1993 Subaru Impreza problems & reliability
33 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1993 Subaru Impreza. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
8 complaints report injuries (9 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1993 Subaru Impreza vehicles were involved in 5 fatal crashes with 4 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility → | 13 | 39% |
| Air Bags → | 11 | 33% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 12% |
| Power Train | 3 | 9% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 6% |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 6% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 6% |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 3% |
| Structure | 1 | 3% |
| Suspension | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl*the contact owns a 1993 subaru impreza which was purchased used in 2005. He stated that the filler pipe was leaking large quantities of fuel.there was a related recall campaign id number 93v072000 indicating the manufacturer would assume liability. The failure and current mileages were under 226,826. The system…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Jan 6, 2010
“1993 subaru impreza experienced a tire blow out causing the consumer to run off the road and hit the median wall twice. *kb ohio traffic crash report# 10-90-0831. *jb”
Tires · filed Jan 3, 2008
“We just purchased a 1993 subaru impreza 4 door sedan. Yesterday, november 27, 2004 while we were stopped at a traffic light, we were hit by another vehicle which was traveling about 30 mph. With my foot on the brake, our subaru was propelled 5-15 feet. The air bag never deployed. My wife an I required emergency…”
Air Bags · filed Nov 28, 2004
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
17 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1993 Subaru Impreza. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin announces the recommended cleaning procedures to followed when encountering vehicles with long time exposure to pollen on painted surfaces on vehicles imported from Japan. This bulletin does not apply to…
12-249-23R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 11, 2023
This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models.
01-167-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 23, 2022
This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure.
15-302-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 23, 2022
This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic essential information during diagnosis and repair of the Infotainment concerns. (Applicable to all models with Harman or Denso CP1 Infotainment).
15-192-22R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 18, 2022
This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models
01-167-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 17, 2021
This bulletin is to advise of SOAâ s revised catalytic converter recycling program shipping procedure.
09-51-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 7, 2021
To help reduce confusion and increase technician efficiency, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) has developed the following cross reference list to help locate the appropriate Special Service Tool.
14-22-16R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2021
Special Service Tools Cross Reference List.
14-22-16R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 4, 2020
All Models (Vehicle Cleaning- COVID-19Best Practices)
01-181-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2020
Subaru Service and Technical Support Line Newletter.
Subaru Tech Tips · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 21, 2019
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1993 Subaru Impreza in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1993 Subaru Impreza?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.