Reliable Auto DB

2017 Subaru WRX reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2017 Subaru WRX holds 53 complaints after 10 years, a rate of 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 1 recall on file, including Switch.

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

53

Per year

5

Recalls

1

Years on the road

10

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (14 of 53), then Engine (12) and Powertrain (11). Those filings include 8 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 6 that report an injury.

Next to 2016 and 2018

The 2016 WRX has 34 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2018 has 42 complaints, 6 per year. The 2017 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2016. The 2017 has fewer 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 WRX. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

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.

Complaints by component (53 total)

Electrical system
14
Engine
12
Powertrain
11
Steering
6
Air bags
4
Exterior lighting
4
Visibility and wipers
4
Fuel and propulsion system
3
Speed control
3
Suspension
3
Service brakes
2
Back-over prevention
1
Seats
1
Structure
1
Wheels
1
Show 7 more Show less
Crash-flagged

8

Fire-flagged

2

Injury reports

6

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

9201862019820201020216202262023320243202522026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Experienced catastrophic engine failure with no known cause. The car had been inspected and had an oil change 3,000 miles prior to the incident. Thankfully, I had already exited the thruway and was on a quiet backroad…"
    Engine · filed 2026-05-06
  • "Car all the sudden stall/ lock up tires at high way speeds due to sudden no warning engine failure causing a massive safety concern My car locked up during a normal drive up a slowly passing a semi when my car died no…"
    Powertrain, Speed control, Engine · filed 2026-04-09
  • "Hit a deer. Airbags did not deploy, however I have reasonable suspicion to believe my head hit the A pillar during impact."
    Air bags · filed 2025-11-07
  • "Going about 55mph, I struck a deer head on. It struck towards the center, but more so on the passenger side. During the impact, no airbags deployed, however, based off IIHS videos, it seems likely that they should have.…"
    Air bags · filed 2025-11-06
  • "Likely secondary air injection pump and/or its related relays, CEL P2444 came on 3 separate times. November 2024, brought it in to get replaced under warranty, came on again the day after picking her up in December 2024…"
    Electrical system, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2025-03-27

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2017 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 Automatic (AV-S8) All-wheel drive 18 24 21 MPG $3800
WRX 2L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed All-wheel drive 20 27 23 MPG $3450
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 2016 Subaru WRX Next year 2018 Subaru WRX See every Subaru WRX model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2017 Subaru WRX reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2017 Subaru WRX holds 53 complaints after 10 years, a rate of 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 1 recall on file, including Switch.

What are common problems with a 2017 Subaru WRX?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (14 of 53), then Engine (12) and Powertrain (11). Those filings include 8 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 6 that report an injury.

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

The 2016 WRX has 34 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2018 has 42 complaints, 6 per year. The 2017 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2016. The 2017 has fewer complaints per year than the 2018.

Has the 2017 Subaru WRX been recalled?

The 2017 Subaru WRX 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 2017 Subaru WRX?

Owners have filed 53 complaints about the 2017 Subaru WRX with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2017 Subaru WRX get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2017 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.