Reliable Auto DB

2016 Subaru Impreza reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 75 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Subaru Impreza over 11 years — 6 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 1 recall on file, including Switch.

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

75

Per year

6

Recalls

1

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (14 of 75), then Powertrain (13) and Air bags (8). Those filings include 7 that report a crash and 2 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 Impreza has 79 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2017 has 125 complaints, 15 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017.

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 2016 Subaru Impreza. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

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.

Complaints by component (75 total)

Electrical system
14
Powertrain
13
Air bags
8
Speed control
8
Service brakes
6
Steering
5
Exterior lighting
4
Structure
4
Visibility and wipers
4
Engine
3
Seats
3
Suspension
3
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
Fuel and propulsion system
2
Seat belts
2
Forward collision avoidance
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Visibility
1
Wheels
1
Show 12 more Show less
Crash-flagged

7

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

2

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

720164201772018162019122020820217202282023320242202512026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "I contacted Subaru in Mentor Oh at adventure subaru under TSB 19V065000 and was told to take it in to get looked at, my issue when I purchased the car at 67k miles i found that the car had a loud clunky sound while…"
    Steering, Suspension · filed 2026-04-10
  • "Hello, I just purchase this vehicle from a dealership, 615 auto sales. After purchasing the vehicle I decided to go and get the recall done that was never done to the vehicle at the repair shop they did the recall but…"
    Steering, Suspension, Powertrain · filed 2025-12-08
  • "While driving a multi lane road with traffic going same direction in front of me, if one or more cars begin to slow for a left or right turn, the auto braking feature begins to slow and will try to stop my car. Problem…"
    Forward collision avoidance · filed 2025-01-01
  • "The hood latch system failed and flew open while driving on the highway smashing the windshield. I was unable to see driving, glass shattered everywhere. The car was serviced three weeks prior and there was no notation…"
    Structure, Latches, locks, and linkages · filed 2024-06-01
  • "The seat foam has degraded and exposed the metal frame through the seat cover on the driver side front seat. It is not safe to drive with a metal frame being exposed. A service bulletin (12-232-18 dated 2/6/2018)…"
    Seats · filed 2024-02-26

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Subaru Impreza 4 DR AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2016 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 Automatic (AV-S6) All-wheel drive 28 36 31 MPG $2100
Impreza Wagon all-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed All-wheel drive 25 33 28 MPG $2300

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 2015 Subaru Impreza Next year 2017 Subaru Impreza See every Subaru Impreza model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Subaru Impreza reliable?

Owners have filed 75 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Subaru Impreza over 11 years — 6 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 1 recall on file, including Switch.

What are common problems with a 2016 Subaru Impreza?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (14 of 75), then Powertrain (13) and Air bags (8). Those filings include 7 that report a crash and 2 that report an injury.

Is the 2016 Subaru Impreza more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 Impreza has 79 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2017 has 125 complaints, 15 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017.

Has the 2016 Subaru Impreza been recalled?

The 2016 Subaru Impreza has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 Subaru Impreza?

Owners have filed 75 complaints about the 2016 Subaru Impreza with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Subaru Impreza get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 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.