Service Brakes Problems of Subaru Impreza - part 1

Vehicle fire summary – arvada, CO on [xxx] at approximately [xxx], the arvada fire department responded to a report of a vehicle fire on [xxx] . The vehicle involved was a 2013 gray Subaru Impreza wrx. The driver reported noticing smoke coming from the engine compartment before pulling over to the shoulder. Within minutes, flames became visible. Fire crews arrived promptly and extinguished the fire. Both the driver and one passenger were able to evacuate the vehicle safely, and no injuries were reported. The vehicle sustained a total loss due to fire damage. Preliminary findings suggest a possible mechanical or electrical malfunction, though the exact cause remains under investigation. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2013 Subaru Impreza 🔎.

The eye sight warning system is activated occasionally and vdc is cut off. The dealer diagnosed code c1742, and recommended replacing the control unit due to a pressure sensor issue after measurement. The units are on back order, which indicates to me a wider spread problem. Vdc units should not fail even after 10 years.

See all problems of the 2020 Subaru Impreza 🔎.

Unnecessary braking in two instances. One happened when Subarus eyesight system mis identified a road reflector. At least that is what I saw. It happened on a 40 mile an hour highway in a curve with moderate traffic. No one directly behind me. The car had a sudden deceleration and warning. The second time came when approaching freeway speeds on an on ramp. At heavy acceleration approaching 50 miles per hour the car violently slammed on the brakes. A shadow from a tall fir tree crossed the on ramp. Again no one was behind me. It can't be good for my new car.

See all problems of the 2024 Subaru Impreza 🔎.

I had my vehicle inspected on 5/3/25 and all 4 break lines had bubbles protruding from the rubber break lines that go from the caliper to the metal lines. A safety recall for the same problem exists for 1 year earlier than my Subaru. It appears that Subaru continues to use defective break lines.

See all problems of the 2019 Subaru Impreza 🔎.

I was driving home, and my foot fell to the floor when I hit the brakes. Thankfully, I was coasting to the front of my house, so I was able to stop using the hand brake. Upon inspection and professional opinion from the Subaru dealership, the brake line rusted through just after the rear junction block, identical to the recall number: wqk-47. However, my VIN was not included in this recall, and I am learning on youtube and from the dealership that this is a common failure with my year and model vehicle.

See all problems of the 2006 Subaru Impreza 🔎.

The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. The vehicle failed to stop immediately. The brake warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the control arms and brake lines were severely corroded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 14v311000 (service brakes, hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.

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The contact owns a 2012 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30-40 mph, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and was driven with manual steering. The failure occurred while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that approximately four days after the first failure, the steering wheel failed to move. Additionally, the vehicle was losing oil and one quart of oil had to be added every month. The contact stated that the power steering, abs, tpms, transmission automatic transmission fluid (atf), and 4-wd failure warning lights were illuminated. The passenger occupant sensor chimed for the passenger to secure the seat belt consistently even though the occupant was seated with the seat belt buckled securely. The contact who is a certified mechanic had replaced the rack and pinion. The contact noticed that the threads on the tie rods were close in proximately risking the chance of damaging the tie rods. The abs module had been replaced. The contact believed that the engine needed to be replaced but the engine was not replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer confirmed there was no recall for the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 164,964.

Car braked suddenly and violently while driving slowly (5-10 mph) in traffic. Foot was on the gas pressing lightly - not on the brake. Braking occurred independently with such force that I thought I had been hit by another vehicle going 30-40 mph. Hyman bros. Subaru has not yet returned my calls regarding this incident.

The contact owns a 2024 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 mph, while slowing for traffic ahead, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as needed. The contact pumped the brake pedal until the forward collision avoidance system engaged and stopped the vehicle. The contact stated that the forward collision avoidance warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent, but occurred at various speeds, but always occurred while slowing down with the brake pedal depressed. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, but the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.

Your vehicle inspection has been completed. Unfortunately we found all 4 of your brake lines are swelling and will need to be replaced. The parts are not in stock and will need to be ordered. Until they're replaced we don't recommend to drive the vehicle due to safety concerns.

My brake line was extremely rusted and broke while driving. I I discovered this when I got home after I felt a difference in the brake pedal and the responsiveness which quickly lead to no response at all with the brakes and brake light coming on right before I pulled into my driveway.

See all problems of the 2007 Subaru Impreza 🔎.

I brought my car into my family mechanic to get an inspection after I noticed severe shaking when breaking and a burnt rubber smell. They determined the left front caliper was hanging and needed to be replaced- the caliper is covered under my warranty, so I brought my car into the dealership - service department at dealership was unable to detect the issue for weeks until I gave them detailed instructions on how to find the issue, once they agreed the caliper needed to be replaced, the part was backordered until late August - I got my car back after they changed the caliper and the issue is still happening after long drives- dealership is still unalbe to detect the issue - I am being told after market brakes are the issue.

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.

See all problems of the 2014 Subaru Impreza 🔎.

A loud rumbling noise and vibration occurs while braking at high speed. Braking force seems unaffected but the noise in concerning. Upon inspection and a test drive, Subaru confirmed the issued and noticed uneven brake pad wear on the front brakes and leakage in the front caliper. Subaru recommended replacement of front calipers, pads, and rotors. Subaru replaced pads and rotors. The noise continues to occur occassionally. Subaru is recommending replacement of front brake calipers but is unable to replace them due to a shortage. I am concerned the brakes or other components may fail due to unusual wear. No inspection by police or insurance has been completed. No warning lights occurred, only the noise and vibration during braking.

Brake lamp switch failed in 2018 - we diagnosed the issue, based partly on information from other Subaru owners who had the same problem, and replaced the switch. Since that time, the brake lights have worked fine. We reported this in a letter to Subaru after their recall for the brake lamp switch replacement in 2019. They refused to pay for the part as we no longer have the receipt (not having a crystal ball, we couldn't see any reason to keep it for more than a year in 2018). We did not contest this - in fact, I had merely asked, in my letter, that they note that the part had already failed and been repaired in their records - however, they continue to flag the car as an open safety recall and insist that we bring the car in to replace a switch that no longer needs replacing. I am filing this complaint in the hope that an official record of the incident will fix the records on our car, as their constant recall notices are becoming increasingly more insistent and annoying, and they have also inaccurately noted it as an open recall at the dmv.

March 2023 I had all 4 rotors & brakes replaced. About 2 weeks after, doing 65 mph on highway 79 I had to lightly apply my brakes. After letting off the brake all of a sudden my whole car, steering wheel, etc started shaking. I pulled off the road thinking something broke but nothing was. A couple months later on 79 it did it again without applying my brakes. It's happening more often and the shaking is getting more severe to where my car is either going to fall apart or bounce off the road or into another car. I'm terrified when this happens because I don't know what's going to happen. I won't even put my grand children in my car. One if my CO-workers had the same thing happen to her Subaru. She said after her mechanics did some investigating, they found that there was an issue with the replacement rotors warping and causing the car to shake terribly. This is a severe safety issue and really needs to be investigated. Also a year warranty on these defective parts is too short.

See all problems of the 2018 Subaru Impreza 🔎.

The contact owns a 2013 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that upon entering his vehicle, he noticed small, yellow colored drops of liquid on the ground around the vehicle. Upon start of the vehicle, the brake warning light appeared on the instrument panel. The contact checked his emergency brake lever; however, the light remained illuminated. As the contact drove the vehicle, the brake pedal depressed to the floorboard as the vehicle coasted to a stop. Despite the failure, the contact drove the vehicle home. The contact called the dealer and was informed that there were no recalls on his vehicle. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

While driving, I suddenly lost braking ability and the brake pedal would go to the floor before slowing the car. I drove slowly approximately 1-2 miles, using the emergency brake and downshifting to control my speed, stopping at a local auto repair garage. On inspection, on the brake lines had rusted through completely and the other was soft, leaking brake fluid.

Vehicle is at 23520 miles, front brake pads are worn to 1mm on passenger side and 2mm on front driver side. Vehicle had been taken on October 04, 2022 for repairs and local Subaru dealer refuses to repair it, even though warranty still applicable for defects until 3 years or 36,000 miles as stated in pages 4 and 5 the warranty and maintenance 2021 book. Also vehicle has oil leak under rear side of motor.

See all problems of the 2021 Subaru Impreza 🔎.

Suspected defective and/or faulty brake booster or brake hose on the front left tire. Car starts violently shaking/shuddering when easing onto the brakes (once the brakes have warmed up for my daily commute to work). Resulting vibrations travel up the steering column to the steering wheel, and into the cabin. The car will then pitch its nose in various directions; it feels as though the front left brake is being grabbed and not properly released. Taken to a Subaru dealership multiple times. New brakes and rotors installed in July 2022; other components of the brake (calipers, pistons) were inspected in Aug. 2022 and appeared fine. However, on inspection (08/2022) the newly replaced rotor on the front left tire was already showing visible wear/damage (white scalding) due to excessive heat generated while braking. I have taken the car to be serviced at a dealership multiple times & have been told the shaking "couldn't be replicated. " I recreate it every day I drive to work (350 miles every week). *please* see the video linked to a third-party website: https://imgur. Com/a/wfvlv0a other symptoms: the engine starts and runs roughly despite recent oil changes. Obdii code p0300 (random/multiple cylinder misfire detected) was detected by a personal obdii scanner, although I don’t know if that issue is related. Ignition timing advance for the 1st cylinder is near red zone. Please help. .

Unknown.

I believe this article describes the cause of the issue. Thankfully the vehicle was parked in my driveway, and did not roll into the street or harm any people, but it could have. . Read more...

The contact owns a 2013 Subaru Impreza. The extended warranty is regarding the cvt parking break assist. The contact had to leave their key in the ignition due to it being stuck. The contact stated that the time for the ignition to finally release the key varies. The failure occurs intermittently, however, the failure was beginning to occur more frequently. The contact contacted the dealer who stated that the cvt parking break switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed the extended warranty however they did not qualified due to the vehicle being a rebuilt vehicle. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.

The brakes on the car rusted out and were making noise. I took it to multiple Subaru dealerships and all of them told me nothing was wrong with my car. After dealing with this issue for 2 years, I finally took it to an independent mechanic who found the rust along with an absurd amount of lubricant on my rotors. He was the first person to listen to me and he didn't make me feel crazy. He completely replaced my calipers, rotors, and brakes.

See all problems of the 2017 Subaru Impreza 🔎.

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.

Check engine/break/abs/traction control/ cruise control and at oil temp lights are all on. Now my back break lights are not working! car jerks at times. Read on a few forms that this was an issue for Subaru Imprezas 2012 and up. There was also a recall on this issue on April 2019. Please have this recalled again.

Malfunction with my dashboard lights. Abs/ at oil temp/tracktion control/ hill light and cruise control gage. Are all on car seems to run somewhat alright until car jerks then all of the mentioned issues comes on.

On Friday July 23, 2021 my 1013 Subaru impressa experienced a failure of the hydraulic braking system, exhibited by the brake warning light and loss of braking ability. Fortunately I was able to safely get to the Subaru dealer (bath Subaru in woolwich, maine) where they determined that the problem was corrosion of the 4 way joint connector which is totally exposed (no cover or protective shield). This is a particular hazard on my car because both hydraulic braking circuits pass through through this connector. Currently the dealer is preparing and estimate for repair but I am concerned that this issue is a design defect and serious safety hazard that should have been subject to recall. I have since noted that a June 27, 2014 letter from Subaru to the NHTSA (ref no. : gr14-042) identified this exact issue in many of the other Subaru models manufactured between 2005 and 2014. From my comparison of the descriptions and photos shown in the referenced letter, I believe that my car has the same identified defect and should also have been subject to this recall and the exclusion of my car from the original recall was an oversight. I am hopeful that Subaru will stand behind their product, provide a timely repair and provide assurance that the underlying cause has been corrected.

Slowing down to pull into a parking space when I put my foot on the brake to shift into park, the car lurched forward and accelerated over a parking barrier and into a brick wall. Unexplained acceleration. This was not driver error. I felt a few unexplained accelerations previously but thought it was a mistake on my end. In this instance, my foot was nowhere near the acceleration pedal. It was very very frightening. I am now waiting for the insurance adjusters. My car was damaged. I damaged the building and another car tat was parked inside the building. This is a significant safety issue.

Brake line is rusted at rear distribution block. We were driving the vehicle on a highway (~60mph). When the driver pressed the brake pedal, it did not respond and we had to pull the emergency brake. When the brake pedal is depressed, it takes much longer (and more pressure) to stop the vehicle than it did previously. We had it inspected by a mechanic who had the brake line at the rear distribution block is rusted out. The car is registered in upstate NY where there is a lot of road salt. Our safety and the safety of the others was at risk because the brakes did not respond as expected making stopping time much longer. There were no warnings or symptoms prior to the problem.

Who: daughter 16yo (driver), father (front passenger seat), daughter 14yo (driver side rear seat). Vehicle: 2020 Subaru Impreza what: Subaru anti-collision engaged unnecessarily when: 0704 est 14 may 2021 where: 41°43'07. 4"n 81°14'08. 3" my 16yo daughter was driving and I was in the passenger seat. We were heading east on e walnut street at approximately 35 mph about to cross the s state street intersection. There were no vehicles or obstructions in front of the vehicle. The Subaru anti-collision began to alert and abruptly stopped the vehicle. The vehicle behind us had to brake abruptly but did not hit us. I believe this was due to the sun being low on the horizon and directly in the camera's view. This is the fourth time the anti-collision has engaged unnecessarily. The events prior to this, I was driving less than 35 mph in moderate to heavy traffic and the vehicle in front of me was exiting the road causing the anti-collision braking to engage.

I was driving in stop and go traffic on the highway for several minutes. Everything worked fine until one moment when I went to press the brake pedal down and the pedal would not move. I used all my strength to push it down for several seconds. It was locked in position. I could not move it all. My car slid into a semi truck in front of me at a very very low speed. After impact, everything worked again and I was able to pull the car to the side of the road. Initially, I believed the truck behind me had pushed my car causing the brake pedal to lock. I contacted the police and we examined my vehicle. There was no damage from the impact on the front of my car and there was no evidence I had been rearended. Two Subaru shops have examined the vehicle. One theory from the first shop is that an object in the road lifted the car off the road and caused the pedal to fail. The other shop has no theories. Neither shop found any issue with the brakes or the pedal and could not recreate the problem. Extensive repairs have been done to correct damage from a large rock in the road. The Subaru shop doing the repairs said the rock damage would not have affected the brakes. The car can be inspected at any time. My family is wary of driving the vehicle. The brake pedal failed once and the issue has yet to be explained to our satisfaction.

The wheel system has some kind of squealing in it.

The contact owns a 2013 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated while driving approximately 20-25 mph, the brake pedal was depressed but hesitated to respond causing a 3-feet stopping distance delay. The contact also stated that the brake pedal was vibrating and would rest on the floorboard when depressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the front brake rotors, brake pads, and calipers needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that no issues were found. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The abs warning light and the traction control warning light were illuminated. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 138,000.

Car was parked directly in front of residential garage. I started the car to pull it into the garage. As soon as I put the car in drive, with my foot still on the brake, it shot forward at full speed and crashed into a trailer at the back of the garage. The impact from the trailer broke a hole in the garage wall. Total distance traveled was about 25'.