2018 Subaru Impreza Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: May 26, 2026 · Filed: October 23, 2026

COMPONENT & AVAILABILITY: The Lineartronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) system suffered internal mechanical/hydraulic failure (TR580 unit). The vehicle and transmission assembly remain intact and available for immediate inspection upon request. SAFETY RISK: The transmission experienced erratic downshifting, slipping, and failure of proper engagement, creating an imminent risk of sudden deceleration, complete loss of motive power, and stalling in traffic. After diagnostic codes were cleared during an independent reassembly, Subaru of America and its dealer (Berman Subaru of Chicago) refused to inspect or repair the defect, directing that the vehicle be driven until it re-fails and sets a light. Operating a vehicle with documented internal transmission failure until it stalls at highway speeds creates an severe hazard of rear-end collisions. CONFIRMATION: The failure was confirmed on May 26, 2026, at 97,786 miles by licensed specialist A Plus Transmission Specialists Bellaire (Houston, TX; RO #27012). Technicians verified downshift faults on road testing, performed electronic scans, dropped the pan, and disassembled components, documenting internal failure via logs and photos. PRIOR INSPECTIONS: Presented to dealer Berman Subaru of Chicago and Subaru of America Customer Advocacy; both refused to evaluate the physical transmission or teardown findings because the dash light was not currently lit. No police or insurance inspections. SYMPTOMS & TIMELINE: In May 2026, Check Engine and warning lights appeared alongside downshift malfunctions. Diagnostic scans captured TCM communication and powertrain faults (including C1431). Codes were cleared by the specialist during component reassembly and bench testing.

Incident: September 17, 2026 · Filed: September 19, 2026

Spontaneous crack in passenger side of windshield 5 times in a row!!

Incident: June 16, 2026 · Filed: September 13, 2026

Vehicle Information: 2018 Subaru ImprezaVIN: [XXX] Affected: Steering (Electronic Power Steering / EPS Gear Box Assembly)Description of the Safety Defect:I am reporting a severe safety defect regarding a sudden and total loss of power steering assist while driving my 2018 Subaru Impreza.The Electronic Power Steering (EPS) gear box assembly experienced a catastrophic failure, resulting in an immediate, heavy steering condition that severely impacted my ability to control the vehicle safely. Upon inspection, the EPS gear box housing was found to have suffered structural failure/cracking due to environmental corrosion.This is a well-documented safety hazard for this vehicle generation. Subaru previously issued a voluntary 10-year warranty extension for 2012–2018 models (TSB 04-27-21R) to address this exact housing defect. Additionally, Subaru was forced to issue a mandatory safety recall (NHTSA Campaign 19V065000) for 2019 Imprezas due to an immediate loss of power steering assist.My vehicle is an early-production 2018 model, making its manufacturing timeline and parts sourcing highly contiguous with the recalled 2019 fleet and the vehicles covered under the 10-year extension. Subaru of America is currently using a strict internal VIN boundary to deny coverage for my vehicle, even though it suffered the exact same dangerous structural steering failure.I request that the NHTSA log this failure to track if Subaru's current VIN exclusion limits are overly narrow, leaving structurally defective and unsafe steering components on the road without proper remedy. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: May 1, 2026 · Filed: May 6, 2026

I bought a new Subaru Impreza and there is a cam carrier leak that was reported last time I took it for service at the dealership two weeks ago. There are only 41k miles on the car, and there were no warning lights/messages. Upon my research, this is a common problem with Subarus due to the sealant that they use with a very high cost to fix (I was quoted $4.5k), not mentioning the time it takes as well. Additionally, fixing the problem does not prevent it from recurrence. Because this puts the safety of the driver at risk and is a known problem in newer Subaru vehicles, it should be covered under the warranty.

Incident: February 19, 2026 · Filed: February 19, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated and the high-temperature warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and determined that an engine reseal had failed and needed to be redone. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.

Incident: December 22, 2025 · Filed: January 18, 2026

The problem started on towards the end of Dec 2025. The primary latch that holds the hood down failed, and the safety latch kept the hood from flying off. I pulled the car over and shut it, and it seemed okay. Because the hood hadn't been lifted for a few days ( since its last service ), I was at a loss as to what could be causing it. Since then, it's happened several times. I've also examined the latch, and it appears to be fine. When it pops up, the safety latch catches it, and I pull over and close it. My next step is to have a mechanic put in a new latch. The car has 95,000 miles on the ticker,

Incident: November 14, 2025 · Filed: November 18, 2025

My vehicle has repeatedly displayed a “low tire pressure” warning despite having been serviced twice for this issue. In addition, there is an open case with Subaru of America regarding ongoing performance concerns – fuel tank?! In addition, I have reported both verbally and in writing to the dealership that my car often loses power when driving uphill and, at times, runs unevenly or hesitantly—similar to an engine stutter or sputter. Most recently, multiple problems occurred simultaneously. The low tire pressure warning remained on, my cell phone was no longer recognized or paired with the vehicle and would not charge, part of the clock display stopped illuminating, and then the vehicle suddenly began to shake. Within seconds, all dashboard warning lights turned on and the engine shut off entirely. This happened so rapidly that I had no time to react. Fortunately, I had pulled over the car; otherwise, this incident could have resulted in a serious crash with me behind the wheel. Although no prior warning lights had appeared, I was later informed that the vehicle had a cracked ignition coil and a dead battery—despite the car having relatively low mileage and there being two recalls related to this issue. The new manager went above and beyond to assist me during this ordeal and I am beyond grateful for everything – Subaru of America is lucky to have him on staff!! However, as of today, I still have not received a clear explanation of what caused this failure or what risks may remain if I continue driving the vehicle. My understanding is that ignition coils should run for 80K - 100K. I am aware that others have experienced similar problems, and I request that this matter be thoroughly addressed before it results in a potentially preventable, yet serious accident.

Incident: November 10, 2025 · Filed: November 10, 2025

This making model has become known for a parasitic drain of the DCM module. It’s all over the public forums that this module doesn’t shut down properly and causes a drain on the battery system. The remedy is to plug your car into a battery tender system.

Incident: May 29, 2025 · Filed: May 29, 2025

Engine oil leak. An engine oil leak could potentially cause a fire hazard by igniting when leaking into hot components. It could cause engine damage due to inadequate lubrication leading to overheating and severe engine damage. The leak can contaminate the environment including soil and water, and it can create slippery surfaces which would be a risk to people walking in the area with leaked oil. I took my vehicle to a Subaru dealership for service, and they indicated that it was leaking oil everywhere. I looked it up and found numerous reports in online forums of others having the exact same issue. I was quoted over $5000 to repair and forums also indicate that others have been quoted multiple thousands of dollars to repair as well. I have noticed that the vehicle would always give me a low oil light approximately 3000 miles after an oil change, so I would top it off. It has been doing this since I originally purchased the vehicle with approximately 16000 miles. I took it to a Subaru dealership back then and was told by the service providers that it's normal for engines under 60,000 miles to consume more oil and dismissed it. Now it no longer falls under warranty and am expected to pony up $5000 to fix it.

Incident: August 9, 2024 · Filed: November 24, 2024

On 8/9/24 I was involved in a fender bender minor collision with a parked car which damaged my right-hand headlamp assembly on my 2018 Subaru Impreza. On 8/23/24 I brought my car to Subaru of Ann Arbor to have Safety Recall WRG-22 NHTSA ID 22V-624 performed on it. Both headlamp assemblies were under recall by Subaru. I was told by the service manager that the right hand and left hand headlamp assembly replacement procedure could not be performed free of charge, as promised by Subaru, because the front bumper was damaged (due to the accident), and Subaru could not remove and replace it in order to accomplish either headlamp replacement. On 9/9/24 I brought my car to Heritage Collision Center for a repair estimate on my damaged right hand front fender. (See Picture 1) I told Heritage Collision that the right hand headlamp assembly was under recall and Subaru was going to replace it free of charge. During the time of repair, I asked Heritage if I could take a picture of the damaged and recalled right hand headlamp assembly (See Picture 2). Upon reviewing my final bill of repair from Heritage Collision, I saw that Subaru had charged the MSRP of $319.95 to replace the recalled right hand headlamp assembly after promising to replace the recalled headlamp assembly for free. Subaru owes me $319.95 for my replacement of the recalled headlamp assembly. (See Picture 3)