Reliable Auto DB

2016 Subaru WRX reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 34 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Subaru WRX over 11 years — 5 per year. That is more complaints per year than most WRX years here — over the median of the other years, which is 4. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Switch, Turbocharger, and Crash-imminent braking.

2015 Subaru WRX
Photo by Zytonits, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0
Complaints

34

Per year

5

Recalls

3

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (10 of 34), then Engine (9) and Powertrain (4). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 2 that report a fire.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 WRX has 52 complaints, 7 per year, and the 2017 has 53 complaints, 5 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as 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 WRX. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall exterior lighting, backup lights, switch 2022-07-21 · NHTSA campaign 22V522000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2021 WRX vehicles. The backup light switch may corrode and become inoperative, which can result in the backup lights not illuminating and the rearview camera image not displaying when the vehicle is in reverse.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the backup light switch, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE-22.
Recall engine and cooling, engine, gasoline, turbocharger 2016-03-21 · NHTSA campaign 16V162000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 WRX vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 21, 2015, and Forester 2.0XT vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 20, 2015. The turbocharger air intake duct may crack and possibly result in an engine stall.
Remedy Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the turbocharger air intake duct, and replace it as necessary, free of charge, depending on the lot number found on the duct. The recall began April 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTA-62.
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 (34 total)

Electrical system
10
Engine
9
Powertrain
4
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
Exterior lighting
2
Fuel and propulsion system
2
Service brakes
2
Steering
2
Equipment
1
Speed control
1
Suspected counterfeit car seat
1
Tether and lower anchor
1
Tires
1
Visibility
1
Show 6 more Show less
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

2

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

12015620161201772018320191202032021720223202322024
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The Seconary Air Injection pump stayed on for days. Burnt a hole in the side, relay possibly damaged, and now setting off other components and computers."
    Electrical system · filed 2024-08-27
  • "Driving and a loud explosion, sound, like a gunshot then a ton of pinging. The sunroof exploded and glass flew down my car and chipped a bunch of paint."
    Unknown or other · filed 2024-03-01
  • "While driving, the clutch became stiff and unusable. Ultimately the car could not be shifted resulting in using a lower gear than normal to limp the car to safety. The car had to be towed to a mechanic. During the…"
    Powertrain · filed 2023-05-10
  • "I PURCHASED A 2016 SUBARU WRX (PREMIUM) USED FROM A SUBARU DEALER IN ALBANY, NY WITH UNDER 26K MILES FOR APPROXIMATELY $25K IN 2018. ON A DRIVE IN DECEMBER 2022 I EXPERIENCED HESITATION AND/OR STUTTERING UNDER LOAD OR…"
    Unknown or other, Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2023-04-10
  • "I have faulty rear lights and a faulty rear view camera. According to MotorSafety.org there is currently a recall for this exact issue for WRX’s from 2015-2021. https://www.motorsafety.org/subaru-recalls-wrx-cars-over-fa…"
    Electrical system · filed 2023-02-22

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Subaru WRX 4 DR 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
WRX 2L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed All-wheel drive 20 27 23 MPG $3450
WRX 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S8) All-wheel drive 18 24 21 MPG $3800
WRX 2.5L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed All-wheel drive 17 23 19 MPG $4200

Specs and fitment

VA generation, 2015–2021
Body styles Sedan
Oil 5W-30 synthetic (FA20 turbo) , 5.1 qt capacity
Tire size 245/40R18, 245/35R19 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 22V522000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2021 WRX vehicles. The backup light switch may corrode and become inoperative, which can result in the backup lights not illuminating and the rearview camera image not displaying when the vehicle is in reverse. Inoperative backup lights and an inoperative rearview camera can reduce vehicle visibility and driver awareness, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the backup light switch, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE-22. When NHTSA lists multiple Subaru nameplates in one campaign, the published unit count is shared across them.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Subaru WRX Next year 2017 Subaru WRX See every Subaru WRX model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Subaru WRX reliable?

Owners have filed 34 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Subaru WRX over 11 years — 5 per year. That is more complaints per year than most WRX years here — over the median of the other years, which is 4. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Switch, Turbocharger, and Crash-imminent braking.

What are common problems with a 2016 Subaru WRX?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (10 of 34), then Engine (9) and Powertrain (4). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 2 that report a fire.

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

The 2015 WRX has 52 complaints, 7 per year, and the 2017 has 53 complaints, 5 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2017.

Has the 2016 Subaru WRX been recalled?

The 2016 Subaru WRX 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 2016 Subaru WRX?

Owners have filed 34 complaints about the 2016 Subaru WRX with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Subaru WRX get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Subaru WRX is 21 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Subaru WRX take?

VA (2015-2021 FA20 turbo) and VB (2022+ FA24 turbo) US models commonly use 5W-30 synthetic (about 5.1 qt VA; about 5.4 qt VB with filter).

Does NHTSA recall 22V522000 cover the Subaru WRX?

It covers certain 2015-2021 WRX vehicles: the backup light switch may corrode and prevent the reverse lamps from illuminating; dealers replace the switch.

What generation is a 2020 Subaru WRX?

VA generation (2015-2021). The VB redesign starts in 2022.