"How reliable is the 2009 Subaru Impreza?"

"Based on 149 NHTSA complaints, the 2009 Subaru Impreza has a median complaint mileage of 64765 miles. The most common issue is Power Train."

"What are common problems with the 2009 Subaru Impreza?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2009 Subaru Impreza is Power Train, accounting for a significant portion of the 149 total complaints filed."

2009 Subaru Impreza: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 149 complaints

149

Total Complaints

64,765mi

Median Mileage

Power Train

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

40,000 25th Percentile

64,765 Median Mileage

98,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Power Train

Body

Service Brakes

Engine

Air Bags

Vehicle Speed Control

Electrical System

Unknown Or Other

Fuel/Propulsion System

Engine

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"IS NHTSA AWARE OF HOW NEARLY USELESS THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE ON SOME SUBARUS? I JUST BOUGHT A NEW 2009 IMPREZA. ITS LOW BEAMS ARE SO DIM THEY'RE DANGEROUS, AND BECAUSE OF THEM I WISH I HADN'T BOUGHT THE CAR. THE FIRST EVENING I DROVE IT, I ALMOST RAN OVER A GROUP OF PEOPLE -- AND WOULD HAVE..."

"THE TPMS SYSTEM IN THE 2009 SUBARU IMPREZA IS FLAWED. WHEN I SEASONALLY CHANGE MY TIRES TO THE SPARE SET, I MUST GO TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE TPMS SENSORS RESET. THE SYSTEM SHOULD BE DESIGNED TO RECOGNIZE MORE THAN 4 TIRES; 8 WOULD BE A MINIMUM AND 9 WOULD BE PREFERRED FOR THE SPARE TIRE. THE IMPACT..."

"IN MARCH OF 2009 I PURCHASED A 2009 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION FROM THE DEALER. AT THAT TIME THE CAR HAD 580 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. AFTER TAKING THE CAR HOME I BEGAN IMMEDIATELY HAVING PROBLEMS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PLACE THE CAR IN REVERSE AND ALSO NOTICED A FOUL ODOR WHEN TAKING OF..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Power Train 28 complaints

25th: 55,000 mi Median: 65,882 mi 75th: 79,945 mi

Body 22 complaints

25th: 61,000 mi Median: 90,000 mi 75th: 112,000 mi

Service Brakes 14 complaints

25th: 51,000 mi Median: 95,000 mi 75th: 115,030 mi

Engine 13 complaints

25th: 84,000 mi Median: 98,000 mi 75th: 116,250 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 18 IL: 12 WI: 10 VA: 10 AK: 9 NY: 8 FL: 7 MA: 6 TN: 6 PA: 6

Subaru Impreza — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1993	48	-	Windshield	9
1995	69	141,125	Frontal	14
1996	25	-	Frontal	6
1997	38	-	Hub	8
1998	55	67,000	Multiple Axle	2
1999	27	67,750	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	2
2000	54	64,000	Clutch Assembly	8
2002	339	67,013	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	11
2003	64	69,000	Fuel/Propulsion System	9
2004	113	60,000	Fuel/Propulsion System	9
2005	95	72,000	Air Bags	17
2006	68	60,000	Air Bags	5
2007	84	46,496	Air Bags	6
2008	249	57,500	Power Train	11
2010	61	59,500	Unknown Or Other	3
2011	75	32,193	Air Bags	6
2012	336	45,000	Air Bags	19
2013	341	66,000	Air Bags	23
2014	153	39,000	Air Bags	24
2015	98	40,000	Electrical System	6
2016	106	27,000	Unknown Or Other	14
2017	161	11,182	Exterior Lighting	15
2018	180	16,000	Exterior Lighting	13
2019	213	12,000	Exterior Lighting	6
2020	97	7,000	Visibility/Wiper	3
2024	45	-	Suspension	3

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28