2015 Subaru Impreza Owner Complaints

My front passenger seat belt has been stuck and unusable since November 2025. This issue has been reported to Brandon Tomes Subaru in McKinney TX at the end of November. The seat belt was inspected and was determined faulty and covered under the warranty. The part needed to fix it wasn't unavailable and the dealership said it would be shipped. Today is April 6th of 2026 and my car has not been repaired still. It is not safe to transport passengers and I have 3 children. My oldest [XXX] ) always uses the front passenger seat. I am unable to safely drive the car and transport my family, and it very negatively affecting my family. Please help me to get my car back on the road and safely. With appreciation, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11729535

Incident

Nov 24, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while reversing the vehicle at 10 MPH, the transmission was shifted into drive (D), and the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration at 30 MPH. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to stop and instead accelerated. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle then crashed into a building. No air bags were deployed. The contact did not sustain any injuries, but medical attention was received on the scene. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop and had not yet been deemed totaled by the insurance company. The contact stated that a police officer later arrived at the residence to deliver a notice suspending her driver's license indefinitely due to a medical condition. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

NHTSA ID

11592389

Incident

Jun 1, 2024

Mileage

63,000 mi

P0018. P0016

NHTSA ID

11585657

Incident

Apr 3, 2024

My 2015 Impreza has had its rear wheel bearings fail twice now, and now there’s still a loud noise coming from the end of my vehicle. My most recent trip to the dealer to get a bearing replaced costed me nearly $800. The kicker is, I just rolled over 65,000 on my car. There’s no reason I should be flying through bearings this fast, and have what seems like a never ending rear-end noise that seems to only be getting louder.

NHTSA ID

11566216

Incident

Dec 6, 2023

Driving the 2015 Subaru Impreza the front hood popped open and crashed into my windshield. Luckily it popped at 30-40 miles per hour and I was able to stop safely. Many damage to the body of the vehicle. It has happened a couple times before (found the hood open) but the safety hook was holding the hood closed. Called the Subaru dealer at San Bernardino and they said that is not a recall for this issue and I asked to talk with a representative and they said someone will call me. After 3 days of waiting to be contacted, I called the insurance to fix the car.

NHTSA ID

11554123

Incident

Nov 5, 2023

All of a sudden, with no reason whatsoever, my daughter's car has "rod knock" with less than 100,000 miles on it. Bought this Subaru for my daughter so she would have a car that would last a long time and she would be safe. Maintenance was kept up at our local mechanic religiously. I am saddened and disappointed in the mechanical performance of this vehicle. Started with lights going out early in ownership when it was new, and now this. I have a Subaru Impreza as well and am strongly considering trading it in for a Honda. I have family that works for Subaru and I wanted to support family and bought 2 Impreza's based on belief that your brand was highly regarded for longevity and safety. Engine's in vehicles should last more than 100k miles, regardless of the manufacturer. This should be a recall based on internet research. My ask is that Subaru stands up to its marketing and its product and takes care of this repair at no cost.

NHTSA ID

11537225

Incident

Jul 31, 2023

We bought our 2015 Subaru Impreza from a used car dealer (we are second owner) in February 2020 with 55K miles on it. On our test drive, we noticed the air bag said it was off even with a passenger in the car. We agreed to purchase the vehicle upon repair. It was repaired and the mechanic guaranteed his work, and we had no issues for a year. Then, we moved across the country and the sensor began to sometimes malfunction again. The Subaru dealership quoted something like $3k to fix it. In Googling the issue, I see Subaru has had this issue in previous models. Please open an investigation to see if the problem continues in more recent years.

NHTSA ID

11527736

Incident

Jun 19, 2023

Battery Drain when plugging into the USB port: This is second battery that had to be replaced since purchase of the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11519879

Incident

Apr 26, 2023

Power Steering failed, extremely hard to turn steering wheel, EPS Light on dash illuminated. Luckily happened in driveway. Thinking back steering seemed odd last week was less effort to turn left as opposed to turning right.

NHTSA ID

11509772

Incident

Mar 1, 2023

Passenger air bag will randomly turn off with passenger riding. This is well know issue with subaru and they still have not sent a recall. With this issue being so wide spread I do not think the dealership should charge over 600 dollars for this repair. I previous did this repair and the same part failed within a year and half.

NHTSA ID

11497059

Incident

Dec 12, 2022

My windshield cracked on its own, with no cause, chip, etc.

NHTSA ID

11479022

Incident

Jul 28, 2017

I purchased a Subaru for reliability and safety reasons. This car has placed my family in some dangerous situations. Every time the outside temp is 90+ degrees F and it is driven on a road trip of 200+ miles, the car's acceleration shuts off. There is never any warning or check engine/trans lights until after this happens. Nate Wade Subaru in Salt Lake City cannot find any codes and does not know how to help. The car will not restart after being turned off, even after waiting up to an hour. We have had to tow it. The last incident taking place 7/30/2022 with our 19 year old son driving. The worst part is that twice it happened in the far left lane with no option to get over to the right side of the highway safely due to traffic. Cars/trucks from behind have narrowly missed hitting us because there was not enough shoulder to pull out of the way. This has happened both in UT and ID where posted speed limits were 70-80 mph and put us in real danger. I don't know what to do other than sell the car. But I don't feel right doing that without sharing this problem -which would then "kill" the sale. It is unacceptable to not have a fix for this issue or at least a warning light so we know when it might happen.

NHTSA ID

11477430

Incident

Jul 30, 2022

My transmission completely locked up on me while driving at interstate speeds. I was traveling at 65 MPH with the car in regular driving mode, on cruise control and the transmission completely locked up on me. The front tires locked briefly, causing me to go into a small skid, which I was able to correct, and then the engine revved high and I had no power. This lockup and skid caused a rapid deceleration of the vehicle and had there been lots of traffic around me it would have caused a major accident on the interstate, possibly causing fatalities. My transmission completely locked up once I went through the nearest intersection to get to a side road. This left me stranded in the middle of a major highway intersection with no ability to physically push my vehicle out of the way. The vehicle behind me just about rear-ended me. This has been a major issue with these transmissions and a major safety issue. These transmissions should be put on a recall since this is a major safety issue. The extended warranty that Subaru has put out only waits for a problem to occur, this does not save lives but only puts them in danger. They should be FORCED to do a recall. No warning lights illuminated on the dash prior to the transmission locking up. The vehicle has been inspected by a certified mechanic and has diagnosed that it is an issue with the transmission itself and no other component on the vehicle. This issue of the CVT transmission is well documented.

NHTSA ID

11476180

Incident

Jul 18, 2022

Hood flew open on interstate. After driving around town running errands I drove onto the interstate got like a mile down the road. I was in the left lane going about 60 mph the hood flew open. Smashing directly into the windshield. I thankfully was able to hit my four ways and get to a stop without any collision. I couldn’t say exactly when the hood had been opened last but certainly was not recent to this occurring. Quite severe damage was caused from this happening. Immediate estimate of damages were shown to the hood, fenders, roof, windshield and unknown damage as of yet under the hood or to the eyesight system.

NHTSA ID

11468837

Incident

Apr 27, 2022

Yesterday, March 28, 2022 I stopped to run into a shop. Left my windows down because it was hot. My AC fan doesn’t work half the time. When I put my keys in the ignition, the key would not turn to accessories or ignite the car to start. The steering wheel was locked. The park gear shift wouldn’t move. I tried forcing these for at least 15 minutes. I had my emergency key fob and tried it repeatedly,too, but still I don’t know why it turned finally. I took to Subaru today who had a technical bulletin about it, fixed it for no charge. Says letter has gone out but I hadn’t received it. Why? I live alone, am 73, and do not have anyone to call to help. It’s unsafe because one could be stuck in the car when bad weather is outside creating a dangerous situation. Subaru called this Park-Range repair.

NHTSA ID

11458895

Incident

Mar 28, 2022

When leaving a gas station with a slight dip in the pavement, I inched my vehicle forward as slowly as I could as to not “bottom out.” This 2015 Impreza model has an overall design flaw; it sits too low to the ground therefore compromising the entire structure of the body. The Impreza in fact bottomed out and my entire front end cracked and fell off as well as the side panel on the front of the vehicle came apart and now hangs off the vehicle. I have seen NUMEROUS Subaru Imprezas that appeared to be the same make and model with this same exact problem. I believe this entire car should be recalled as it is structurally flawed, cannot maneuver safely and properly on standard roads and highways which results in body damage that is completely NOT operator error.

NHTSA ID

11457517

Incident

Sep 19, 2019

When put key in ignition, the car doesn’t start. The key can not be taken out of ignition. Numerous jiggles. Put foot on the brake, take foot off the brake. Eventually starts. Fear will be unable to take key out of ignition.

NHTSA ID

11456712

Incident

Jan 6, 2022

Smoke and oil burning smell entering cabin through vents. I have two young children. I’m concerned of toxic fumes. Coming from oil leaking onto exhaust manifold and at only 52,000 miles on odometer!

NHTSA ID

11450396

Incident

Feb 2, 2020

The contact owns a 2015 SUBARU Impreza. The contact stated that the vehicle's check engine light was illuminated and they began to notice at an oil change that their vehicle was leaking excessive oil consumption a year ago. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who informed them they needed to rebuild the engine. The repair was covered under warranty. The contact stated that about a year after the vehicle's check engine light had illuminated again. The contact returned the vehicle to the dealer who stated that the short block caused the failure. The vehicle had been there for approximately 4 months and had not been repaired. The contact was told the repair was no longer covered under warranty. The manufacturer was made aware and opened a case regarding the matter. The approximate failure mileage was 101,000.

NHTSA ID

11434648

Incident

Sep 28, 2020

Mileage

101,000 mi

The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, she noticed that the air conditioner was intermittently blowing warm air into the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ID

11419932

Incident

May 1, 2019

Mileage

80,000 mi

CAR WON'T TURN OVER IGNITION. ALL BRAKE LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING. IT IMPACTED BRAKING, VDC SYSTEM, ABS SYSTEM AND CRUISE CONTROL DIDN'T WORK. OCCURRED AFTER 2 HOUR TRIP WITH NO CONCERNS AND FUNCTIONING SYSTEMS.ONLY NOTICED WHEN TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR.

NHTSA ID

11404918

Incident

Mar 22, 2021

Mileage

57,000 mi

A BAD OIL VALVE IN THE ENGINE TRIPPED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT UPON STARTING THE CAR. THE BAD VALVE WAS POSSIBLY LETTING SLUDGE GET INTO THE ENGINE. AT ONLY 60K ANDWITH DOING RELIGIOUS OIL CHANGES ON TIME, THIS APPEARS TO BE A DEFECTIVE PART FOR WHICH A SERVICE BULLETIN BUT NOT A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED.

NHTSA ID

11399583

Incident

Feb 28, 2021

Mileage

60,000 mi

THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS (AT AROUND 16K MILES) THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME WHEN I WOULD TRY TO PARK, I'D PLACE MY CAR IN PARK, HAVE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, BUT I COULD NOT TURN THE KEY FROM THE ACC POSITION TO THE LOCK POSITION AND ALSO COULD NOT REMOVE THE KEY. I'D HAVE TO CYCLE THE CAR ON, REVERSE A FEW FEET, GO FORWARD TO MY PARKING SPOT, PUT IN PARK AND TRY TO TURN OFF. I OFTEN HAD TO DO IT 5+ TIMES TO BE ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY. ON THIS SITE I FOUND SOME INFORMATION FROM SUBARU CLAIMING THAT SOME CARS HAVE A PROBLEM WITH CONTAMINANTS GETTING TO THE "PLATE GUIDE B." ONCE I SAW THE ILLUSTRATIONS I REALIZED THAT A COMPONENT OF PLATE GUIDE B IS A LITTLE SWITCH. THE BUTTON ON THE GEAR SHIFT KNOB HAS A PLUNGER THAT DROPS WHEN THE BUTTON IS RELEASED; WHEN IT FUNCTIONS PROPERLY THAT PLUNGER SHOULD COME TO REST ON THE SWITCH IN PLATE GUIDE B AND DEACTIVATE THE LOCK IN THE IGNITION. IT SEEMS THAT OVER TIME THERE WAS A LOSS OF SPRING TENSION EITHER IN THE GEAR SHIFT KNOB OR IN THE LITTLE SWITCH SO THE PLUNGER WAS NOT ACTIVATING THE SWITCH. AFTER LEARNING ALL THIS I WAS ABLE TO DO THE REPAIR WITHOUT REPLACING ANY COMPONENTS, AND NOW THAT I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING, IT CAN BE DONE IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND REQUIRES ONLY A FLAT HEAD SCREWDRIVER, A PHILIP'S SCREWDRIVER, A PAIR OF NEEDLE NOSE PLIERS AND A FLASHLIGHT. I JUST HAD TO REMOVE THE CENTER CONSOLE (TWO SCREWS IN THE BACK SEAT ONE ON EACH SIDE AND ONE UNDER THE HAND BRAKE BOOT, DISASSEMBLE THE GEAR SHIFTER COVER. (ALL PLASTIC CLIPS EASILY UNDONE WITH A FLAT HEAD SCREWDRIVER), KNOB, AND DUST COVER TO EXPOSE THE SWITCH AND THEN BEND THE EXPOSED END OF THE SWITCH SLIGHTLY UPWARD SO THE SHIFTER KNOB'S PLUNGER WILL ACTIVATE IT AGAIN. THE SWITCH LOOKS LIKE A SMALL FLAT PIECE OF METAL. I JUST HELD IT FIRMLY IN PLACE WITH A FLAT SCREW DRIVER THEN PULLED UP (GENTLY) ON THE END OF IT WITH NEEDLE NOSE PLIERS TO BEND IT SLIGHTLY UPWARD.

NHTSA ID

11396386

Incident

Feb 15, 2021

Mileage

16,000 mi

I HAVE A 2015 SUBARU IMPREZA WITH 31,000 MILES (OUT OF WARRANTYDUE TO AGE). THECAR HAS DEVELOPED A SMALL OIL LEAK FROM THE CAM CARRIER COVER (AKA VALVE COVER) ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND THE O2 SENSOR CAUSING A LOT OF SMOKE THAT THEN ENTERS THE CABIN. SUBARU'S ESTIMATE $4973.87. READING SUBARU FORUMS I'VE COME TO DISCOVER THAT THIS IS A PRETTY COMMON PROBLEM IN VEHICLES DATING BETWEEN 2012 AND 2017. DUE TO THE SMOKE IT CREATES IN THE CABIN, AND THE HEALTH RISKS THERE IN, AND THE SHORT LIFE OF THE PART IN QUESTION, I'D RECOMMEND A RECALL BE ISSUED.

NHTSA ID

11388909

Incident

Jan 6, 2021

Mileage

31,500 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU IMPREZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON PLACING THE VEHICLE IN PARK, THE KEY INTERMITTENTLY REMAINED STUCK INSIDE THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND EXCESSIVE EFFORT WAS NEEDED TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT CALLED SUBARU SANTA MONICA (1229 SANTA MONICA BLVD, SANTA MONICA, CA 90404) AND WAS INFORMED HER THAT THERE WAS A COST FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 15,000.

NHTSA ID

11386833

Incident

Sep 2, 2018

Mileage

15,000 mi