Home · 2013 Subaru Impreza · Complaints

What 248 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Subaru Impreza

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (248)Crash / fire / injury (20)Airbags (79)Engine (74)Electrical system (33)Brakes (24)Transmission & drivetrain (23)Steering (14)Speed control (13)Seats (9)Lights (7)Body & structure (6)

7 of 248 complaints match · Brakes · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Sep 3, 2025LightsBrakesEngineFire

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)

NHTSA ODI 11684703

Jun 29, 2021Speed controlBrakesCrash

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. Consumer stated insurance provider stated it is a total loss and wants to take possession of the car.

NHTSA ODI 11422728

Jan 18, 2021Speed controlBrakesFuel systemCrash

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'.

NHTSA ODI 11388673

Feb 25, 2019Speed controlBrakesCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 SUBARU IMPREZA. THE CONTACT WAS INVOLVED IN TWO CRASHES IN 2013. FOR BOTH CRASHES, WHILE THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE VEHICLE IN TRAFFIC, IT UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED AND REAR ENDED THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED IN BOTH CASES. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN EITHER CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING 35 MPH AND TOWED AFTER THE FIRST CRASH. THE CONTACT SUSPECTED THAT SHE WAS SOLD A VEHICLE WITH MULTIPLE FAILURES IN 2013. THE CONTACT FOUND OUT THAT SOMEONE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE AND RETURNED IT PRIOR TO IT BEING PURCHASED BY THE CONTACT. THE CONTACT THOUGHT THE VEHICLE WAS BRAND NEW. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED FROM AUTONATION SUBARU WEST (16351 W COLFAX AVE, GOLDEN, CO 80401, (303) 578-6120). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000.

NHTSA ODI 11182394

Dec 26, 2017Speed controlBrakesCrash

DRIVING UP A SLIGHT GRADE INTO HOME GARAGE I DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR VERY SLIGHTLY . THE CAR SHOT SUDDENLY FORWARD AND FOOTBRAKE DID NOT RESPOND. CAR SIDESWIPED OTHER CAR AND BROKE THRU REAR PANEL OF GARAGE BEFORE I COULD STOP IT WITH HANDBRAKE. MAJOR DAMAGE TO FRONT END OF CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11056599

Nov 2, 2017Electronic Stability Control (esc)BrakesCrash

THE BRAKE SENSOR SWITCH FAILS TO REPORT POSITION OF THE BRAKE AND TURNS OFF ANTI LOCKING BREAKING SYSTEM. IF FAILS YOU CAR TURNING THE CAR APPLY BRAKE AND THE FOLLOWING LIGHTS TURN ON. HILL ASSIST,ABS,SKID CONTROL. WHEN THIS COMES ON ABS DOES NOT WORK. IT SOMETIMES LOCKS THE CAR IN PARK. THIS HAPPEN THEN TRIED TO STOP QUICKLY IN THE RAIN AND BRAKING SYSTEM DID NOT WORK CORRECTLY. REAR-ENDED A CAR. REPORTED THIS TO A DEALER YEAR AGO THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED IT. I FOUND IT QUICKLY WHEN SEARCHING THE WEB. COMMON ISSUE THAT COULD BE DEADLY.

NHTSA ODI 11042830

Dec 12, 2016BrakesCrash

ON TWO OCCASIONS OF A REAR END COLLISION ON DRY PAVEMENT, WHILE TRYING TO AVOID COLLISION AND APPLYING THE BRAKES EXTREMELY HARD, I FELT LIKE THE VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. INSTEAD THE VEHICLE DIDN'T STOP BUT SLID INTO VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME. I KNOW IT SOUNDS LIKE I'M BLAMING THE CAR FOR MY ACCIDENT BUT I HAVE HAD CARS STOP ON A DIME. THIS CAR DID NOT STOP ON A DIME. I HAD THE BRAKES APPLIED HARD ENOUGH THAT IT SHOULD HAVE STOPPED INSTEAD IT CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. BOTH INCIDENCES OCCURRED DURING STOP AND GO TRAFFIC UNDER THE SPEED OF 10-15MPH. I FELT LIKE THE CAR JUST CONTINUED TO MOVE SLIDING INTO THE OTHER CAR WHILE ON DRY PAVEMENT.

NHTSA ODI 10934581

Working with the data? Download all 248 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 12, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2013 Subaru Impreza verdict →