2010 Subaru Impreza Engine Problems

The contact owned a 2010 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated while her son was driving approximately 60 MPH, he stated that he heard a loud bang from the engine compartment and saw smoke coming from under the hood. The son stated that an unknown warning light had illuminated. The son safely stopped the vehicle, exited, and noted that more smoke was coming from under the hood. The son stated that a small fire had ignited under the front end of the hood and eventually engulfed the vehicle. The police were on the scene and called the fire department. The son was not sure if the fire department extinguished the flame with water or chemicals. The fire department issued a report. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and declared a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

NHTSA ID

11477460

Incident

Aug 1, 2022

Mileage

180,000 mi

AFTER 72 HOURS OF MY PURCHASE OF THE 2010 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX FROM TOYOTA BOULDER DEALERSHIP LOCATED IN BOULDER, COLORADO, I HAD EXPERIENCED MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE STARTER OF THE VEHICLE. I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO FAULT IN THIS SITUATION, HOWEVER I WAS SIMPLY MISINFORMED AND THEREFORE PURCHASED A VEHICLE THAT WASNT IN ADEQUATE, SAFE CONDITIONS. ON TUESDAY I HAD EXPERIENCED A LACK OF POWER WHEN STARTING UP THE VEHICLE . I HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE IN THE MORNING HOWEVER AROUND NOON I HAD DRIVEN 10 MILES FROM MY WORK AND HAD DOWN SHIFTED TO 1 GEAR FROM 2ND AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE FOLLOWING DAY I HAD THEN TRIED TO FIRE UP THE VEHICLE BUT IT WOULD NOT START. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS ON PAR, THE BATTERY WAS AT 86% OF LIFE WHICH NARROWED IT DOWN TO EITHER THE STARTER OR ALTERNATOR. HOWEVER BY THE LOOKS AND MY KNOWLEDGE OF THESE TYPES OF VEHICLES I BELIEVE THE ROOT OF THE MALFUNCTION LIES WITHIN THE STARTER. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY THE SECOND TIME I HAD TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

11241142

Incident

Jul 31, 2019

Mileage

113,300 mi

ENGINE FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY AT 73K MILES. SUBARU ATTRIBUTED FAILURE TO "POOR LUBRICATION", BUT DENIES RESPONSIBILITY. THESE CARS BURN OIL EXCESSIVELY AND HAVE NO LOW OIL CAUTION LIGHT. MAJOR INTERNAL ENGINE FAILURES ARE COMMON WITH EJ AND FB ENGINES DUE TO FAILURE OF ROD BEARINGS, TURBOS, HEAD GASKETS AND DUE TO ABNORMAL COMBUSTION.

NHTSA ID

10956578

Incident

Nov 21, 2016

Mileage

73,000 mi

DUE TO THE SECONDARY AIR PUMP CONSTANTLY RUNNING IT HAS OVER PRESSURIZED MT CYLINDER HEAD AND HAS CAUSED COOLANT PROBLEMS. POSSIBLY HAS BLOWN THE HEAD GASKET BY CREATING EXCESSIVE BACK PRESSURE IN THE CYLINDER.

NHTSA ID

10940145

Incident

Dec 16, 2016

Mileage

95,000 mi

MY 2010 WRX STI HATCHBACK IS MAKING A CREAKING/FLEXING/BENDING SOUND EVERY TIME I DEPRESS MY CLUTCH PEDAL. I STARTED TO NOTICE THIS ABOUT A MONTH AFTER I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE AND AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A NOISE ISSUE AND UPON FURTHER RESEARCH I NOTICED THAT MY CLUTCH PEDAL/BRAKE ASSEMBLY IS FLEXING AND THE SPOT WELDS ARE FAILING ON THE FIREWALL. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO MULTIPLE DEALERSHIPS IN VIRGINIA AND THEY ALL HAVE SAID IT IS "NORMAL" AND REFUSED TO WORK ON IT SAYING MY WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. I AM NOT SURE IF THE VEHICLE IS SAFE TO DRIVE OR IF THE ASSEMBLY WILL STOP WORKING CAUSING AN ACCIDENT, INJURY OR DEATH. *TR

NHTSA ID

10620926

Incident

Aug 8, 2014

Mileage

70,000 mi

CRACKED PISTON, CYLINDER 2 MISFIRE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10521297

Incident

Jun 23, 2013

Mileage

35,000 mi

ENGINE COMPLETELY SEIZED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT ANY WARNING FROM THE CAR'S COMPUTER ENGINE SEIZURE WAS DUE TO ALL OF THE OIL LEAKING OUT OF THE ENGINE FROM THE OIL FILTER AREA. THIS WAS A SLOW LEAK OVER A 5 MONTH PERIOD. THE BIGGEST CONCERN HERE IS THAT THE CAR'S COMPUTER SYSTEM DID NOTHING TO WARN ME OF THIS IMPENDING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. NO OIL LIGHTS EVER CAME ON, NO CEL EVER CAME ON, THE OIL TEMPERATURE GAUGE NEVER MOVED FROM THE MIDDLE. FROM THE TIME THE SLIGHT KNOCKING IN THE ENGINE STARTED TO THE TIME OF THE ENGINE SEIZING WAS PROBABLY LESS THEN 5 MINUTES. EVEN DURING THE ENGINE KNOCKING NO WARNING LIGHTS OR CEL CAME ON AT ALL. IF I WAS NOT SUCH AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER I THINK THIS COULD HAVE ENDED AS A VERY BAD ACCIDENT. I COULD SEE SOMEBODY ELSE BEING IN A VERY SCARY AND DANGEROUS SITUATION TO HAVE YOUR ENGINE COMPLETELY SEIZE UP AND STOP WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED (68 MPH) RESULTING IN AN IMMEDIATE POWER LOSS, LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND LOSS OF FULL BREAKING POWER WHILE TRYING TO NAVIGATE TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD SAFELY. UPON ALERTING SUBARU OF AMERICA AND THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS THEY DID NOT SHOW ANY SENSE OF CONCERN ABOUT THIS ISSUE. IF A CAR HAS NO OIL IN IT AND THE ENGINE SEIZES WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT ANY WARNING FROM THE CARS COMPUTER THIS SEEMS LIKE A SEVERE LIABILITY AND FAULTY DESIGN IN THE CARS COMPUTER SAFETY FEATURES. SUBARU OF AMERICA JUST DID NOT SEEMED CONCERN ABOUT THIS ISSUE AT ALL SO I FEEL OBLIGATED TO MAKE THIS ISSUE BE KNOWN TO PREVENT ANY POSSIBLE FUTURE INSTANCES OF THIS HAPPENING AND HOPEFULLY ALERTING SUBARU OF AMERICA TO THIS PROBLEM SO THEY CAN REVIEW THIS AND FIX THIS ISSUE FOR OTHER SUBARU IMPREZA WRX DRIVERS AND THE SAFETY OF THEIR OCCUPANTS AND OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD. I AM VERY, VERY THANKFUL THIS DID NOT HAPPEN WHEN MY CHILDREN WERE IN THE CAR WITH ME. *TR

NHTSA ID

10471168

Incident

Aug 3, 2012

Mileage

17,800 mi

FIRST FAILURE WAS MY CLUTCH DUE TO THE PRESSURE PLATE BEING INSTALLED INCORRECTLY FROM THE FACTORY AND WAS WARRANTED. SECOND FAILURE WAS AN AIR FUEL SENSOR WHICH ALSO WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THIRD FAILURE WAS MY 4TH CYLINDER CRACKED PISTON. THE DEALERSHIP WHICH HAS BEEN THE SAME THAT I HAVE GONE TO FOR ALL MY SERVICE AND WARRANTY REFUSED TO WARRANTY THE PISTONS BECAUSE OF AN AFTERMARKET EXHAUST WHICH WAS INSTALLED FOR THE FIRST TWO WARRANTY FAILURES MENTIONED ABOVE. I WAS FORCED TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO HAVE THE REPAIRS DONE!

NHTSA ID

10417470

Incident

Aug 1, 2010

Mileage

15,000 mi

BEFORE THE FAILURE WHITE SMOKE CAME OUT THE TAILPIPE AND THE ENGINE WAS HESITATING. PISTON #4 HAD A FAILED RINGLAND CAUSING THE ENGINE TO FAIL. TO CORRECT THE FAILURE THE ENGINE HAD TO BE TAKEN APART AT THE DEALER AND HAVE NEW PARTS INSTALLED. THE CAR WAS OUT OF MY POSSESSION FOR TWO WEEKS. THE CAR HAD ONLY ~8000 MILES ON IT AND IT APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON 2008-2010+ SUBARU IMPREZA STI'S. *TR

NHTSA ID

10344766

Incident

May 14, 2010

Mileage

8,000 mi

ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO COMPLETE LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE IN 2006 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX LIMITED SPORTWAGON. *TR

NHTSA ID

10328997

Incident

May 1, 2010

Mileage

74,000 mi