Reliable Auto DB

2014 Subaru Impreza reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2014 Subaru Impreza holds 108 complaints after 13 years, a rate of 7 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Impreza years here — under the median of the other years, which is 11. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Switch, Engine, and Electrical system.

2012 Subaru Impreza
Photo by TTTNIS, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC0
Complaints

108

Per year

7

Recalls

3

Years on the road

13

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (38 of 108), then Engine (20) and Electrical system (17). Those filings include 16 that report a crash and 6 that report an injury.

Next to 2013 and 2015

The 2013 Impreza has 249 complaints, 11 per year, and the 2015 has 79 complaints, 5 per year. The 2014 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013. The 2014 has more complaints per year than the 2015.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2014 Subaru Impreza. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall exterior lighting, brake lights, switch 2019-02-28 · NHTSA campaign 19V149000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.
Remedy Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.
Recall Engine 2018-11-01 · NHTSA campaign 18V772000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Subaru Impreza, 2012-2013 Impreza Stationwagon, 2013 Subaru BRZ, XV Crosstrek and Toyota Scion FR-S vehicles. The engine valve springs in these vehicles may fracture causing an engine malfunction or a possible engine stall.
Remedy Subaru will notify their owners. Toyota will notify the FR-S owners. Dealers will replace the valve springs, free of charge. The recall began December 26, 2018. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614, Toyota owners may contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-888-270-9371. Subaru's number for this recall is WTY-84.
Recall Electrical system 2016-10-13 · NHTSA campaign 16V738000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2008-2014 Impreza vehicles and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, all equipped with turbo-charged engines. The relay that controls the secondary air injection pump may fail, causing the pump to continuously operate and overheat.
Remedy Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary air injection pump relay, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTM-73.

Complaints by component (108 total)

Air bags
38
Engine
20
Electrical system
17
Powertrain
9
Speed control
8
Structure
8
Seats
5
Suspension
5
Wheels
5
Service brakes
4
Steering
4
Seat belts
3
Tires
3
Fuel and propulsion system
2
Latches, locks, and linkages
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Exterior lighting
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Visibility
1
Show 11 more Show less
Crash-flagged

16

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

6

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

1020147201552016102017920181620191420201120216202292023320246202522026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Cabin blower fan stopped working. Faint burned plastic smell. Starting with the blower motor, I worked backwards. The Blower Motor Resistor showed significant wear, which I replaced. After checking or replacing all…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-06-21
  • "Vehicle Production Date: January 2014 Related Recall: Subaru WTM-73 / NHTSA ID 16V738 (revised July 11, 2017 as WTM-73R) Recall Coverage Production End Date: September 13, 2013 Mileage at First Incident (March 2024):…"
    Engine · filed 2026-04-05
  • "I am filing a complaint regarding a known issue with the CVT transmission in my 2014 Subaru Impreza, currently at approximately 80,000 miles. The CVT has started making a loud whining noise while driving. A licensed,…"
    Powertrain · filed 2025-10-22
  • "The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated while attempting to secure the front driver’s side seat belt, the locking mechanism failed to immediately lock. The contact stated that several attempts were…"
    Seat belts · filed 2025-07-29
  • "I was driving in my car had lost of power n started to make a noise n ALLL that so eather valve spring broke then messed up rod bearings n now to the point I can't drive my vehicle is like to know what to do next"
    Engine · filed 2025-05-27

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2014 Subaru Impreza 4 DR AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2014 Subaru Impreza SW AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2014 Subaru Impreza WRX 4 DR AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2014 Subaru Impreza WRX SW AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Impreza all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed All-wheel drive 17 23 19 MPG $4200
Impreza all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed All-wheel drive 19 25 21 MPG $3800
Impreza all-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed All-wheel drive 24 33 28 MPG $2300
Impreza all-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) All-wheel drive 27 35 30 MPG $2150
Impreza Wagon all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed All-wheel drive 19 25 21 MPG $3800
Impreza Wagon all-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed All-wheel drive 24 33 27 MPG $2400
Impreza Wagon all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed All-wheel drive 17 23 19 MPG $4200
Impreza Wagon all-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) All-wheel drive 27 35 30 MPG $2150

Specs and fitment

4th generation (GJ), 2012–2016
Body styles Sedan, Wagon
Oil 0W-20 synthetic (2.0L; 5W-30 if 0W-20 unavailable) , 4.8 qt capacity
Tire size 205/50R17, 205/55R16, 195/65R15 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 19V149000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park. Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash. Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90. When NHTSA lists multiple Subaru nameplates in one campaign, the published unit count is shared across them.

Compare

Previous year 2013 Subaru Impreza Next year 2015 Subaru Impreza See every Subaru Impreza model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2014 Subaru Impreza reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2014 Subaru Impreza holds 108 complaints after 13 years, a rate of 7 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Impreza years here — under the median of the other years, which is 11. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Switch, Engine, and Electrical system.

What are common problems with a 2014 Subaru Impreza?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (38 of 108), then Engine (20) and Electrical system (17). Those filings include 16 that report a crash and 6 that report an injury.

Is the 2014 Subaru Impreza more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 Impreza has 249 complaints, 11 per year, and the 2015 has 79 complaints, 5 per year. The 2014 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013. The 2014 has more complaints per year than the 2015.

Has the 2014 Subaru Impreza been recalled?

The 2014 Subaru Impreza has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2014 Subaru Impreza?

Owners have filed 108 complaints about the 2014 Subaru Impreza with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2014 Subaru Impreza get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2014 Subaru Impreza is 24.4 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a Subaru Impreza use?

US Impreza manuals specify 0W-20 synthetic for the FB 2.0L, with 5W-30 only when 0W-20 is unavailable.

What generation is the 2019 Subaru Impreza?

5th generation / GK-GT (2017-2022).

What body styles does the Subaru Impreza offer?

US Impreza generations on this site include sedan and wagon (hatchback) body styles.