2009 Subaru Impreza Wrx Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2009 Subaru Impreza Wrx, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine6100.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX. HE STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THE ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE A NOISE WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN AND SHUT OFF. HE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND DRIVE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER; HOWEVER, THE NOISE BECAME LOUDER AND MORE FREQUENT AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AT THEIR EXPENSE. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE ENGINE WAS DESTROYED AND COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT BEFORE THE VEHICLE LEFT THE FACTORY THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT INSPECTED PRIOR TO BEING INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED PER THE WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1400 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1600.
MY 09 WRX, PURCHASED IN OCTOBER, SPUN A BEARING ROD JUST OVER A MONTH AGO (HAD 6001 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME). I LIVE AT ALTITUDE (8200 FT) AND DRIVE A ROUGHLY PAVED MOUNTAIN ROAD EACH DAY. THIS IS NOT GOOD ON MY TIRES, NOT ONE BIT. MIKE SHAW SUBARU IN THORTON, COLORADO HAS FINALLY GOTTEN AROUND TO FIXING THE CAR. TOOK THEM ONE MONTH, AND I HAD A RENTAL CAR FOR ONE WEEK, BUT, THEY REPLACED THE TURBO AND ENGINE. ONE MAJOR HOWEVER HERE. LET ME QUOTE MY MIKE SHAW PAPERWORK- THAT I REFUSED TO SIGN- "THIS REPAIR IS NOT COVERED BY SUBARU'S LIMITED WARRANTY DUE TO THE ABUSIVE OR AGGRESSIVE DRIVING HABITS AND/OR VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS." BECAUSE OF TIRE WEAR? REALLY? NOW, MY WARRANTY IS SHOT FOR ANY FUTURE ENGINE WORK, THE DEALERSHIP ITSELF TOLD ME. I REFUSED TO SIGN ANY OF THEIR PAPERS, AND WILL BE AGGRESSIVELY PURSUING LITIGATION IF I DO NOT GET THIS DECISION REVERSED OR AT LEAST HAVE SOMEONE KNOWLEDGEABLE EXPLAIN TO ME HOW I 'ABUSED' MY CAR. I WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND THE BREAK-IN PERIOD (2K MILES BEFORE IT EVER HIT ANY SUBSTANTIAL, SUSTAINED RPM). THE VEHICLE HISTORY REPORT WILL KILL ME WHEN/IF I TRY TO SELL THIS CAR. I ALSO WARMED THE CAR UP FOR A FULL 10 MINUTES BEFORE EVEN REMOTELY PUSHING THE CAR BETWEEN 2K AND 6K MILES. WHAT THIS CAME DOWN TO WAS THEM TELLING ME, VERBATIM, THAT "9/10 OF THESE CARS WITH THIS ISSUE HAVE COME IN DUE TO DRIVER ERROR". ARE YOU KIDDING ME? THIS WAS FROM THE SAME PEOPLE THAT WANTED TWO PROOFS OF OIL CHANGE IN THE FIRST 5,970 MILES BEFORE THEY WOULD PROCEED WITH CHANGING MY ENGINE. I PROVIDED ONE, AND THEY RELENTED, BUT THE SHEER ABSURDITY IS THE ISSUE AT HAND HERE. I CALLED SOA AND AM STILL WAITING FOR A RETURN CALL. PERHAPS I WILL ENDLESSLY HIT REDIAL IN AN EFFORT TO REDEEM MY WARRANTY, OR PERHAPS I WILL DO MY ABSOLUTE BEST SHEDDING LIGHT ON THIS DEFECTIVE 09 WRX ISSUE VIA EVERY OTHER MEANS AVAILABLE. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .