2018 Subaru Impreza
Gas Midsize car
The 2018 Subaru Impreza is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize car with 8 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Impreza 4-Door, is EPA-rated at 32 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of D. Owners have filed 149 complaints, most often about exterior lighting. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Impreza 4-Door | Gas | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 28 | 38 | 32 | $1,950 |
| Impreza 5-Door | Gas | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 28 | 37 | 31 | $2,000 |
| Impreza Sport 4-Door | Gas | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 27 | 36 | 30 | $2,100 |
| Impreza Sport 5-Door | Gas | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 27 | 35 | 30 | $2,100 |
| Impreza 4-Door | Gas | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 24 | 32 | 27 | $2,300 |
| Impreza 5-Door | Gas | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 24 | 31 | 26 | $2,400 |
| Impreza Sport 4-Door | Gas | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 23 | 31 | 26 | $2,400 |
| Impreza Sport 5-Door | Gas | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 22 | 30 | 25 | $2,500 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
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Recalls (5)
Exterior Lighting
highProblem: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Impreza vehicles. The left and right side reflex reflector and left side low beam reflector may inadequately reflect light. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: Reflectors that do not provide adequate illumination reduce the driver's ability to see and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front headlamp assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 15, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-22.
Fuel System, Gasoline
highProblem: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.
Engine And Engine Cooling
highProblem: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Subaru Impreza and 2018-2019 Crosstrek vehicles. The Engine Control Module (ECM) may continue to power the ignition coil after the engine is shut off, causing a short circuit.
Risk: A short circuit in the ignition coils may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will update the ECM software, replace the ignition coils and, if necessary, the front exhaust pipe, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning June 1, 2021. Owners can contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE-21. Note: This recall includes all vehicles previously repaired under Recall 19V743.
Electrical System
highProblem: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Impreza and 2018-2019 Crosstrek vehicles. The Engine Control Module (ECM) may continue to power the ignition coil after the engine is shut off, which could result in a short circuit and blown fuse.
Risk: If a short circuit occurs while driving, the vehicle may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will update the ECM software and inspect and replace the ignition coil, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, on vehicles with confirmed ignition coil damage and a certain stored diagnostic trouble code (DTC), Subaru will replace the front exhaust pipe, free of charge. The recall began December 4, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUQ-02.
Engine And Engine Cooling
highProblem: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Impreza and 2018 Crosstrek vehicles equipped with an aluminum Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve. The PCV valve may come apart, allowing the separated components to enter the engine, possibly resulting in a loss of power while driving.
Risk: An unexpected loss of power while driving can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the PCV valve, free of charge. If the PCV valve has separated and the components cannot be found, the engine will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began December 2, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUP-01.
Owner complaints
149 complaints filed
5 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 2 injuries, 1 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2018: 8 · 2019: 8 · 2020: 23 · 2021: 15 · 2022: 14 · 2023: 52 · 2024: 23 · 2025: 3 · 2026: 3
Most-cited components
- Exterior Lighting — 64
- Visibility/Wiper — 33
- Unknown Or Other — 25
- Electrical System — 12
- Engine — 11
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | 10% |
| SW AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | 10% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.
Other Impreza model years
2026 Impreza
0 recalls · 1 complaints
A2025 Impreza
0 recalls · 5 complaints
B2024 Impreza
2 recalls · 31 complaints
B2023 Impreza
2 recalls · 4 complaints
A2022 Impreza
1 recalls · 12 complaints
C2021 Impreza
2 recalls · 14 complaints
A2020 Impreza
1 recalls · 85 complaints
D2019 Impreza
5 recalls · 194 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 38877, 38891, 38879, 38893, 38876, 38890, 38878, 38892). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.