RoadVitals

1998 Subaru Impreza Suspension Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the suspension system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Suspension reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest Feb 28, 2003
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
37%
of 30 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Subaru Impreza submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming suspension

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Suspension
Filed Feb 28, 2003

THE WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED PREMATURELY.*JB

NHTSA ID
10009580
Incident
Feb 26, 2003
Suspension
Filed Oct 16, 2002

BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT REAR BEARINGS ON THIS CAR FAILED BEFORE IT REACHED 60,000 MILES. NO INJURIES -- I'M CAREFUL AND HEARD THEM FAILING -- BUT REPAIRS WERE VERY EXPENSIVE. MR

NHTSA ID
768536
Incident
Nov 28, 2001
Suspension
Filed Sep 4, 2002

THE WHEEL BEARING HAS FAILED THREE TIMES. NLM

NHTSA ID
786444
Incident
Sep 7, 2000
Suspension
Filed Mar 20, 2002

WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM REAR OF VEHICLE. MECHANIC STATED THAT WHEEL BEARINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM CONSTANTLY, AND HAD DEALER SERVICE VEHICLE ON SAME MALFUNCTION 9 TIMES.*AK

NHTSA ID
8006041
Suspension
Filed Nov 29, 2001

REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILED TWICE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS A POTENTIALLY A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. SUBARU IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THEY QUIETLY SUPERSEEDED THE OLD BALL BEARING USED IN IMPREZAS AND FORESTERS WITH A NEW ROLLER BEARING FROM THE LEGACY. PLEASE SEE THIS URL FOR MORE INFO: HTTP://WWW.I-CLUB.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=&THREADID=110396&PERPAGE=25&PAGENUMBER=1. *AK

NHTSA ID
755084
Incident
Apr 15, 2001
ElectricalEnginePowertrain (other)+2 more
Filed Sep 27, 2001

THE FLYWHEEL IS INOPERATIVE.*JB

NHTSA ID
785695
Suspension
Filed Apr 1, 2001

CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS FAILURES OF LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING, CONSUMER STATES VERY NOISY AND JUST FAILED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED THE CAR BEGAN TO VIBRATE QUITE VIOLENTLY, CAUSING SOME DIFFICULTY IN MAINTAINING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO BRAKE AND MOVE TO EMERGENCY LANE. *JB

NHTSA ID
560626
Incident
Jun 11, 1999
Suspension
Filed Mar 8, 2001

NOISE FROM REAR STRUTS. DEALER SAID THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA ID
882468
Incident
Nov 1, 2000
Suspension
Filed Feb 7, 2001

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED REPEATED WEAR/FAILURE OF THE REAR WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY (29033, 44724, 54813, 58637) WHICH CAUSED NOISE IN THE REAR WHEEL ARER AND VIBRATION WHILE DRIVING. NLM

NHTSA ID
559538
Incident
Jun 11, 1999
Suspension
Filed Oct 11, 2000

FAULTY REAR WHEEL BEARINGS MAKE NOISE AND CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. NLM

NHTSA ID
555948
Incident
Apr 24, 1999
Body & structureBrakesInterior & seats+4 more
Filed Jun 10, 1999

HEATED GREASE LEAKING FROM THE AXLES CAUSING DAMAGE. MJS

NHTSA ID
545833
Incident
Oct 1, 1998

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

Data on this page last refreshed .