U.S. public vehicle records

2010 Subaru IMPREZA problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

46 owner complaints analyzed

15 distinct recall campaigns

47,801 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2010 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 34 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Unknown Or Other is the most frequently named component, appearing in 9 of 46 complaints (19.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	8	17.4%
Engine operation	4	8.7%
Electrical and battery issues	4	8.7%
Steering behavior	4	8.7%
Fuel system concerns	4	8.7%
Transmission and shifting	3	6.5%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Unknown Or Other

Engine

Air Bags

Fuel/Propulsion System

Electrical System

Power Train

Service Brakes

Vehicle Speed Control

Unknown Or Other: 9; Engine: 7; Air Bags: 6; Fuel/Propulsion System: 6; Electrical System: 5; Power Train: 5; Service Brakes: 5; Vehicle Speed Control: 5

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 7; 25,000 to 49,999: 11; 50,000 to 74,999: 5; 75,000 to 99,999: 7; 100,000 to 149,999: 3; 150,000 and above: 1

25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (11). 12 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2026

2010: 2; 2011: 1; 2012: 3; 2013: 8; 2014: 3; 2015: 6; 2016: 3; 2017: 4; 2018: 2; 2019: 3; 2020: 4; 2021: 3; 2022: 2; 2023: 1; 2026: 1

Pattern summary

Unknown Or Other leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 8 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 4 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 4 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10451474 · 2012-03-13 (March 13, 2012)

SUBARU HAS AN INHERENT BRAKE DEFECT IN THEIR 2010-2011 SUBARU WRX AND WRX STI MODEL CARS. THE BRAKE SENSOR IN NEW CARS IS FAULTY CAUSING SYSTEM FAILURE WITH REGARDS TO ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. WHEN BRAKES ARE USED IN A PANIC SITUATION THEY LOCK UP CAUSING DRIVERS TO LOSE CONTROL WITH THE ROAD AND DO NOT PROVIDE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. DRIVERS ARE UNAWARE OF THE BRAKE DEFECT BECAUSE SUBARU HAS NOT ISSUED A PROPER RECALL IN REGARDS TO THIS ISSUE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10451474 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10457744 · 2012-05-08 (May 8, 2012)

PREMATURE BRAKE WEAR ON REAR BRAKES. BOTH METAL ON METAL. DEALER REPLACED ROTORS AND PADS AT NO COST. BUT I DO NOT THINK THIS ADDRESSED THE REAL PROBLEM. I HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE WEAR OUT THE REAR BRAKE PADS IN SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME NOT EVEN THE FRONT BRAKES. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 27,270 miles reported. Look up ODI 10457744 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10471168 · 2012-08-16 (August 16, 2012)

ENGINE COMPLETELY SEIZED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT ANY WARNING FROM THE CAR'S COMPUTER ENGINE SEIZURE WAS DUE TO ALL OF THE OIL LEAKING OUT OF THE ENGINE FROM THE OIL FILTER AREA. THIS WAS A SLOW LEAK OVER A 5 MONTH PERIOD. THE BIGGEST CONCERN HERE IS THAT THE CAR'S COMPUTER SYSTEM DID NOTHING TO WARN ME OF THIS IMPENDING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. NO OIL LIGHTS EVER CAME ON, NO CEL EVER CAME ON, THE OIL TEMPERATURE GAUGE NEVER MOVED FROM THE MIDDLE. FROM THE TIME THE SLIGHT KNOCKING IN THE ENGINE STARTED TO THE TIME OF THE ENGINE SE…

Owner-reported narrative. 17,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10471168 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11241142 · 2019-08-01 (August 1, 2019)

AFTER 72 HOURS OF MY PURCHASE OF THE 2010 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX FROM TOYOTA BOULDER DEALERSHIP LOCATED IN BOULDER, COLORADO, I HAD EXPERIENCED MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE STARTER OF THE VEHICLE. I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO FAULT IN THIS SITUATION, HOWEVER I WAS SIMPLY MISINFORMED AND THEREFORE PURCHASED A VEHICLE THAT WASNT IN ADEQUATE, SAFE CONDITIONS. ON TUESDAY I HAD EXPERIENCED A LACK OF POWER WHEN STARTING UP THE VEHICLE . I HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE IN THE MORNING HOWEVER AROUND NOON I HAD DRIVEN 10 MILES FROM MY WORK AND HAD DOWN SHIFTED TO 1…

Owner-reported narrative. 113,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 11241142 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10550346 · 2013-10-31 (October 31, 2013)

DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AT 65-70MPH THE SUN VISOR JUST DROPPED DOWN BLOCKING MY VISION. THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE FIX AS BEING ON THE ROAD YOU CAN'T PULL OVER AND JUST DO SOMETHING WITH IT. I THEREFORE HAD TO HOLD THE VISOR IN PLACE FOR SEVERAL MILES. ONCE I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER THERE WAS STILL NO FIX, HOLDING THE VISOR IN PLACE AND DRIVING WITH ONE HAND IN HEAVY TRAFFIC IS A HAZARD FOR MYSELF AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD. I DROVE FOR SEVERAL DAYS LIKE THIS TRYING EVERYTHING FROM PAPER IN THE VISOR TO ELECTRICAL TAPE I HAD PURCHASED HOPING TO HOLD IT …

Owner-reported narrative. 48,250 miles reported. Look up ODI 10550346 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10787917 · 2015-11-03 (November 3, 2015)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 SUBARU IMPREZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO START. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, THE VEHICLE STARTED. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES INTERMITTENTLY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THERE WAS A SMELL OF FUEL FROM THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE WIRE THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THE FUEL PUMP HAD A SHORT AND CAUSED THE FUEL PUMP TO MELT. THE FUEL PUMP AND THE WIRING HARNESS WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFI…

Owner-reported narrative. 97,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10787917 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11363956 · 2020-10-12 (October 12, 2020)

STEERING PUMP, CLUTCH AND LOSS OF POWER

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11363956 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10898265 · 2016-08-24 (August 24, 2016)

CAR IS 6 YEARS OLD, ~50,000 MILES ON IT, AND THE FUEL TANK IS RUSTED OUT. LEAKING ENOUGH THAT IT CANNOT BE FIXED AND MUST BE REPLACED. MY MECHANIC SAYS THIS IS HIGHLY IRREGULAR. DEALER SAYS THEY HAVEN'T HAD TO REPLACE A FUEL TANK IN DECADES.

Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10898265 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10536026 · 2013-08-19 (August 19, 2013)

THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG ON MY 2010 SUBARU IMPREZA IS INTERMITTENTLY DISABLED, EVEN WITH A 125 POUND ADULT OCCUPYING THE SEAT. SHIFTING YOUR WEIGHT IN THE SEAT MAY ENABLE THE AIRBAG, BUT IT WILL USUALLY BECOME DISABLED AGAIN WHILE DRIVING. THIS SEEMS LIKE A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD AND IS VERY CONCERNING. I'VE SEEN SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON DIFFERENT WEBSITES; IS SUBARU CONSIDERING A RECALL OR DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO GET INJURED FIRST? *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10536026 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11301093 · 2020-01-22 (January 22, 2020)

THE TRANSMISSION COOLING LINES ARE RUSTING AND CORRODING, WHICH LEADS TO TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING OR SPRAYING OUT OF THE LINE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WHICH LEADS TO LOSS OF TRANSMISSION FLUID AND TRANSMISSION NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. SEE IN PICTURE THE TRANSMISSION COOLING LINE WAS FIXED BUT THERE IS STILL CORROSION. THIS TRANSMISSION FLUID LINE SEEMS LIKE THE SAME MATERIAL IN THE BREAK LINE RECALL FOR CORROSION.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11301093 at NHTSA ↗