2018 Subaru Impreza Exterior Lighting Problems
Owners have filed 64 complaints with NHTSA about exterior lighting problems on the 2018 Subaru Impreza, 42% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 21,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “exterior lighting contacted” (17% of reports).
- 64exterior lighting complaints
- 21,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 1related recalls
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Exterior lighting contacted: mentioned in 11 of 64 complaints (17%)
- Since issued: mentioned in 5 of 64 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems happen?
Based on 2 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 64 complaints, 1 mention a crash.
Subaru Impreza exterior lighting complaints by model year
| Model year | Exterior Lighting complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Impreza | 1 | 20% | 75 |
| 2024 Impreza | 2 | 6% | — |
| 2022 Impreza | 1 | 7% | — |
| 2020 Impreza | 1 | 1% | 1,000 |
| 2019 Impreza | 63 | 32% | 20,000 |
| 2018 Impreza | 64 | 42% | 21,000 |
| 2017 Impreza | 32 | 26% | 57,264 |
| 2016 Impreza | 4 | 5% | 38,000 |
| 2015 Impreza | 1 | 1% | 700 |
| 2014 Impreza | 1 | 1% | 42,500 |
| 2013 Impreza | 7 | 3% | 74,108 |
| 2012 Impreza | 4 | 2% | 118,889 |
| 2009 Impreza | 3 | 3% | 39,000 |
| 2008 Impreza | 4 | 2% | 40,000 |
| 2007 Impreza | 1 | 1% | 105,000 |
| 2006 Impreza | 2 | 4% | 9,959 |
| 2004 Impreza | 1 | 1% | 5,651 |
| 2003 Impreza | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2002 Impreza | 2 | 1% | 53,250 |
| 2000 Impreza | 2 | 5% | — |
| 1998 Impreza | 2 | 7% | — |
| 1997 Impreza | 1 | 3% | — |
| 1995 Impreza | 2 | 4% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Exterior lighting:headlights
Problem: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Impreza vehicles. The left and right side reflex reflector and left side low beam reflector may inadequately reflect light. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: Reflectors that do not provide adequate illumination reduce the driver's ability to see and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front headlamp assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 15, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-22.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
On 8/9/24 I was involved in a fender bender minor collision with a parked car which damaged my right-hand headlamp assembly on my 2018 Subaru Impreza. On 8/23/24 I brought my car to Subaru of Ann Arbor to have Safety Recall WRG-22 NHTSA ID 22V-624 performed on it. Both headlamp assemblies were…
The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Impreza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V624000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall…
The headlights on my vehicle are incredibly dim. Subaru issued a recall about this in August 2022 and I have been constantly asking my local dealerships and Subaru of America to get this address. They have repeatedly told me I will be receiving a letter in the mail when they have the parts to fix…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2018 Subaru Imprezas have exterior lighting problems?
No. NHTSA has 64 owner complaints about exterior lighting for the 2018 Subaru Impreza (42% of the 151 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Subaru Impreza exterior lighting?
Yes: 1 safety recall list exterior lighting. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems start?
The median reported mileage is 21,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about exterior lighting problems on the 2018 Subaru Impreza?
The most frequent phrase is “exterior lighting contacted”, in 11 of 64 complaints, followed by “since issued” (5).
See all 2018 Subaru Impreza problems or exterior lighting problems across all Impreza years.