The 2022 Subaru WRX is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize sedan with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the WRX, is EPA-rated at 22 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 25 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $29,105 to $41,895 across 7 trims.
MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.
Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
Configuration
Powertrain
Drive
Engine / motor
City
Hwy
Comb
Annual fuel*
WRX
Gas
AWD
2.4L 4-cyl turbo
19
26
22
$3,750
WRX
Gas
AWD
2.4L 4-cyl turbo
19
25
21
$3,900
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 45059, 45060.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates
Configuration
Smog rating
Emission standard
Where it can be sold new
SmartWay
WRX
3 / 10
California LEV-III ULEV125 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125
All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards
—
Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.
The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.
The 2022 Subaru WRX is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (1)
Source: NHTSA recall database
○minor
Equipment
WRA-23
4,615 vehicles100% reported repaired
ProblemSubaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2022 WRX vehicles equipped with the "Eyesight" feature.The owner's manual may contain incorrect instructions for adjusting the sensitivity of the High Beam Assist function. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."RiskIncorrect instructions for adjusting the sensitivity of the High Beam Assist function contained in the owner's manual may cause the lights to not be adjusted as intended, increasing the risk of a crash.FixSubaru will mail an owner's manual insert containing the correct information, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed February 15, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRA-23.
These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
Whether any of this applies to one specific WRX
A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2022 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Subaru publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2022 Subaru WRX, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
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Parts & accessories for the 2022 Subaru WRX
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
Low engine oil levels came on just last week. I had gotten my complimentary oil/rotate last month. I’ve heard and seen videos on this vehicle having excessive RTV sealant on the oil pan. Makes me very concerned seeing how the RTV clogs the oil pickup resulting in oil deprivation.
EngineNov 28, 2023NHTSA owner report · ODI 11557157
The car has randomly on multiple occasions failed to accelerate then jump forward hitting the rev limiter. This has happened while merging back into traffic including 55 mph roads creating concern for being rear ended and also concerns for hitting vehicles in front when the car jumps forward as there is no control over it.
Electrical SystemJul 10, 2026NHTSA owner report · ODI 11749460
My car was recently in a high speed crash with a curb. The axle broke immediately and no airbags deployed followed my the entire engine compartment catching fire
Air BagsMay 5, 2026NHTSA owner report · ODI 11735928
During driving, especially when it is cold outside, the Subaru Eyesight Pre-Collision system (automatic emergency braking) can be triggered by exhaust smoke from a vehicle in front of it. The braking system can be falsely activated, which could cause your vehicle to be hit from behind.
Forward Collision AvoidanceJan 7, 2025NHTSA owner report · ODI 11634566
My son moved my car onto the driveway, stopped it with the foot brake with the manual transmission in neutral. The hill assist was activated, so when he got out of the car the brake held long enough for him to get out of the car and walk away before the brake released, about 2 seconds. The car then rolled down the driveway into a tree.
Service BrakesMay 9, 2024NHTSA owner report · ODI 11587849
Excessive RTV silicone was used on the oil pan on this year/make/model. This issue causes pieces of RTV to break off inside the oil pan and clog the oil pickup resulting in the engine being deprived of oil. I’m seeing more and more people document this issue online and worry the $33,000 car I just bought may have this issue.
EngineApr 3, 2023NHTSA owner report · ODI 11515307
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.
Reported by Subaru itself: 11 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 14 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 39 per 100,000 built. Every WRX model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAP
Configuration
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Rollover risk
4 DR AWD
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
9%
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications
Communicationsfiled with NHTSA379
Most recentmanufacturer date2026-10-05
Kindsas classified by NHTSA324 service bulletins, 55 others
Most often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Engine, Unknown Or Other, Power Train.
11037943Other
2026-10-05 · Electrical System
This announcement provides information on a new software update for the Midtronics Dss and DCA machines.
11037942Other
2026-09-28 · Power Train
This announcement provides information on an enhancement of the TechShare CVT diagnostic assitance application.
This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is extending the New Car Limited Warranty coverage for the CP1 & Gen 3.1 Head Unit used in the listed models and model years to (8) eight years / 150,000 miles to cover certain qualifying repairs to the infotainment audio system. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
Diagnostic trouble codes on file
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints
Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.
After the catalyst, the mixture on bank 1 is reading rich.
Engine
2 bulletins
Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMV
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2022 Subaru WRX failed the emissions check on 2.1% of first inspections — close to the 1.7% for every 2022 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.9% (every 2022 vehicle: 1.4%).
New York inspections2.1%
failed emissions
1,271 initial inspections of 1,249 vehicles.
Measure
The 2022 WRX
Every 2022 vehicle
Behind it
Failed the emissions check
2.1%
1.7%
1,267
Failed the safety inspection
1.9%
1.4%
1,271
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit
0.24%
0.18%
1,271
Miles driven a year
9,156
10,455
odometer at inspection
Average odometer
39,401
44,815
odometer at inspection
New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2022 vehicle” is every 2022 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).
Manufacturer pricing runs from $29,105 for the Base AWD to $41,895 for the GT AWD, across 7 trims. Those are MSRPs from the manufacturer's own press material; they exclude destination, options, taxes and whatever the dealer adds. Every trim and price is listed above.
Does the 2022 Subaru WRX have any recalls?
NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2022 Subaru WRX. The most serious on file is 23V016000, covering Equipment. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.
How safe is the 2022 Subaru WRX?
NHTSA gave the 2022 Subaru WRX 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 5-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 5-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it A (97/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2022 Subaru WRX?
Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2022 Subaru WRX, the best EPA combined figure is 22 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What do owners complain about on the 2022 Subaru WRX?
Owners have filed 25 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022 Subaru WRX, most often about engine, unspecified, forward collision avoidance. Of those, 3 involved a crash, 1 a fire. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
How clean is the 2022 Subaru WRX?
The EPA smog rating for the 2022 Subaru WRX is 3 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III ULEV125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2022 Subaru WRX?
The manufacturer has filed 379 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2022 Subaru WRX, most often covering electrical system, equipment, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-10-05. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
How does the 2022 Subaru WRX do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2022 Subaru WRX failed the emissions check on 2.1% of first inspections — close to the 1.7% for every 2022 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.9% (every 2022 vehicle: 1.4%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
Which 2022 Subaru WRX trim is the best value?
$12,790 separates the cheapest of the 7 trims from the most expensive, so the answer depends on which of the differences you would actually use. Every trim has its own page here with the manufacturer's full specification and equipment list, plus a short summary of exactly what it adds over the base trim — worth reading before a dealer frames the walk-up for you. The trim-by-trim ladder shows what every step up costs and what it makes standard.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
Data
Held
Source
What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations
2 configurations
EPA certification records
Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates
2 configurations
EPA emission certificates
Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls
1
NHTSA recall campaigns
A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints
25
NHTSA complaint database
Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings
1 tested
NHTSA NCAP
Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins
379
NHTSA manufacturer communications
Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations
none
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports
none
NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01
No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA
none
NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns
We had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable.
Trims, pricing & equipment
7 trims
Manufacturer press kit
Transcribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from.
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
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). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.
