2026 Subaru 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 2026 Subaru 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
- Engine1100.0%
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
This occurred in a brand new WRX with only 799 miles. I was driving on a very unpopulated road, and I had the high temperature warning display on the dash. The temperature gauge was reading high. I pulled over for a short duration to let the car cool down and then proceeded to limp it home since I was less than two miles away. I parked the car in the driveway, turned it off, exited the car, and noticed coolant leaking from the front of the bumper. I inspected what little amount of radiator that was exposed and could not find anything. I inspected my garage where the vehicle was previously parked and there was no trace of leaking coolant prior to leaving. It was towed to the dealership the next day, and they noted the vehicle was overheating driving it from the lot to the service bay. The dealer claims it failed from an impact. I went and inspected it myself expecting to see a hole in the radiator or obvious damage and couldn't find anything. I had to be assisted by a tech who used phrases like "I think it was in this area" and "near impossible place to be hit by something, but I guess it did." The "diagnostic" video points out an area the size of a tennis ball for where the alleged damage occurred- yet the damage is no where to be seen, especially what you would expect from an "impact". I've had a case open with Subaru of America for nearly three weeks with zero correspondence. There are plenty of posts in social media groups talking about radiator failures in 2022+ WRX's. These types of failures can lead to the engine overheating and locking up causing immediate loss of power and extensive damage- not to mention the level of loss of control one would experience and potential catastrophic end.
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 .