2019 Subaru Impreza problems & reliability
194 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Subaru Impreza, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 23, 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 components.
3 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2019 Subaru Impreza vehicles were involved in 18 fatal crashes with 12 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting → | 63 | 32% |
| Visibility/wiper → | 55 | 28% |
| Unknown / Other | 26 | 13% |
| Electrical System → | 19 | 10% |
| Engine | 8 | 4% |
| Service Brakes | 8 | 4% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 3% |
| Steering | 5 | 3% |
| Visibility | 5 | 3% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 21 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 62 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 13,300 miles (middle 50% between 5,614 and 27,000 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2019 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle was jerking, shaking, and failed to accelerate as needed. The check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The failure nearly caused a crash. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where the oxygen sensor and…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Sep 1, 2026
“Front right caliper seized less than 3k miles following dealer service including brake fluid flush. Replaced calipers, pads, and rotors at my own expense. Suspect internal degradation of rubber brake lines. Service bulletin exists for year prior model. Many others report rubber brake line/caliper issues on this…”
Service Brakes · filed Aug 4, 2026
“The cowl is the newest cowl on my 2019 subaru impreza and it still bowed like the original. Mine wasn't on the original recall and it bowed.”
Unknown / Other · filed Jul 25, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
522 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2019 Subaru Impreza. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin provides a procedure to address customer concerns of surface rust accumulating in the top center retaining nut area of the front strut mounts. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
05-62-18R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 31, 2026
This Announcement provides diagnostic assistance for CVT issues.
SubaruNet Announcement (C · Other · issued Aug 21, 2026
This bulletin provides guidance when diagnosing chain slip, judder, shudder, and hesitation concerns on the TR580 model CVT transmissions used in the models listed.
16-158-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2026
This bulletin announces a design change made to the CVT Control Valve Body. The updated valve body incorporates an enhanced valve sleeve to improve durability. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
16-156-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2026
This Service Information Bulletin announces the release of a new diagnostic assistance application for TR690 and TR580 CVT-equipped vehicles. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
16-154-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2026
This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experiencing battery drain when the ignition is off, leading to no-start conditions or…
15-308-23R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2026
This Bulletin provides updated diagnostic procedures to follow and a brief questionnaire to complete when diagnosing an alleged Chain Slip condition on the TR580 and TR690 model CVT transmissions used in the models…
16-132-20R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2026
This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)
15-304-22R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 13, 2026
Techtips newsletter locator index.
Article Locator · Other · issued Aug 5, 2026
This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. This is an revised version of the original bulletin
15-333-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2026
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
The 2019 Subaru Impreza has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 2019 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.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 13,300 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.