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2021 Subaru Impreza

Verified August 31, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

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Safety
5
of 5 stars
Recalls
2
on record
MPG
32
combined

Do not drive until repaired

1 active "park it" recall — NHTSA advises against driving this vehicle until the remedy is complete.

Vehicle Summary

2021 Subaru Impreza

2 recalls
14 complaints
32 MPG combined
5/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

Confirm all 2 recalls were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
Read the 1 complaint reporting a crash
Review the 14 owner complaints on record
Get a pre-purchase inspection
Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
2
Owner complaints
14
Complaints citing a crash
1

These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

2 Recalls on Record

1 of these is high-severity. Some may require you to stop driving the vehicle until repaired.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

Safety recalls

2 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 21V675000critical Do not drive

    Suspension issue

    SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2021 Impreza vehicles. The left-front lower control arm weld may fail, allowing the control arm to separate from the crossmember.

    Consequence

    A separated control arm may cause the tire to contact the wheel well, resulting in a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the repair is complete. Dealers will inspect and replace the control arm as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 3, 2021. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRI-21.

    Full campaign record
  • 21V024000high

    Drivetrain issue

    POWER TRAIN:SHIFT LINKAGE/CABLE/ROD

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2021 Outback and Impreza vehicles. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) select lever cable nut may not have been tightened properly, allowing the nut to loosen.

    Consequence

    A loose nut can lead to a lost of retention in the CVT select lever cable and the gear selector not functioning properly, increasing risk of crash.

    Remedy

    Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and, if necessary, tighten the nut, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2021. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRA-21.

    Full campaign record

NHTSA crash-test ratings

NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2021 Subaru Impreza.

  • Frontal crash

    Driver
    5 / 5
    Passenger
    5 / 5
  • Side crash

    Driver
    5 / 5
    Passenger
    5 / 5
    Side pole
    5 / 5
  • Rollover

    Rollover risk
    9.5%
    Dynamic tip
    No Tip

Driver-assistance technologies

Electronic stability control
Standard
Forward collision warning
Optional
Lane departure warning
Optional

What the ratings mean

NHTSA gives the 2021 Subaru Impreza 5 out of 5 stars overall. NHTSA does not publish enough comparable results for this class and year to rank it against peers.

NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.

NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 9.5% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.

NHTSA crash tests

2021 Subaru Impreza Frontal crash crash test
Frontal crash Video
2021 Subaru Impreza Side crash crash test
Side crash Video
2021 Subaru Impreza Side pole crash test
Side pole Video

Fuel economy & emissions

EPA figures for the 2021 Subaru Impreza, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.

27

City

39

Hwy

32

Comb

Annual fuel cost
$1,641
Tailpipe CO₂
278 g/mi

How this compares

The EPA holds too few vehicles in this class and model year to rank the 2021 Subaru Impreza against its peers.

Tailpipe CO₂ is 278 grams per mile — about 4.2 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.

Consumer complaints

14 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

14
Total
1
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries

Most reported components

  • OTHER4
  • VISIBILITY2
  • ENGINE2
  • WHEELS/TIRES2
  • STEERING2

Notable Issues

14 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 1 report involves injuries. 1 report involves a crash.

Most reported problems

miscellaneous issues4
visibility issues (wipers, defrost, mirrors)2
engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)2

Safety timeline

Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2021 Subaru Impreza, newest first.

  1. Do not drive

    Do-not-drive recall 21V675000

    A separated control arm may cause the tire to contact the wheel well, resulting in a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.

  2. Recall

    Recall 21V024000

    A loose nut can lead to a lost of retention in the CVT select lever cable and the gear selector not functioning properly, increasing risk of crash.

Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.

Specifications & ratings

Specifications

Body class
Sedan
Drive type
FWD
Engine
2.5L 4-cyl
Fuel type
Regular Gasoline
Transmission
Automatic
Seats
5

Fuel economy

27

City

39

Hwy

32

Comb

Annual cost
$1,641
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

NHTSA crash ratings

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Explore related

Adjacent model years

All Subaru Impreza years

Common problems

Subaru Impreza problems

768 owner complaints analyzed

Systems recalled

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Do not drive

    Do-not-drive recall 21V675000

    A separated control arm may cause the tire to contact the wheel well, resulting in a loss of control and increasing the risk of a crash.

  2. Recall

    Recall 21V024000

    A loose nut can lead to a lost of retention in the CVT select lever cable and the gear selector not functioning properly, increasing risk of crash.