to Tacoma Subaru twice to get this fixed. The first time one if the parts was broken then when I went again this morning I was told that the Subaru Corporation would not approve the work. It has been almost 16 months since the recall was issued and I think that's more than enough time to fix my car.
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Knocking sound in engine confirmed by dealership service center to be a spark knock in the engine. No fix available and the service center stated "is a common problem in Impreza."
2018 Impreza, beginning around 2020, has had three dead or damaged batteries (2x OEM and 1x aftermarket) and the car is now on its fourth battery (aftermarket). Vehicle couldn't sit for more than a few days without needing jump started. Dealership performed parasitic draw test and concluded the Data Communications Module (DCM) was the source of the parasitic draw and pulled the DCM fuse while I await back ordered parts (the DCM and DCM battery). From my research, older DCM units rely on 3G cell service that's no longer available and the DCM keeps attempting to phone home telemetry data, but can't, and drains the battery. Thankfully I have an extended warranty to cover this replacement but feel like Subaru needs to be more proactive in solving this issue for its customers by declaring a recall.
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. .
This recall 22V624000 was issued in August of 2022 and it is now September of 2023, over a year since it was recalled and Subaru still does not have a remedy according to NHTSA website and my local Subaru dealer. Does it really take more than 13 months to redesign a few parts in a headlamp assembly and get it manufactured? Covid is no longer an excuse. When will someone put Subaru on notice to get this done? Does Subaru have some sort of deadline as to when they are required to get this done? Please help us!
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
I was attempting to adjust the recline angle on the car seat in my husband’s car to match on daughter new weight category of over 20 pounds. When I went to adjust it I realized it only locks in positions 1 and 5. Neither of these is the appropriate angle. I have contacted the manufacturer. I have also learned apparently this is a common and know problem with this car seat model and the manufacturer is aware and has taken no action. This failure to lock is placing children at risk and could cause injury if the seat were involved in an accident.
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
it is a case of sudden acceleration when parking the car in battery , goin forward very slowly, the subaru impreza accelerate , jump the curve and crash agaings a tree 5 ft away from the curve, the results extensive damage in the left front , airbags did not deploy
I'm really concerned by the recall notice from Subaru that my chances of a crash are increased due to inadequate headlamps. I've had a handful of instances where other vehicles have not seen me and just stopped before pulling out in front of me. I was notified of this defect last October. It's now July. When will Subaru have a remedy to keep me safe?
It’s been nearly a year since Subaru issued the safety recall on the Impreza yet they still claim they have no remedy despite the recall notice and the NHTSA website stating that the right and left headlamp housing will be replaced as the remedy. At this point it’s not being handled in a timely fashion and Subaru is dragging their feet and not concerned about the safety of their customers as they initially fought the recall through appeals and lost, thus forcing them to implement the recall. They are rolling Impreza’s off the assembly line so it’s not like there’s a part shortage, they should be halting production to get the headlamp housing units out to the dealers and not allowed to continue to produce new vehicles if they can’t handle them both concurrently.
Failure of the starter motor, should be able to get the faulty part from mechanic. This rendered me unable to start my car and required a tow, thankfully not from the side of the highway. Confirmed faulty with tow driver and mechanic. The part has only been inspected by mechanic who mentioned this was the third starter motor failure he has seen on Subaru Imprezas. No warnings, though the car struggled to turn over earlier in the day.
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated while driving at night, the headlights failed to provide adequate illumination. The failure mileage was 25,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
When the car is turned on, all of the lights flicker nonstop to the point of moderately reducing line of sight. I am terrified the headlights are going to just quit altogether. The car also “shimmys” in time with the flickering lights. It appears to get worse when accelerating as well. Also it has been over 2 years since the headlight recall for this model. The dealership keeps saying, we don’t have the parts or just ignoring my requests altogether.
HEADLIGHTS DO NOT ILLUMINATE THE ROADWAY WITH ENOUGH LIGHT. This recall was entered on Aug 12, 2022 when do they have to fix it? What is a "timely manner?" How long are they allowed to wait. I called Subaru and they indicate they have no definitive time that they have to fix it? Why do they have unlimited time to fix a safety issue? It's been 10 months and you would think they would have the parts by now or are they stalling so that they will have a reduced number of cars to fix? I think the government should step up their enforcement on this issue and get Subaru to provide a timeline for the fix and not just "when we get to it" response.
While driving on highway 96 on 3/29/23 at 5:45pm my drivers side window blew out. I was in the far left lane going 75mph, when I heard a pop noise and when I looked over my window was flying in my car and outside my car. I did just keep driving because what would stopping do. I did not file a police report because I didn’t find a stone or bullet in my car. I have contacted Subaru and they seem to be working with me. They offered to pay for any out of pocket expenses for the window. I still need to talk with them about the paint that needs repainting due to the glass hitting it.
March 2023 I had all 4 rotors & brakes replaced. About 2 weeks after, doing 65 mph on highway 79 I had to lightly apply my brakes. After letting off the brake all of a sudden my whole car, steering wheel, etc started shaking. I pulled off the road thinking something broke but nothing was. A couple months later on 79 it did it again without applying my brakes. It's happening more often and the shaking is getting more severe to where my car is either going to fall apart or bounce off the road or into another car. I'm terrified when this happens because I don't know what's going to happen. I won't even put my grand children in my car. One if my co-workers had the same thing happen to her Subaru. She said after her mechanics did some investigating, they found that there was an issue with the replacement rotors warping and causing the car to shake terribly. This is a severe safety issue and really needs to be investigated. Also a year warranty on these defective parts is too short.
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The hubcaps that were manufactured with the car and given with the car have repeatedly fallen off while driving. This is a hazard because it has almost hit other cars while driving. In the 5 years I have had this car I’ve had to replace 6 hub caps that have fallen off. When I got my tires replaced this year I was also told by the tire center that they constantly see this issue with Subarus and that the hub caps for this car frequently fall off because of the design. I have tried to tell Subaru about this issue but they don’t care. I have friends who also have Subarus who have the same issue and whenever I’m driving around I can see other Subarus missing their hubcaps so I know I’m not the only one having this issue. The approximate date I’ll enter is the most recent but this dates back to 2020
headlights on #22V624000 Recall WRG22. My headlights never illuminated the road properly since new. Mentioned it several times to dealership on service visits and they stated they are all the same. It seems there was an issue. I called Subaru and they advised there is no time line to fix a safety recall? It has been 5 months since the recall was issued and they still cannot tell when it can be fixed?
Have had low visibility at night since purchase in 2018. Thought it was just the bulbs until receiving a recall notice that it is a manufactured issue and there is still no remedy. VERY low night visibility is a serious safety risk to myself and other drivers when having to operate after dark. It has been over 5 months and Subaru has still failed to make a remedy available to resolve problem.
After the coil pack recall was done, our car began shuddering, hesitating and stalling. Went to the dealership 4-5 times. ECM and Prindle valve were replaced but still doing it. then engine exploded going up a hill, stranding us for 2.5 hours on the freeway. Engine replaced under warranty (which expired while in shop for two months). No warranty on new motor. Same issues still going on and shop now charges us to "look at it." It stalled last week in heavy traffic, so it definitely is dangerous. We don't want to sell the car and pass the problem on to someone else.
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, he noticed that a vertical crack had formed on the bottom passenger’s side windshield. The crack quickly extended approximately 30 inches. The contact stated that the crack obstructed his vision while driving at various speeds. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
The Starlink head unit, produced by HK, is having the same issues that the WUA86 update should have fixed. It was reprogrammed in 2019, and less than 1 year later when my wife bought it, it was having the same reported glitches. I.E. randomly turning off and on, not connecting to Bluetooth/usb music interface, backup camera taking extended time to come up on head unit screen, turning the headhunt off with the power button doesn't work because it just randomly turns itself back on again. The bluetooth will also randomly disconnect when it does happen to connect in the first place. This is a recall that was performed, and the same exact issues are happening. It's a BIG danger to whomever is driving the car as it takes attention away from driving. I am very unhappy with this danger as it was supposed to have been repaired already. Since the 2018 subaru impresa premium is out of the extended warranty even, it seems there's nothing we can do. But Subara put out this software update and said it would work. It didn't!
My car was involved in an accident and one headlight was smashed. I found out from my body shop that was my car was recalled and they have no way to fix my headlight. I called Subaru and they told me that the body shop could just put another head light in. But when I talked to the body shop, they cannot just put a headlight in because of the recall. No one is able to help me and now I am out of a car for months instead of only one month.
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Driver / owner of vehicle was found deceased from a fire that originated in the engine compartment of the vehicle. This is being reported by Portland Fire and Rescue Fire Investigator [XXX]. NO apparent body damage to the metal parts of the vehicle. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
This recall was issued Aug 12 2022 and 3 months later still no parts available to fix the lighting issue? I reported this headlight issue at the first scheduled service that I thought the headlights were dim and did not shine far enough. Dealer service sept said they are all like that. Yes they are …. When will they have the parts?
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that he parked and remained at a close distance from the vehicle; however, upon returning to the vehicle, he noticed that there was a large crack on the windshield. The contact inspected the windshield but could not determine the cause of the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 25,500.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026