2018 Subaru WRX electrical system problems
10 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the electrical system on the 2018 Subaru WRX — 24% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“2/17/2026 Mileage 96,000 Subaru case number Case # 260217-2101937 Vehicle intermittently indicates reverse gear while driving forward at speed. Backup camera activates and reverse lights illuminate while in forward motion. This condition matches NHTSA Recall 22V-522000. The recall repair was…”
filed Feb 17, 2026
“Parasitic battery drain. Car is rendered inoperable after periods of non use. The batter has been replaced and the problem persists.”
filed Jan 10, 2022
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
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, 2026This 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, 2026Techtips newsletter locator index.
Article Locator · Other · issued Aug 5, 2026This 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
Electrical System problems in other WRX years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 WRX | 3 | 12% |
| 2019 WRX | 14 | 47% |
| 2017 WRX | 14 | 26% |
| 2016 WRX | 10 | 32% |
| 2015 WRX | 6 | 12% |
| 2008 WRX | 1 | 2% |
| 2003 WRX | 1 | 2% |
| 2002 WRX | 3 | 1% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2018 Subaru WRX
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.