2015 Subaru Impreza reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2015 Subaru Impreza has 79 complaints with NHTSA after 12 years, or 5 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 2 recalls on file, including Switch and Crash-imminent braking.

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

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (20 of 79), then Powertrain (12) and Engine (10). Those filings include 5 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Next to 2014 and 2016

The 2014 Impreza has 108 complaints, 7 per year, and the 2016 has 75 complaints, 6 per year. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016.

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 2015 Subaru Impreza. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (2)

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 forward collision avoidance, crash-imminent braking 2015-06-12 · NHTSA campaign 15V366000

Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy vehicles manufactured March 10, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Outback vehicles manufactured February 24, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Impreza vehicles manufactured September 9, 2014, to April 14, 2015, XV Crosstrek vehicles manufactured October 16, 2014, to April 15, 2015, and 2016 WRX vehicles manufactured March 23, 2015, and equipped with the Eyesight Driver Assist System. If the switch that activates the brake lights fails, the automatic pre-collision braking component of the driver assist system will not function.

Remedy Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the driver assist system, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQS-54.

Complaints by component (79 total)

Electrical system

Powertrain

Engine

Air bags

Speed control

Steering

Service brakes

Structure

Visibility and wipers

Wheels

Fuel and propulsion system

Engine and engine cooling

Exterior lighting

Latches, locks, and linkages

Seat belts

Seats

Tires

Visibility

Show 10 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"My front passenger seat belt has been stuck and unusable since November 2025. This issue has been reported to Brandon Tomes Subaru in McKinney TX at the end of November. The seat belt was inspected and was determined…"
Seat belts · filed 2026-04-06
"The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while reversing the vehicle at 10 MPH, the transmission was shifted into drive (D), and the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration at 30 MPH. The…"
Speed control · filed 2024-06-04
"My 2015 Impreza has had its rear wheel bearings fail twice now, and now there’s still a loud noise coming from the end of my vehicle. My most recent trip to the dealer to get a bearing replaced costed me nearly $800.…"
Wheels, Unknown or other · filed 2024-01-18
"Driving the 2015 Subaru Impreza the front hood popped open and crashed into my windshield. Luckily it popped at 30-40 miles per hour and I was able to stop safely. Many damage to the body of the vehicle. It has happened…"
Unknown or other · filed 2023-11-08

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2015 Subaru Impreza 4 DR AWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	5 stars
2015 Subaru Impreza SW AWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	5 stars

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	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (AV-S6)	All-wheel drive	28	36	31 MPG	$2100
Impreza all-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Manual 5-speed	All-wheel drive	25	33	28 MPG	$2300
Impreza Sport all-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (AV-S6)	All-wheel drive	27	35	30 MPG	$2150
Impreza Sport all-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Manual 5-speed	All-wheel drive	24	33	27 MPG	$2400
Impreza Wagon all-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Manual 5-speed	All-wheel drive	25	33	28 MPG	$2300
Impreza Wagon all-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (AV-S6)	All-wheel drive	28	36	31 MPG	$2100

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 2014 Subaru Impreza Next year 2016 Subaru Impreza See every Subaru Impreza model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Subaru Impreza reliable?

What are common problems with a 2015 Subaru Impreza?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (20 of 79), then Powertrain (12) and Engine (10). Those filings include 5 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Is the 2015 Subaru Impreza more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2015 Subaru Impreza been recalled?

The 2015 Subaru Impreza has 2 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 2015 Subaru Impreza?

Owners have filed 79 complaints about the 2015 Subaru Impreza with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2015 Subaru Impreza get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2015 Subaru Impreza is 29.2 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.