1996 Subaru Impreza 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 1996 Subaru Impreza, 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
- Airbags520.0%
- Brakes520.0%
- Seat belts312.0%
- Tires & wheels312.0%
- Engine312.0%
- Suspension28.0%
- Visibility14.0%
- Fuel system14.0%
- Interior & seats14.0%
- Other / unspecified14.0%
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
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
PLEASE NOTE; BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AT THE SAME TIME WHILE THE SUBARU IMPREZA WAS IN PARK. *AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 35MPH, AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALSO SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT. DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
BRAKES FAILED AND STARTED TO SMOKE ON A HILL. I HAVE DRIVEN FOR 20 YEARS, WITH MANY DIFFERENT CARS. IF TRAFFIC HAD BEEN SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT MY WIFE AND I COULD BE DEAD. *AK
ANTI LOCK BRAKES GRINDING WITH NOISE, INTERMITTENT BRAKE LOSS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 35MPH, AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALSO SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT. DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
VEHICLE HAS NO HEAD RESTRAINTS; ALSO, SEATBACK IS SHORT. ONE COULD GET A BROKEN NECK IF IN THE REAR DURING AN ACCIDENT. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
ALL FOUR TIRES SPLIT AROUND THE SIDEWALLS AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 185-70 R14 )
ONGOING PROBLEM WITH WHEEL COVER: CAPS NOT STAYING ON. DEALER/MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE BEGINS TO VIBRATE AND THEN DRASTICALLY LOSES POWER NOT BEING ABLE TO MAINTAIN SPEED ABOVE 40MPH. DEALER HAS DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS A MISFIRE ON CYLINDER 2, BUT HAS BEEN UNABLE TO CORRECT.*AK
A STUCK VALVE CAUSED THE CAR TO MISFIRE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO GO ON. IT TOOK SUBARU 3 MONTHS TO FIGURE IT OUT. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
AT 61629 AND 63512 MILES WHEEL BEARINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED. THEY HAVE BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES AT DEALERSHIP. BEARINGS WERE BEING GREASED WITH WRONG KIND OF GREASE AND THE AMOUNT OF GREASE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR PROPER USE. *AK THE DEALER REPLACED BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARINGS. *YH
REAR WHEEL BEARINGS REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. *YC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE NUT THAT ATTACHES THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TO THE MOTOR CAME OFF. WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECAME INOPERABLE, OBSTRUCTING THE VIEW OF THE DRIVER. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER NEEDED SERVICE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE HAS NO HEAD RESTRAINTS; ALSO, SEATBACK IS SHORT. ONE COULD GET A BROKEN NECK IF IN THE REAR DURING AN ACCIDENT. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
HUBCAPS ON VEHICLE DESIGNED TO DETER VANDALISM, AND CAN ONLY BE REMOVED BY POUNDING THEM WITH A RUBBER MALLET. *DH
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 .