2012 Subaru Impreza Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Impreza years
- Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 243 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Subaru Impreza. That ranks 3rd out of 32 Impreza model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (105 complaints, 43%), typically at around 36,750 miles. Complaints mention 10 crashes, 4 fires, 6 injuries. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 243owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 10complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 Subaru Impreza problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 105 | 43% | 36,750 | “passenger airbag” (37%) | — |
| Engine problems | 55 | 23% | 34,310 | “oil consumption” (18%) | — |
| Electrical System | 30 | 12% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 26 | 11% | 71,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 15 | 6% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 13 | 5% | 47,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 12 | 5% | 82,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 5% | 41,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 10 | 4% | 73,557 | — | — |
| Wheels | 7 | 3% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 6 | 2% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 2% | 22,406 | — | — |
| Suspension | 5 | 2% | 83,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 2% | 118,889 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 2% | 8,750 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 2% | 47,105 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 1% | 21,500 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 1% | 42,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 1% | 63,033 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | 7,500 | — | — |
| Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 0% | 30,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | 300 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Subaru Impreza recalls (6)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Problem: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.
Risk: Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.
Engine and engine cooling:engine
Problem: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Subaru Impreza, 2012-2013 Impreza Stationwagon, 2013 Subaru BRZ, XV Crosstrek and Toyota Scion FR-S vehicles. The engine valve springs in these vehicles may fracture causing an engine malfunction or a possible engine stall.
Risk: An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. Toyota will notify the FR-S owners. Dealers will replace the valve springs, free of charge. The recall began December 26, 2018. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614, Toyota owners may contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-888-270-9371. Subaru's number for this recall is WTY-84.
Electrical system
Problem: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2008-2014 Impreza vehicles and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, all equipped with turbo-charged engines. The relay that controls the secondary air injection pump may fail, causing the pump to continuously operate and overheat.
Risk: If the air injection pump overheats, it may melt and increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary air injection pump relay, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTM-73.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification
Problem: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2012 model year Subaru Impreza 4-Door and Station Wagon vehicles (except WRX/STI models) manufactured April 21, 2011, to February 16, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may deactivate if a front seat passenger operates a device that is plugged into the power outlet such as a music player or cell phone, or touches a metal part of the vehicle such as the forward/rearward seat adjuster lever.
Risk: If the ODS deactivates, the front passenger air bag will be turned off and the front passenger air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the Occupant Control Unit with a modified one, free of charge. The recall began August 21, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQT-55.
Equipment; electrical system
Problem: Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with an automatic or CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, certain model year 2012-2013 Impreza vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, and certain model year 2013 XV Crosstrek vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory. Additionally included are certain model year 2013 Legacy and Outback vehicles that may have received replacement RES fobs. If the RES fob is dropped, the fob may malfunction and randomly transmit an engine start request without pressing the button.
Risk: The engine may inadvertently start and run for up to fifteen minutes. The engine may continue to start and stop until the fob battery is depleted, or until the vehicle runs out of fuel. If the vehicle is parked in an enclosed area, there is a risk of carbon monoxide build-up which may cause headaches, dizziness or, in extreme cases, unconsciousness and/or asphyxiation.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RES key fobs, free of charge. The recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783 for more information.
Service brakes, hydraulic:pedals and linkages
Problem: Subaru is recalling certain model year 2012 impreza sedans and wagons (except wrx/sti models), manufactured from april 21, 2011, through november 15, 2011, and legacy and outback vehicles manufactured from october 17, 2011, through november 23, 2011. These vehicles may be equipped with a brake master cylinder that could malfunction and cause an increase in the amount of brake pedal travel distance required to slow or stop the vehicle.
Risk: The driver might misjudge the amount of brake pedal travel required to achieve the desired stopping distance. This could occur unexpectedly and without prior warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake master cylinder and if necessary, replace it, free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during december 2011. Owners may contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Passenger Front Air Bag Suppression (PE15012) — opened Apr 10, 2015, closed Jul 15, 2015, led to recall 15V419000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My Chicco Fit360 car seatâs magnetic chest clip is failing to stay clipped and is easily unclipped by the tug of one finger. Children are able to easily unclip it as well. Yes it is available for inspection upon request. My childâs safety was put at risk because the magnetic chest clip would…
My ignition key gets stuck when I shifted into park on my 2012 subaru impreza.
The fan controls in the center of the dash failed. Fan speed 1&2 work, but 3&4 do not. After pulling the center dash controls out, I found that the plug connecting the fan speed controls to the wiring harness was burnt. This is a concern cause it could have burned other components or caused a fire.
HVAC plug pigtail Blower motor resistor Heater control harness Is available for inspection HVAC electrical plugin was badly burned and melted causing risk of fire Summer months created dangerous interior temperatures Winter months & inclement weather created physical distress- & created dangerous…
The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. The vehicle failed to stop immediately. The brake warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who…
Other Subaru Impreza years
← 2011 Impreza · 2013 Impreza →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Impreza | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 Impreza | 5 | 0 |
| 2024 Impreza | 32 | 2 |
| 2023 Impreza | 4 | 2 |
| 2022 Impreza | 14 | 1 |
| 2021 Impreza | 14 | 2 |
| 2020 Impreza | 85 | 1 |
| 2019 Impreza | 194 | 5 |
| 2018 Impreza | 151 | 5 |
| 2017 Impreza | 125 | 7 |
| 2016 Impreza | 75 | 1 |
| 2015 Impreza | 77 | 2 |
| 2014 Impreza | 108 | 3 |
| 2013 Impreza | 250 | 4 |
| 2012 | 243 | 6 |
| 2011 Impreza | 58 | 14 |
| 2010 Impreza | 46 | 15 |
| 2009 Impreza | 104 | 14 |
| 2008 Impreza | 176 | 14 |
| 2007 Impreza | 68 | 9 |
| 2006 Impreza | 56 | 10 |
| 2005 Impreza | 75 | 6 |
| 2004 Impreza | 96 | 8 |
| 2003 Impreza | 62 | 6 |
| 2002 Impreza | 292 | 6 |
| 2001 Impreza | 11 | 0 |
| 2000 Impreza | 41 | 0 |
| 1999 Impreza | 22 | 0 |
| 1998 Impreza | 30 | 0 |
| 1997 Impreza | 30 | 0 |
| 1996 Impreza | 20 | 0 |
| 1995 Impreza | 46 | 1 |
See all Subaru Impreza problems by year, every Subaru model, or the Subaru VIN decoder.
Similar Subaru models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Subaru Impreza?
Owners most often report air bags, engine, electrical system problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 105 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Subaru Impreza?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 Subaru Impreza a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Impreza model years, the 2012 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.