Reliable Auto DB

2017 Subaru Impreza reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2017 Subaru Impreza holds 125 complaints after 10 years, a rate of 15 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Impreza years here — over the median of the other years, which is 9. NHTSA has 7 recalls on file, including Headlights, Electrical system, software, and PCV system.

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

125

Per year

15

Recalls

7

Years on the road

10

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Exterior lighting (32 of 125), then Visibility and wipers (25) and Electrical system (21). Those filings include 10 that report a crash, 3 that report a fire, and 7 that report an injury.

Next to 2016 and 2018

The 2016 Impreza has 75 complaints, 6 per year, and the 2018 has 151 complaints, 13 per year. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2018.

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 2017 Subaru Impreza. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (7)

Recall exterior lighting, headlights 2022-08-12 · NHTSA campaign 22V624000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Impreza vehicles. The left and right side reflex reflector and left side low beam reflector may inadequately reflect light. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Remedy Dealers will replace the front headlamp assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 15, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-22.
Recall electrical system, software 2021-04-15 · NHTSA campaign 21V264000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Subaru Impreza and 2018-2019 Crosstrek vehicles. The Engine Control Module (ECM) may continue to power the ignition coil after the engine is shut off, causing a short circuit.
Remedy Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will update the ECM software, replace the ignition coils and, if necessary, the front exhaust pipe, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning June 1, 2021. Owners can contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE-21. Note: This recall includes all vehicles previously repaired under Recall 19V743.
Recall electrical system, software 2019-10-18 · NHTSA campaign 19V743000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Impreza and 2018-2019 Crosstrek vehicles. The Engine Control Module (ECM) may continue to power the ignition coil after the engine is shut off, which could result in a short circuit and blown fuse.
Remedy Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will update the ECM software and inspect and replace the ignition coil, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, on vehicles with confirmed ignition coil damage and a certain stored diagnostic trouble code (DTC), Subaru will replace the front exhaust pipe, free of charge. The recall began December 4, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUQ-02.
Recall engine and cooling, exhaust system, emission control, PCV system 2019-10-17 · NHTSA campaign 19V745000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017 Impreza vehicles equipped with an aluminum Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve. The PCV valve may come apart, allowing the separated components to enter the engine, possibly resulting in a loss of power while driving.
Remedy Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUS-04.
Recall engine and cooling, exhaust system, emission control, PCV system 2019-10-17 · NHTSA campaign 19V744000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Impreza and 2018 Crosstrek vehicles equipped with an aluminum Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve. The PCV valve may come apart, allowing the separated components to enter the engine, possibly resulting in a loss of power while driving.
Remedy Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the PCV valve, free of charge. If the PCV valve has separated and the components cannot be found, the engine will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began December 2, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUP-01.
Recall gasoline fuel system, delivery, hoses and fittings 2017-03-29 · NHTSA campaign 17V216000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017 Impreza vehicles. Winter fuels may vaporize prematurely in the fuel line, resulting in a reduction in fuel pressure, possibly causing the engine to stall.
Remedy Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the engine control unit to turn the radiator cooling fan on at a lower temperature, free of charge. The recall began on April 20, 2017. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2738. Subaru's number for this recall is WTP-75.
Recall back-over prevention, camera system 2017-03-02 · NHTSA campaign 17V132000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017 Impreza vehicles. Due to a software problem, the rearview camera display may not work properly.
Remedy Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will update the infotainment software, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2017. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for the recall is WTN-74.

Complaints by component (125 total)

Exterior lighting
32
Visibility and wipers
25
Electrical system
21
Engine
14
Air bags
11
Service brakes
7
Powertrain
5
Speed control
4
Wheels
4
Forward collision avoidance
3
Fuel system, gasoline
3
Fuel and propulsion system
2
Structure
2
Suspension
2
Back-over prevention
1
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Lane departure
1
Steering
1
Visibility
1
Show 11 more Show less
Crash-flagged

10

Fire-flagged

3

Injury reports

7

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

172017132018142019172020122021220223120231020247202522026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "I am filing a safety complaint regarding an Engine Control Module (ECM) failure in my 2017 Subaru Impreza and the handling of a prior recall repair. Dealership records show that a recall repair (WRE21 – ignition coil…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-04-16
  • "I noticed that visibility at night was poor. I was pulled over by the police and give a warning that my headlight was out and told to get it fixed. I thought it may be as simple as a bulb but was told the entire left…"
    Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Visibility and wipers · filed 2026-02-16
  • "[XXX] 2017 Subaru Impreza VIN [XXX] Cruze control error. Will it make brake lights fail if not repaired? go look in your database and see if Impreza has more than normal rear end collisions? What else is on bus that…"
    Electrical system, Unknown or other, Service brakes · filed 2025-09-01
  • "1. Any and all airbags failed to deploy. The car is currently parked in my garage and is available for inspection. The insurance company has declared the car a "total loss," and would like to tow it away as soon as…"
    Air bags, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2025-08-26
  • "Premature failure of wheel bearings. Both rear wheel bearings had to be replaced after only 54,192 miles. Technician indicated that replacements were upgraded "sealed" systems. At 73,712 miles the front driver's side…"
    Powertrain · filed 2025-08-23

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2017 Subaru Impreza 4 DR AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2017 Subaru Impreza SW AWD 5 stars 5 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 4-Door 2L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed All-wheel drive 24 32 27 MPG $2400
Impreza 4-Door 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S7) All-wheel drive 28 38 32 MPG $2050
Impreza 5-Door 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S7) All-wheel drive 28 37 31 MPG $2100
Impreza 5-Door 2L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed All-wheel drive 24 31 26 MPG $2500
Impreza Sport 4-Door 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S7) All-wheel drive 27 36 30 MPG $2150
Impreza Sport 4-Door 2L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed All-wheel drive 23 31 26 MPG $2500
Impreza Sport 5-Door 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S7) All-wheel drive 27 35 30 MPG $2150
Impreza Sport 5-Door 2L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed All-wheel drive 22 30 25 MPG $2600

Specs and fitment

5th generation (GK/GT), 2017–2022
Body styles Sedan, Wagon
Oil 0W-20 synthetic (2.0L; 5W-30 if 0W-20 unavailable) , 4.8 qt capacity
Tire size 205/55R16, 205/50R17, 225/40R18 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 21V587000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail. Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21. When NHTSA lists multiple Subaru nameplates in one campaign, the published unit count is shared across them.

Compare

Previous year 2016 Subaru Impreza Next year 2018 Subaru Impreza See every Subaru Impreza model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2017 Subaru Impreza reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2017 Subaru Impreza holds 125 complaints after 10 years, a rate of 15 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Impreza years here — over the median of the other years, which is 9. NHTSA has 7 recalls on file, including Headlights, Electrical system, software, and PCV system.

What are common problems with a 2017 Subaru Impreza?

The complaints owners file most often name Exterior lighting (32 of 125), then Visibility and wipers (25) and Electrical system (21). Those filings include 10 that report a crash, 3 that report a fire, and 7 that report an injury.

Is the 2017 Subaru Impreza more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2016 Impreza has 75 complaints, 6 per year, and the 2018 has 151 complaints, 13 per year. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2018.

Has the 2017 Subaru Impreza been recalled?

The 2017 Subaru Impreza has 7 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 2017 Subaru Impreza?

Owners have filed 125 complaints about the 2017 Subaru Impreza with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2017 Subaru Impreza get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2017 Subaru Impreza is 28.4 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.