general problems of the 2017 Subaru Impreza

I am filing a safety complaint regarding an engine control module (ecm) failure in my 2017 Subaru Impreza and the handling of a prior recall repair. Dealership records show that a recall repair (wre21 – ignition coil recall) was completed in June 2021. At that time, the dealership documented that the ecm calibration was up to date and functioning properly. However, I later experienced a check engine light and drivability concerns. Diagnostic records from February 2026 indicate: •camshaft slow response codes •persistent sensor issues •a technician recommendation to replace multiple components, including the ecm, stating that codes were “burned into the ecm” the dealership has since attempted to attribute the ecm failure to “engine sludge” and lack of maintenance. Concern with dealership explanation: this explanation is inconsistent and raises serious concerns: •engine sludge is a mechanical lubrication issue and does not directly cause an ecm (electronic control module) to fail or become “burned. ” •the ecm is an electronic unit, and failure typically results from electrical defects, internal faults, or manufacturing issues—not oil sludge. •the dealership has not provided technical evidence showing how sludge could damage or “burn” the ecm. •this appears to be an attempt to shift responsibility away from a potential defect or improperly completed recall repair. Safety concern: the ecm is critical to safe vehicle operation. A failure can result •engine malfunction or reduced power •unpredictable vehicle behavior •increased risk while driving if ecm failures are being misdiagnosed or incorrectly attributed to maintenance issues, this could allow serious safety defects to go unaddressed. Requested action: I request that NHTSA: 1. Investigate whether ecm failures are being improperly attributed to maintenance issues such as engine sludge. 2. Review whether the recall repair (wre21) was properly completed and whether it is related to thi.

I noticed that visibility at night was poor. I was pulled over by the police and give a warning that my headlight was out and told to get it fixed. I thought it may be as simple as a bulb but was told the entire left headlamp assembly had to be replaced at a cost of more than $2,000. Just days later my dealership send me a service notice which also stated that the left headlamp should be inspected. This was after I had already had it replaced at a local garage. The dealership confirmed that their was a recall but when I tried to get reimbursed by Subaru thru the safety recall wrg-22/NHTSA 22v624000 they said my VIN# was excluded from the recall!(?).

Parked at a store. Car caught on fire while in store. Car had been parked approximately 10 minutes. Left side headlight spontaneously ignited.

I bought a "Subaru Impreza" 2017, and in the span of 4 years, had numerous issues, including: -dead battery -car suddenly stopping on highway: no electroninc warning whatsoever -over 6 possibly lethal recalls (mainly pertaining to car electronics andbrakes), which might cause car to stop moving/responsing to steering/braking at any moment, which I send in for repair ASAP. Afterwards, I was assured all the electronics and brake components had been checked, and I would be safe to drive everyday for work. -this week, after all these "repaired" recalls, my car suddenly while I was driving on one of the busiest/most dangerous highways in our area: it took me several minutes to even manage to pull onto the shoulder. During that time, I was almost hit 5 times, and had to call chp to come take me. I could have easily been killed. And the chp operator clearly told me not to drive this car again. -the next day, I got to Subaru dealership which sold me this car, asking for a loaner, and free repair. Although Subaru provided the loaner, they also gave me a 1133. 98$ to fix the electronic issue, which they assured me "is not my fault, but not on the recall list, so even though it malfunctioned, I have to pay, even though their negligence almost cost me my life. I'm curious to know how many other Subaru 2017 drivers had similar experience.

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the driveway and turned off a fire occurred. The neighbor had discovered three vehicles in the driveway were on fire and called the fire department to the scene who extinguished the flames. During the incident the three vehicle were destroyed. A fire report was taken at the scene. Fire investigators determined that the fire started on the front passenger side of the Subaru vehicle. No further information was available. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the incident. The failure mileage was 54,000.

Battery drains too fast and keeps need a jump.

Ignition locked. Would not release. Took 20 minutes. Finally the lock released. Have complained to Subaru service, told it is all in my mind.

Radio sound at high volume on start-up with control knob useless to turn down or turn off the sound. The head unit has been replaced. Problem is identical. Turning sound off at shutdown the day before makes no difference. Reversing in parking lots is perilous. There can be a few seconds of delay before the loud sound begins, while the car is rolling. Stabbing the off button is useless. Volume knob spins uselessly for about ten seconds before muting the sound. It happens pretty much every time I start the car.

I was parking my car at apartment's parking lot by right turning. I was driving really slow about 5miles/hr. My foot was on the break pedal and as I press the break to slow my car further it got accelerated (with raving engine noise) and hit front parking fence as well as parked car right to me. I moved the automatic gear stick to parking position and able to stop the car. I talked with my car maker and they looked at it and prepared a report in 10 weeks. According to them weather mat might be the cause of this problem. But I do not think weather mat moved from its place during incident. I am really scared to drive this car again specially my car manufacturer doesn't seems to find the real cause of problem. I think my vehicle had an electrical malfunction that causes the vehicle to continue accelerating even my foot was on break.

Radio turns on automatically at startup. Happens intermittently. Volume is loud and cannot reduce volume while backing up. Volume control works when car moving forward. At times volume control does not work and have to mute the radio. Most of the time I just keep the volume on zero and do not use the radio at all.

[xxx] 2017 Subaru Impreza VIN [xxx] cruze control error. Will it make brake lights fail if not repaired? go look in your database and see if Impreza has more than normal rear end collisions? what else is on bus that might be damaged by spike? braking? antilock? lights? why is this not a recall? information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Radio controls "froze" before I even drove it off the dealer's lot. Could not select af or fm. Satellite radio, however, worked. Fix was either to disconnect the battery or remove and reinsert a fuze. Dealer mechanic showed me how to use the fuze method. Car was stationary and had been running for 5-10 minutes. I did not test to see if other electrical functions were impacted as well.

Car will not move for several seconds after hitting the gas and air bag light comes on. Coasting to a red light stop downhill, when I start to make left turn into traffic car does not respond to gas pedal for 2-4 seconds and when it starts moving it feels like its in a high gear bucking like a manuel transmission. It is a cvt . Last time this happened I rolled into the intersection almost to get hit by a truck, luckily it swerved to avoid me. I'm scared to drive this car. Enclosed is a picture of the air bag light on while I am driving, extremely unsafe vehicle.

Dashboard airbag warning light is on when outside temperatures are hot. Happens alls surfaces/movement: stationary, moving, city street, highway. Passenger seat empty, driver in car only. Subaru dealer blamed it on my seat covers, after pushing for more research dealership says there is a known problem with airbag sensor but only techs who call into their tech help line are made aware. The part to fix the airbag issue/light is not currently available, and no specific date the part will be available to fix. Dealership states the issue is the sensors located on the interior roof of my car next to interior lights. States the sensor wires aren't coated well enough from heat, causing the light to come on/not properly registering if there is or is not a person in the passenger seat. Airbag is off if it doesn't register a passenger. Happened three times in the past two weeks.

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Impreza. While driving various speeds, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle lost power. Also, the gears failed to shift without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the entire computer needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred several other times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer three different times on three different occasions. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 80,000.