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Subaru Impreza 2017–2023

5th generation (GK/GT)

NHTSA data through 12 August 2026707 complaints, 274 with mileageMethod

On this generation, 52% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 8 times higher than during the rest of the car's life.

10%

850

25%

3,600

Median

12,000

75%

27,000

90%

48,541

Tallest bin: 173 complaints between 0 and 20,000 miles. Based on 274 complaints that record mileage. Bin width 20,000 miles.

What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.

What fails, and when

Each bar spans the middle half of reports for that system; the tick marks the median.

1. Visibility/wiper11,000median 10,850 miles, middle half 4,500 to 27,000
2. Exterior lighting28,000median 27,500 miles, middle half 5,000 to 50,000
3. Problems owners could not categorise8,500median 8,500 miles, middle half 2,000 to 22,000
4. Electrical system5,500median 5,540 miles, middle half 3,000 to 28,000
5. Engine9,000median 9,000 miles, middle half 1,500 to 25,000
6. Airbag system13,000median 13,222 miles, middle half 5,000 to 28,000
7. Visibility equipment22,000median 22,400 miles, middle half 14,000 to 47,000

Which systems, and when

Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 12,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.

Visibility/wiper accounts for 24.2% of complaints (171 reports, 96 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 10,850 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 4,500 and 27,000 miles.

The exterior lighting accounts for 22.8% of complaints (161 reports, 16 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 27,500 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 5,000 and 50,000 miles.

Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 13.4% of complaints (95 reports, 34 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 8,500 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 2,100 and 22,000 miles.

The electrical system accounts for 8.2% of complaints (58 reports, 24 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 5,540 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 3,000 and 28,000 miles.

The engine accounts for 5.5% of complaints (39 reports, 19 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 9,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 1,395 and 25,000 miles.

The airbag system accounts for 3.1% of complaints (22 reports, 12 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 13,222 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 4,948 and 27,500 miles.

Differences between model years

Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2019 model year drew the most — 224 complaints — while 2020 drew the fewest at 100. The median year sits at 171.

Recalls and what they cover

NHTSA records 14 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.

The campaigns cluster around the fuel system (3), the transmission and driveline (2), the exterior lighting (2). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.

Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.

Reported severity

Of the 707 complaints filed against this generation, 38 reported a crash; 12 reported a fire; 25 reported an injury; 1 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 5.4% of the total.

These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.

What this means if you are buying one

For a buyer, an early-failure pattern is comparatively good news on a used example: 52% of the reported failures occur in the first 12,000 miles, which on a car of this age means they have already happened or they were never going to. Service history matters more than mileage here.

On inspection, visibility/wiper and the exterior lighting are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Visibility/wiper in particular shows a median failure mileage of 10,850, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.

None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.

Documented problems

By model year

Recalls (14)

What owners reported

I had purchased a Subaru Impreza 2017 in june of 2017. Since leaving the parking lot with the car i've experienced all the info entertainment issues. I have a weird engine ticking noise. The vehicle will continue to accelerate. It has never gone out of control. However the 'forward' momentum/ inertia that's created…

2017 · Engine

I did a test drive of the Subaru Impreza 2017 premium wagon at a seattle-area dealership. I noticed that the car door did not lock completely or opened by itself while the car was in motion. I noticed that i am not the only one who sees this safety issue. There are others who have reported the same or similar problem…

2017 · 5 miles · Problems owners could not categorise

We purchased a new Impreza on 2/4/17, within days of bringing the car home we noticed that all the radio presets had been wiped out, and the xm radio had reverted back to a trial period. That same day we received an email saying that our car was sending a problem code for the starlink system. Upon calling the…

2017 · 69 miles · Electrical system

Built from 274 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page

Other generations

• Impreza 1993–2001
• Impreza 2002–2007
• Impreza 2008–2011
• Impreza 2012–2016
• Impreza 2024–2025