Power Train Problems of Subaru Impreza - part 1

Front wheels locked up while doing 75 miles an hour. Per shop the transmission locked up. There were no signs of transmission failure car ran perfectly fine and had been serviced and new tires 7 days before. This could have caused a very serious accident.

See all problems of the 2022 Subaru Impreza 🔎.

Subaru is aware of a specific set of year/model/makes that start to make a sound coming from the drive shaft center bearing in cold weather. Unnatural wear occurs on the bearing but the only remedy is to replace the entire drive shaft which is a really costly repair for something that is a structural design issue. There is a service bulletin for [xxx] it seems unfair that this is a repair the customer should take on when a drive shaft should likely survive the lifetime of a vehicle. This should be a recall. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2019 Subaru Impreza 🔎.

The contact owns a 2013 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate above 80 mph. In addition, the contact stated that the gear shifter did not shift as intended and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission control system failure. The contact was informed that the torque converter clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, a diagnostic test had not been completed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 156,000.

See all problems of the 2013 Subaru Impreza 🔎.

To start of with the steering seems to loosen up while driving, it's hard to explain but while driving the vehicle it is very noticable that the car is jurking side to side , if your used to a certain pressure put on the steering wheel to turn or keep in a constant turn(like a long turn or steady turn on a long bend in a road , the steering loosens to the point that the pressure you are holding the car at going in the turn makes you go into oncoming traffic or to the opposite side towards the side of the road) and this is not a good situation to be in it's starting to happen more frequently now , before I thought it was a slippery spot or ice ,no it's on dry surfaces (road ways) the next thing is the power train, it seems to be a bumping sensation especially up a hill or grade it's getting more prominent (in transmission perhaps) I've been a mechanic for over 40+ years now retired so the newer stuff I'm not savy on but I know what's being sead . Now I m looking into any recalls for the 2022 Subaru Impreza I know I can't be the only one experiencing these problems??? another thing is the windows in the front doors (both front windows) when you put them up in the automatic faze they will go up but come back down to the center of the opening ,this happens a lot but not ?? it will do it for a few days , then it won't do it for a week or longer , then it does it again a few days ,you get the picture right , should of stuck with our first pick of vehicle instead of with this one , I do not think it's a safe car at all !!!.

Last month, my 2013 Subaru Impreza sport with only 67k that I bought brand new had a blinking at (automatic transmission) oil temp light and three other lights were lit on the panel. I contacted groove Subaru and they told me that I had a malfunctioning valve body and needs to be replaced. I was told that this is a common issue with Subarus with cvt transmission reason why they changed their warranty to 10years/100k miles. Mine has only 67k miles and already malfunctioned. They said they won't cover mine because I'm on the 11th year so they asked me to pay $2500 for everything. Reason why I'm writing this letter is to inform you that this should be considered as recall and I shouldn't paid for anything. My car is good as brand new. I seldom use it. Please help me consider this as recall since it is happening on all Subarus with cvt transmission. Thank you!.

Rear wheel bearing premature wear. Originally installed wheel bearings were replaced, under warranty, at 44,137 miles. Same bearings then had to be replaced again at 62,486 miles. Both replacements were done by beardmore Subaru in nebraska. A failed wheel bearing at high speed could result in a catastrophic accident, and requiring replacement at these low mileage levels is indicative of poor design or substandard parts.

The clutch release bearing seized while driving preventing the clutch from being depressed. The only way to stop the car was by overpowering the clutch with the brakes and pulling the emergency brake. There is a service information bulletin (number: 03-82-18) currently for the known defective part. There were no dash lights on at the time.

See all problems of the 2017 Subaru Impreza 🔎.

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 rear wheels. Not sure if this will fix problem. I have asked them to check this six or seven times now. They tell me warranty may not cover it unless code is stored? hopefully they will stand behind product and fix it anyway. 2017 Impreza with 33000 miles and have done all recalls and maintenance!.

Hello car just stopped on the fla turnpike because bad valve body on transmission seem Subaru knows about this problem and offered a extended warranty 10 yr or 100k but they did this during covid with stay at home orders and never sent any type of notification my wife was almost killed when this happened to her our car has only 70k I feel they should have sent us letter we had the car since new this is a very dangerous situation for anyone owning a Subaru imprezza from 2010 to 2015 and many other Subaru have this problem as well.

See all problems of the 2012 Subaru Impreza 🔎.

Engine light came on. Checked it, the failure was the transmission solenoid. It reported that a failure was about to occur. Brought it into the Subaru dealership because the will not sell any transmission parts to repair shops in the phoenix area. I am not sure if I would have had a bigger problem, or not had I not taken it in right away.

See all problems of the 2016 Subaru Impreza 🔎.

To whom this may concern, my name is tammi ison. I purchased my 2014 Subaru on December 13th, 2013. My car has 57,000 miles on it. It has loss of acceleration when entering a freeway. I push on the gas pedal harder and harder to try to get my car to obtain 60 mph. The car does not respond until minutes go by. The cvt transmission was replaced in June 2022. The car has not performed any better after the transmission replacement. I am the original owner of my car. Initially, my car performed very well, quick response to acceleration for the first 35-40 thousand miles. Then, it began to have lack of acceleration. The transmission was replaced by Subaru of America in June 2022 at around 48,000 miles. I brought my car to elk grove Subaru approximately 4 times since the transmission was replaced, each time I paid for their hourly diagnostic fee; between $165. 00 to $195. 00. Each time the service advisor said they found nothing wrong with my car. I took my car to two independent mechanics (one of them is a transmission repair shop) they each stated in writing that my transmission is slipping and has loss of power. I feel unsafe driving my car on the street as if shakes, shudders and jerks. I do not want to be a statistic in an accident on the freeway due to the lack of power trying to obtain speed while entering freeway and trying to keep my vehicle speed at a speed of barely 60 mph. My vehicle is still within the extended cvt warranty. I feel that the Subaru dealership is purposely avoiding acknowledgement of the failing transmission. Subaru is a big corporation. Many Subaru owners believe there needs to be an actual recall on their Subaru cvt transmissions. I do not feel safe driving my car. With 57,000 miles on a vehicle that's a potential safety hazard, Subaru needs to take more responsibility for their vehicles as people's lives are much more precious than their profit margins. Sincerely, tammi ison.

See all problems of the 2014 Subaru Impreza 🔎.

This is the third time that this has happened on the highway. I was driving about 70 miles per hour when my acceleration cut out. My dashboard lights, head lights, and other electronics were still on, but the car stalled and would not accelerate. The car struggled to move forward, jerking while slowing down, and came to a stop. I was in the middle lane of traffic on the highway late at night driving home and wasn't able to get my vehicle fully out of the highway when it was coming to a stop. This put me in a very dangerous situation on the highway where my car could potentially be hit by people rushing by. I got out of the car and called 911, who helped me move my car to a safer location. Once the car stopped, I tried turning the key a few times and the spark plug ran, but the car would not turn on. The next day, the car did turn on and there were no warning lights or any other diagnostic readings. The car was taken to Subaru where they did diagnostic tests, but were not able to find any irregularities. I've had the same thing happen twice before and they couldn't diagnose the problem then either. I also experienced hesitation when accelerating where the car wouldn't accelerate, and then it would jerk forward when it did. After repeatedly going back to Subaru for this issue as the transmission is under warranty, they replaced the torque converter and said the problem was solved. I still experienced the hesitation and jerking while driving so I took it back, to which they said that it was driving normal, and that the hesitation was because of the way I drove the car. The car is not driving normal or safe because it stalled and stopped accelerating on the highway, like I told them it would again, putting me in danger. I believe it is the transmission that is damaged, and despite the extended warranty, they won't or can't address it. It would be available for inspection if it would help. There should really be a recall because they fight extended warranty claims.

It is a case of sudden acceleration when parking the car in battery , goin forward very slowly, the Subaru Impreza accelerate , jump the curve and crash agaings a tree 5 ft away from the curve, the results extensive damage in the left front , airbags did not deploy.

See all problems of the 2018 Subaru Impreza 🔎.

I have been having continuous problems with engine light coming on w the wheel skid light also. I went to auto zone and the codes p000d, c1422,p00700 and others. I took vehicle to Subaru to inspect for repair September 11, 2021 the oil temp, traction control light, abs, and hill control light went off, but the engine light came back on. I left it alone didn't bother with it, figured nothing could be done. I then went to another auto shop on November 28, 2022 because it did bother me about the engine light, someone mention it was dangerous driving w the light on because something could actually be wrong. Also, this shop was to be cheaper. The codes repaired were p000a, p000c, drove off lot engine light came back on. I know it was time for my e- check so I thought I'd give it another try back at Subaru. On July 14, 2023 for repair of engine light. The tests showed repairs for p00a, p00d. They told me they were repairing the vehicle. I left Subaru and about 5 minutes of leaving the engine light came back on. I called them and stated the light was back on, they told me to come in and they could look at it, but I don't have another $ 729. 00 to keep giving these auto shops. I had and e-check on July 22, 2023 and didn't pass because of codes p0021 and p000c.

The vehicle was at a stoplight. Once the light turned green, the driver stepped on the gas. All of a sudden the car would not move, all the warning lights came on, and we could smell a burning smell. The car was towed to the dealership where it was purchased. They discovered a rubber hose leading to the transmission had somehow gotten cut and all the transmission fluid leaked out. This caused a total transmission failure according to the dealer. It must have happened almost instantaneously as there was no warning prior to this. This hose is clearly critical to the operation of the vehicle and safety of the occupants, yet is totally exposed to the underside of the car. If the failure occurred while the vehicle was moving, it could have been a serious safety issue. It seems like a simple steel braided hose or a metal tube should have been used on such a critical part.

The contact owns a 2009 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, the transmission failed to properly shift. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over on the side of the road and shut off the vehicle. Once the contact restarted the vehicle, the vehicle started operating normally; however, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the clutch pedal bracket had fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was under recall however, the recall had expired. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 54,000.

See all problems of the 2009 Subaru Impreza 🔎.

We own a 2013 Subaru Impreza. The transmission valve body part has been determined to be defective from the factory, therefore rendering our vehicle unusable, stopping in front of other vehicles on the road. Subaru of America is aware of this reoccurring part failure with other vehicles of the same model, that they applied a third warranty on the transmission and drivetrain.  .

The transmission on my 2014 Subaru Impreza failed suddenly while I was driving about 70 mph in the middle lane of the interstate. My car began to decelerate rapidly, and I lost all ability to accelerate or even put my car in park. I was able to navigate to the side of the interstate and use the car's emergency brake to come to a stop. The event was extremely traumatic, and I have nightmares about losing control of my vehicle on that interstate with cars whizzing past me. I was stranded in a very remote area, barely making it onto the shoulder of the interstate, over an hour from my home and in a different state. During the three hours I waited for a tow on the side of I-5n, I discovered the many NHTSA bulletins issued regarding cvt transmission issues with the 2014 Impreza and the consequent extended warranty. Thus, I paid out of pocket to have my 2014 Impreza towed the thirty miles to the closest Subaru dealership, expecting the repair to be covered by the warranty. My car’s mileage is 71,612, and it is under 10 years old, falling within both requirements of the extended warranty. There had never been any indication of transmission trouble, and Subaru never contacted me to inform me of the known cvt transmission issues. No warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms ever appeared regarding the transmission. After inspecting my vehicle, the Subaru dealership verified a transmission issue, and claimed that the car was roughly 3 quarts low on cvt fluid. Despite NHTSA safety bulletins about known transmission fluid seepage issues in the 2014 Impreza, Subaru is trying to skirt responsibility for the known defect, and instead, they are claiming that it is the fault of a reputable independent mechanic stating that they *suspect* that since it was 3 quarts low because the independent shop did something wrong. However, records show otherwise. Subaru is not standing by its extended warranty and attempting to shirk responsibility for known cvt defects. Permission to inspect.

I was on the highway in mixed traffic for a couple hours. There was a burning smell in the cabin and then the warning lights came on including a check engine light and transmission light. The car started to jerk erratically when I accelerated and ultimately it would not accelerate. I pulled over and turned the car off as recommended in the owner's manualafter following the manual's instructions to let the engine cool down, I attempted to turn the car on and put it in gear. It would not move when I put it in reverse or drive. The transmission failed entirely. Previous to my taking the car on this trip, I brought the car to my Subaru dealership because I smelled the same burning in the cabin along with a strange whirring sound and the transmission light came on then too. At that time, I pulled over and read the owner's manual and did what it recommended. The car started working again after 10 minutes of cooling. This is why I brought the car to the Subaru dealership to have this issue inspected. At the time they recommended that I change the cvt fluid and that the issue would then go away. The issue did not go away. When I informed them that the car was unsafe and dangerous to drive because of the jerking and violent shuddering, they told me that I should trade the car in or pay for a new transmission. They did not tell me that the 2012 version of the car had a history of issues with its cvt, and that some of the repairs were covered under warranty.

Transmission failure while at high speed on an interstate highway resulted in disengagement, immediate deceleration and limited steerage in an area with limited breakdown lane. Subaru reports this is a known issue for which they extended warranty but it is incomplete and does not include any safety check prior to failure!.

While driving on the highway in denver, the engine stalled - I later learned that a valve spring broke and went through the engine, destroying it. I lost all power - lost braking - but was able to steer the vehicle off to the side of the road. I subsequently learned that about 160,000 Subarus - the same vehicle year, the same model car, the same exact engine - have been recalled by Subaru. However, this car, which suffered the same exact problem was considering "outside the window" of the recall. If I had been on the freeway at a normal rate of speed this could have been a very dangerous accident. My concern is hundreds if not thousands of these cars are still on the road and Subaru is well aware of the problem.

My check engine light and other lights simultaneously lit up while driving 50 mph down the highway. The car started to “buck” slightly. I pulled over, let it cool a bit, checked the oil. Oil level and quality was fine. Took to a mechanic where I found the problem was with the cvt. This car has only 100,283 miles on it! it should not be having transmission problems. This is a defective system. Repairs are more than the car is worth. (even though I’ve kept it in good shape).

Premature failure of wheel bearings. Both rear wheel bearings had to be replaced after only 54,192 miles. Technician indicated that replacements were upgraded "sealed" systems. At 73,712 miles the front driver's side wheel bearing was also replaced by the dealer after the same symptoms of excessive noise and poor mileage occurred. Concern is that high resistance in the failing bearings creates a lot of heat and could eventually cause catastrophic failure. In 40+ years of driving and owning cars with mileage accruals up to 229,000, this is the only one that ever required a wheel bearing replacement. This, and the technician's reference to upgraded bearings makes me believe that this is a manufacturing defect that should have been covered by a recall.

After the coil pack recall was done, our car began shuddering, hesitating and stalling. Went to the dealership 4-5 times. Ecm and prindle valve were replaced but still doing it. Then engine exploded going up a hill, stranding us for 2. 5 hours on the freeway. Engine replaced under warranty (which expired while in shop for two months). No warranty on new motor. Same issues still going on and shop now charges us to "look at it. " it stalled last week in heavy traffic, so it definitely is dangerous. We don't want to sell the car and pass the problem on to someone else.

I was driving on the highway when I experienced a sudden jerking and my car stopped accelerating while going about 67 miles an hour and came to a stop on the highway. It was dark outside and I was left in the road without the ability to turn my car back on. I towed the car to the dealership, and they couldn't diagnose a problem. The same thing happened two weeks later and they told me that because the car was less than a quarter-tank both times, that I shouldn't drive my car with less than a quarter tank of gas or I'd be at risk of this happening again. Being on the highway with cars rushing past in the dark several times put my safety at risk and the safety of other drivers. I later experienced knocking/jerking around 10 miles an hour, that led to a suspected problem with the transmission. The car would also hesitate accelerating when stopped, and would experience the same jerking motion with a thud at the same time. I brought the car in again, and they couldn't diagnose the problem, but recommended a service that may fix the issue. I experienced the same issue so I brought the car back in. They replicated the issue and did work under warranty to replace the torque converter. I experienced the same problem and brought the car back in, but they can't diagnose the issue now. I believe my car transmission is still faulty and puts me at risk of stalling while driving at highway speeds, which could very easily put me and others at risk. I had to bring my car in several times for them to acknowledge a problem, and have been put into the same car which I believe is unsafe each time. When the car stalled on the highway there were blinking warning lights, but there was no diagnosis at the dealership. The car is currently at the dealership and they want me to drive it for them to show them the problem again with jerking/knocking. I'm getting all my invoices together to have more documentation, and will have more by the end of the day.

My transmission completely locked up on me while driving at interstate speeds. I was traveling at 65 mph with the car in regular driving mode, on cruise control and the transmission completely locked up on me. The front tires locked briefly, causing me to go into a small skid, which I was able to correct, and then the engine revved high and I had no power. This lockup and skid caused a rapid deceleration of the vehicle and had there been lots of traffic around me it would have caused a major accident on the interstate, possibly causing fatalities. My transmission completely locked up once I went through the nearest intersection to get to a side road. This left me stranded in the middle of a major highway intersection with no ability to physically push my vehicle out of the way. The vehicle behind me just about rear-ended me. This has been a major issue with these transmissions and a major safety issue. These transmissions should be put on a recall since this is a major safety issue. The extended warranty that Subaru has put out only waits for a problem to occur, this does not save lives but only puts them in danger. They should be forced to do a recall. No warning lights illuminated on the dash prior to the transmission locking up. The vehicle has been inspected by a certified mechanic and has diagnosed that it is an issue with the transmission itself and no other component on the vehicle. This issue of the cvt transmission is well documented.

See all problems of the 2015 Subaru Impreza 🔎.

The car will not allow me to turn it off and remove the key from the ignition. This is apparently caused by a known issue with the gear box/transmission stick not making proper contact with a metal plate within the box.

In November of 2018 and again January 31, 2022. In November 2018, I was backing up in small parking lot tap the gas pedal. And my car speed up going backwards, even when I was pushing the brake. What stopped the momentum was another car, my car crashed into caused extensive damage to that car( it was totaled) . The second time; I turned the wheels to back-in as I had a several times into my driveway. The car was to far over, but because I was not centered enough in the driveway, I moved forward to realign myself. The car seemed to hesitate as I moved forward, before putting it in reverse. I put the car in reverse, lightly hit gas the car seem to take off as if it was a rocket backing up into driveway and went through the back wall of my garage ( because there was so much snow it came to a stop). My daughter was observed on the ring camera. I have been very sensitive to making sure since first time to be more aware. It is significant to note prior to this occurrence my car did this in smaller spurts ,( but did not think anything of it , I took my car in for all of the checks) but I was able to control it by putting foot on brake, it's like this time the engine revved up on its own. This time the car was totaled. ( the back window shattered. A lot of damage underneath the car. I will not be buying another Subaru. It was my dream car:(. I was very traumatized. )I was diligent with the maintenance of the car. I informed my insurance company.

Was traveling normally and suddenly car abruptly stopped with engine running.

Transmission valve body failure causing dangerous erratic shifting while driving.

Was driving on I-70 in colorado going 60-65 mph uphill when all indicator lights came on and at (automatic transition) oil temp light began flashing. Check engine, hill assist, abs, and traction control lights all came on steady on. Had to pull over and had significant power loss during driving. Googled what at oil temp light meant and called a tow truck to take to my mechanic. Mechanic initially indicated it could be valve body problem which in his words is a "known issue with Subaru cvt engines. " code pulled was p2764. They ended up pulling the pan and draining fluid and found excessive metal built up on magnet in pan. This pan and headgasket were repaired less than 6k miles ago (October 2020) and at that time they said everything was in good shape so something drastic happened to cvt in less than a year. Mechanic unable to say what caused the excessive buildup in that time. Safety compromised as left on side of very busy highway waiting for tow - we were also concerned with whether or not car would overheat/catch on fire due to at oil being over 200 degrees. Problem confirmed by our mechanic and indicated that we need a full transmission replacement. No other warnings prior to this event. Maintenance is current and in 2018 performed recall service indicated by Subaru for valve spring issue.

July 09 2021 reported to Subaru el paso at time of first maintenance (6000 miles) vehicle losses power and stalls when making turns, it is more noticeable making a left turn. Technician said coudn't duplicate the problem and no furter action was needed. However a year ;later from time to time vehicle does stall while making turns making, odometer reads 18081. The oher issue is its windshield, it cracked while driving it on January 29, 2022, there is no stress marks from pebbles, rocks, or any other flying from the road or vehicles. Wrote an inquiry to manufacturer, sent a picture, but we never got a response to this inquiry, took vehicle for its 18000 scheduled maintenance, let Subaru of el paso to look at it, and their response was to call our auto insurance to handle its repair, technician did not bother to inspect this issue and didn't recorder on maintenance.

See all problems of the 2021 Subaru Impreza 🔎.

Three warning lights (abs; incline start assist; traction control system) illuminate, while the at oil temp warning light flashes. This happens sporadically and not every time the car is driven. The Subaru dealership mentioned it was some type of module that was tripping the codes. I'm reporting this issue, because I didn't see a recall for it.

Two instances of cvt transmission failure. First: occurred at 102,926 miles, car only 8 years old. While driving, suddenly many warning lights came on and the car started shuddering. The lights were check engine, oil temp, cruise control, vehicle dynamics, and abs. I drove my car to a transmission shop, who read the codes 2764 and and 0700. He replaced the tcc solenoid and valve body on 11/18/2020. I drove the car for 6 more months to ~106,000 miles successfully, until. . . The second issue: on 6/6/21 while driving my car, it stopped accelerating. I couldn't go above 18 mph! this was a huge safety issue. I had to drive on major roads with a speed limit of 50mph going only 18mph, with my hazard lights on. I'm so fortunate it happened to be at 10pm on a Sunday night, or I could have gotten in an accident. Once I got home, I called aaa and had them tow my car back to my transmission mechanic (because I couldn't get to my mechanic without getting on the highway, which would obviously be unsafe at 18mph). My mechanic said it was an issue with the same solenoid again having shorted out, which means that it's actually a deeper issue with the cvt transmission burning through solenoids. The solenoid is just a symptom, not the root problem. Then, I finally googled Subaru solenoid issues, and I discovered this is a well documented problem, that has already been reported to your office, and yet Subaru has not yet issued a recall. Only an extended warranty, which only goes up to 100,000 miles so it doesn't help me!! my transmission wore out at 102,000 miles. Do you think it's a coincidence that Subaru made their warranty for 100,000? I'm lodging this complaint in hopes that your office sees the cvt transmissions are still a safety issue, and the warranty hasn't solved the problem. Please get Subaru to issue a recall! this is unacceptable behavior from a car manufacturer. Thank you.

The key intermittently gets stuck in the ignition switch when the gearstick is set in the �park� position. The car can be turned off, but the key cannot be moved forward into the #1 position (lock/off) and cannot be removed from the ignition in the #2 position (accessory). This scenario retains the electrical in the �on� position which potentially drains the battery and forces the driver to indefinitely remain with the vehicle to avoid a dead battery and/or vehicle theft. Subaru has acknowledged this issue in service bulletin 16-112-18r (NHTSA id number: 10155220). The summary is as follows: �this bulletin announces a design change to the cvt select lever (shifter) mechanism in response to isolated customer concerns of not being able to remove the key from the ignition switch when the vehicle is in park. The cause is contamination of the park-range switch internal components. � many consumers believe that if this problem was serious enough to require a redesign to the cvt (continuously variable transmission), then it is serious enough to require a recall. � please note that even though your incident report form requires the user to select "one date" when the incident happened, that this incident is only the first occurrence out of multiple occurrences. The problem is now ongoing and unresolved from the reported date forward.

See all problems of the 2005 Subaru Impreza 🔎.