4th generation (GJ/GP) · GJ (sedan) / GP (hatch) · 1,045 complaints, 705 with mileage
Owners filed 1,045 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012–2016 Subaru Impreza, and 705 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 19,000 and 77,000 miles. The median is 45,900 miles.
The most-reported areas are the airbag system (26.7% of complaints, typically around 46,110 miles), the engine (15.5% of complaints, typically around 50,000 miles), the electrical system (11.0% of complaints, typically around 45,000 miles).
7 recall campaigns cover this generation.
| System | Complaints | Share | Typical mileage | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 279 | 26.7% | 46,110 | 25,000–79,000 |
| Engine | 162 | 15.5% | 50,000 | 15,000–78,000 |
| Electrical System | 115 | 11.0% | 45,000 | 20,000–79,000 |
| Power Train | 82 | 7.8% | 67,404 | 30,520–102,926 |
| Unknown Or Other | 75 | 7.2% | 45,000 | 24,000–80,000 |
| Service Brakes | 50 | 4.8% | 47,000 | 15,996–67,404 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 46 | 4.4% | 34,310 | 6,175–63,000 |
| Steering | 39 | 3.7% | 48,000 | 21,500–73,557 |
| Seats | 33 | 3.2% | 65,000 | 29,800–83,155 |
| Structure | 27 | 2.6% | 39,000 | 29,826–80,000 |
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 337 | 262 |
| 2013 | 344 | 220 |
| 2014 | 157 | 95 |
| 2015 | 99 | 71 |
| 2016 | 108 | 57 |
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 45,900 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The airbag system accounts for 26.7% of complaints (279 reports, 213 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 46,110 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 25,000 and 79,000 miles.
A single system taking 26.7% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
The engine accounts for 15.5% of complaints (162 reports, 95 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 50,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 15,000 and 78,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 11.0% of complaints (115 reports, 71 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 45,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 20,000 and 79,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 7.8% of complaints (82 reports, 49 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 67,404 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 30,520 and 102,926 miles.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 7.2% of complaints (75 reports, 40 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 45,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 24,000 and 80,000 miles.
The brakes account for 4.8% of complaints (50 reports, 31 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 47,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 15,996 and 67,404 miles.
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2013 model year drew the most — 344 complaints — while 2015 drew the fewest at 99. The median year sits at 157.
That makes 2013 an outlier: roughly 2.2 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
NHTSA records 7 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Of the 1,045 complaints filed against this generation, 86 reported a crash; 16 reported a fire; 29 reported an injury. Crash-involved reports represent 8.2% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 19,000 and 77,000 miles, with a median of 45,900. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the airbag system and the engine are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The airbag system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 46,110, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Defective piston rings allow excessive oil consumption between changes. A class action covering FB-engine Subarus (Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, Impreza, Legacy, roughly MY2011-2015) settled with warranty extension to 8 years/100,000 miles for oil-consumption repairs plus reimbursement; the Impreza classes were 2012-2013 4-door and 5-door and 2012-2015 manual-transmission cars below specified VIN breaks.
Chain/pulley and valve body complaints (shudder, hesitation, failure) led Subaru to extend CVT powertrain coverage to 10 years/100,000 miles on CVT-equipped vehicles from the 2010-2015 model years.
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 19V149000 | 2019-04-15 | Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights:Switch |
| 18V772000 | 2018-12-26 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine |
| 16V738000 | 2016-12-16 | Electrical System |
| 15V419000 | 2015-08-21 | Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification |
| 15V366000 | 2015-07-20 | Forward Collision Avoidance: Crash Imminent Braking |
| 13V061000 | 2013-04-22 | Equipment |
| 11V562000 | 2011-12-05 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Pedals And Linkages |