2018 Subaru Impreza Complaints

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 05/01/2026

I bought a new Subaru Impreza and there is a cam carrier leak that was reported last time I took it for service at the dealership two weeks ago. There are only 41k miles on the car, and there were no warning lights/messages. Upon my research, this is a common problem with Subarus due to the sealant that they use with a very high cost to fix (I was quoted $4.5k), not mentioning the time it takes as well. Additionally, fixing the problem does not prevent it from recurrence. Because this puts the safety of the driver at risk and is a known problem in newer Subaru vehicles, it should be covered under the warranty.

ENGINE — Filed 02/19/2026

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated and the high-temperature warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and determined that an engine reseal had failed and needed to be redone. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 12/22/2025

The problem started on towards the end of Dec 2025. The primary latch that holds the hood down failed, and the safety latch kept the hood from flying off. I pulled the car over and shut it, and it seemed okay. Because the hood hadn't been lifted for a few days ( since its last service ), I was at a loss as to what could be causing it. Since then, it's happened several times. I've also examined the latch, and it appears to be fine. When it pops up, the safety latch catches it, and I pull over and close it. My next step is to have a mechanic put in a new latch. The car has 95,000 miles on the ticker,

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 11/14/2025

My vehicle has repeatedly displayed a “low tire pressure” warning despite having been serviced twice for this issue. In addition, there is an open case with Subaru of America regarding ongoing performance concerns – fuel tank?! In addition, I have reported both verbally and in writing to the dealership that my car often loses power when driving uphill and, at times, runs unevenly or hesitantly—similar to an engine stutter or sputter. Most recently, multiple problems occurred simultaneously. The low tire pressure warning remained on, my cell phone was no longer recognized or paired with the vehicle and would not charge, part of the clock display stopped illuminating, and then the vehicle suddenly began to shake. Within seconds, all dashboard warning lights turned on and the engine shut off entirely. This happened so rapidly that I had no time to react. Fortunately, I had pulled over the car; otherwise, this incident could have resulted in a serious crash with me behind the wheel. Although no prior warning lights had appeared, I was later informed that the vehicle had a cracked ignition coil and a dead battery—despite the car having relatively low mileage and there being two recalls related to this issue. The new manager went above and beyond to assist me during this ordeal and I am beyond grateful for everything – Subaru of America is lucky to have him on staff!! However, as of today, I still have not received a clear explanation of what caused this failure or what risks may remain if I continue driving the vehicle. My understanding is that ignition coils should run for 80K - 100K. I am aware that others have experienced similar problems, and I request that this matter be thoroughly addressed before it results in a potentially preventable, yet serious accident.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 11/10/2025

This making model has become known for a parasitic drain of the DCM module. It’s all over the public forums that this module doesn’t shut down properly and causes a drain on the battery system. The remedy is to plug your car into a battery tender system.

ENGINE — Filed 05/29/2025

Engine oil leak. An engine oil leak could potentially cause a fire hazard by igniting when leaking into hot components. It could cause engine damage due to inadequate lubrication leading to overheating and severe engine damage. The leak can contaminate the environment including soil and water, and it can create slippery surfaces which would be a risk to people walking in the area with leaked oil. I took my vehicle to a Subaru dealership for service, and they indicated that it was leaking oil everywhere. I looked it up and found numerous reports in online forums of others having the exact same issue. I was quoted over $5000 to repair and forums also indicate that others have been quoted multiple thousands of dollars to repair as well. I have noticed that the vehicle would always give me a low oil light approximately 3000 miles after an oil change, so I would top it off. It has been doing this since I originally purchased the vehicle with approximately 16000 miles. I took it to a Subaru dealership back then and was told by the service providers that it's normal for engines under 60,000 miles to consume more oil and dismissed it. Now it no longer falls under warranty and am expected to pony up $5000 to fix it.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 08/09/2024

On 8/9/24 I was involved in a fender bender minor collision with a parked car which damaged my right-hand headlamp assembly on my 2018 Subaru Impreza. On 8/23/24 I brought my car to Subaru of Ann Arbor to have Safety Recall WRG-22 NHTSA ID 22V-624 performed on it. Both headlamp assemblies were under recall by Subaru. I was told by the service manager that the right hand and left hand headlamp assembly replacement procedure could not be performed free of charge, as promised by Subaru, because the front bumper was damaged (due to the accident), and Subaru could not remove and replace it in order to accomplish either headlamp replacement. On 9/9/24 I brought my car to Heritage Collision Center for a repair estimate on my damaged right hand front fender. (See Picture 1) I told Heritage Collision that the right hand headlamp assembly was under recall and Subaru was going to replace it free of charge. During the time of repair, I asked Heritage if I could take a picture of the damaged and recalled right hand headlamp assembly (See Picture 2). Upon reviewing my final bill of repair from Heritage Collision, I saw that Subaru had charged the MSRP of $319.95 to replace the recalled right hand headlamp assembly after promising to replace the recalled headlamp assembly for free. Subaru owes me $319.95 for my replacement of the recalled headlamp assembly. (See Picture 3)

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 08/23/2024

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 03/16/2023

March 2023 I had all 4 rotors & brakes replaced. About 2 weeks after, doing 65 mph on highway 79 I had to lightly apply my brakes. After letting off the brake all of a sudden my whole car, steering wheel, etc started shaking. I pulled off the road thinking something broke but nothing was. A couple months later on 79 it did it again without applying my brakes. It's happening more often and the shaking is getting more severe to where my car is either going to fall apart or bounce off the road or into another car. I'm terrified when this happens because I don't know what's going to happen. I won't even put my grand children in my car. One if my co-workers had the same thing happen to her Subaru. She said after her mechanics did some investigating, they found that there was an issue with the replacement rotors warping and causing the car to shake terribly. This is a severe safety issue and really needs to be investigated. Also a year warranty on these defective parts is too short.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 08/31/2022

The headlights on my vehicle are incredibly dim. Subaru issued a recall about this in August 2022 and I have been constantly asking my local dealerships and Subaru of America to get this address. They have repeatedly told me I will be receiving a letter in the mail when they have the parts to fix the issues. It has almost been 2 years and Subaru still doesn't have the parts... I'm not sure what to do at this point other than submit a complaint as they seem like they have no interest in addressing this recall.