Subaru Impreza Vehicle Speed Control Problems
Owners have filed 106 complaints with NHTSA about vehicle speed control problems on the Subaru Impreza across 22 model years. The 2013 model year has the most (13). The words owners use most often: “cruise control” (15% of reports).
- 106vehicle speed control complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 35mention a crash
- 11mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 25%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Cruise control: mentioned in 16 of 106 complaints (15%)
- Foot brake: mentioned in 7 of 106 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems happen?
Based on 71 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 106 complaints, 35 mention a crash, 11 an injury.
Subaru Impreza vehicle speed control complaints by model year
| Model year | Vehicle Speed Control complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Impreza | 2 | 14% | 7,000 |
| 2019 Impreza | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2018 Impreza | 3 | 2% | 20,222 |
| 2017 Impreza | 4 | 3% | 20,000 |
| 2016 Impreza | 8 | 11% | 24,400 |
| 2015 Impreza | 6 | 8% | 57,000 |
| 2014 Impreza | 8 | 7% | 4,900 |
| 2013 Impreza | 13 | 5% | 44,261 |
| 2012 Impreza | 11 | 5% | 41,000 |
| 2011 Impreza | 2 | 3% | 26,900 |
| 2010 Impreza | 5 | 11% | 44,500 |
| 2009 Impreza | 9 | 9% | 48,118 |
| 2008 Impreza | 7 | 4% | 35,000 |
| 2007 Impreza | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2005 Impreza | 4 | 5% | 86,000 |
| 2004 Impreza | 5 | 5% | 28,643 |
| 2003 Impreza | 1 | 2% | 7,095 |
| 2002 Impreza | 6 | 2% | 80,400 |
| 2000 Impreza | 3 | 7% | 80,600 |
| 1999 Impreza | 2 | 9% | 87,500 |
| 1997 Impreza | 2 | 7% | — |
| 1995 Impreza | 2 | 4% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Vehicle speed control:cables
Model years: 2002, 2003, 2004
Problem: On certain passenger sedans, wagons, and sport utility vehicles, the cruise control cable could come out of its track on the cruise control lever and lodge on the control lever tab when the accelerator pedal is released. If this condition occurs, the throttle will not return to the idle position and will remain in an open position.
Risk: If this occurs during vehicle operation, the driver could lose control of the vehicle, which could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install a cruise control cable retaining clip to the cruise control lever tab on the throttle shaft in order to prevent the cruise control cable from coming out of its track. Owner notification began on april 12, 2004. Owners should contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The speedometer and the entire dashboard goes haywire when driving. Itâs impossible to know what speed Iâm going, no inspection yet. The cruise control light is on and wonât go off. Iâm not sure if itâs on or not which is unfastened and could cause other issues. The check engine light…
car just locking on its own as you're driving down the road cruise control light blinking on and off randomly had a brake light gets stuck when I got home and got other vehicle the other night it took you forever to get that off but I have received takata airbag recall notice do not drive and no…
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while reversing the vehicle at 10 MPH, the transmission was shifted into drive (D), and the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration at 30 MPH. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to stop and instead…
Since new, maybe once a month, Cruise control idiot light comes on and flashes until car is turned off. usually no bother but one day it started braking without me and I bought the DUMB base model!!! before extended warranty expires, this august, hopefully dealer will replace wheel speed sensors on…
While slowly pulling into a parking slot in a Wal-Mart parking lot, the car experienced an abrupt acceleration causing it to lurch forward at full throttle and it struck a parked vehicle in the next space. The accelerator pedal was not depressed. Upon investigation I discovered that there have been…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Subaru Imprezas have vehicle speed control problems?
No. NHTSA has 106 owner complaints about vehicle speed control for the Subaru Impreza. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Subaru Impreza vehicle speed control?
Yes: 1 safety recall list vehicle speed control. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about vehicle speed control problems on the Subaru Impreza?
The most frequent phrase is “cruise control”, in 16 of 106 complaints, followed by “foot brake” (7).
Other Subaru Impreza problems
- Air Bags problems (449)
- Power Train problems (288)
- Engine problems (263)
- Electrical System problems (231)
- Exterior Lighting problems (202)
- Visibility/wiper problems (201)
- Suspension problems (156)
- Fuel System, Gasoline problems (149)
See all Subaru Impreza problems.