Owners have filed 23 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the wipers and visibility, steering, and electrical. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2024Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2024 Subaru Impreza: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3
Engine off, key in hand0/1
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/4
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
Nearby years usually share most parts, so their problems are worth checking on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2024 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2024 Subaru Impreza. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | AWD | 30 mpg |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | AWD | 29 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2024 Subaru Impreza, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
The driver's side mirror vibrates hard at highway speed, starting around 50 mph, and blurs the reflected image. Owners call this dangerous because they cannot clearly see traffic behind them. Home fixes such as padding behind the glass reduce the shaking but do not stop it. Separately, the windshield cracks with no impact point or debris strike. One crack starts at the base of the glass and spreads across the full height of the windshield, which owners read as a defect in the glass.
The driver's side mirror shakes at speed while the passenger mirror stays steady. Reports say it starts as early as 20 mph and becomes constant blur between 40 and 60 mph, making license plates and headlights jump around. Some owners say it has happened since new and on every drive, and one describes motion sickness. The complaints name the auto-dimming mirror with approach light. Dealers acknowledge the shaking but decline to fix it, though swapping to non-dimming mirrors lessens the vibration.
A loose rear strut rattles and jolts, and the rear passenger wheel sits out of alignment at -2.4 camber. All four filings are parts of a single owner's account, so this is one car, not a visible pattern. The reports center on repeat dealer visits that found nothing wrong, an alignment that did not correct the wheel, and premature tire wear blamed on the unfixed strut. The owner describes the car as unsafe to drive while the problem went unrepaired, but no crash is reported.
Fire breaks out at the front of the engine within minutes after a head-on collision, with smoke visible before the car came to rest. This is a post-crash fire, not a fire in normal driving. The other complaint describes the car braking suddenly and violently at 5 to 10 mph in traffic while the driver's foot is lightly on the gas, hard enough to feel like being struck by another car. The dealer had not responded to that owner at the time of filing.
Low-beam headlights aim too short on roads with even a slight dip, lighting only about 30 yards ahead. The owner says night driving on low beams is unsafe and requires constant high beams, putting other drivers and pedestrians at risk. The other complaint is not about lights at all. It describes SiriusXM ads taking over the navigation screen while driving, which must be dismissed by hand and keep appearing after opting out of in-vehicle messaging.
Original-equipment Yokohama 225/40R18 tires develop sidewall bubbles or blow out, one at 7,900 miles after normal highway driving with no impact or pressure warning. A sidewall blowout raises the risk of losing control. In another case a tire technician found significant premature wear on all four tires, while alignment and suspension checks came back within spec. Owners report pushback from dealers when seeking help, including on a leased car.
The EyeSight system brakes hard for no real hazard, reacting to a road reflector in a curve or a tree shadow on an on-ramp near 50 mph. Both false stops happened with no car directly behind, but a sudden stop at speed creates rear-end crash risk. The opposite failure also appears: the car does not slow enough with the brake pedal pressed, until forward collision avoidance takes over. That problem is intermittent, and the dealer could not reproduce it.
Excerpts from complaints Impreza owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
My vehicle’s windshield developed an approximately 4-inch crack starting at the base of the glass without any impact point. There is no visible sign of damage or debris strike anywhere near the crack. The crack appeared suddenly and has since extended across the entire height of the windshield. Because the crack originated without any impact, it appears to be a defect in the windshield itself.
Filed with NHTSA, August 2025
Driver Side Mirror vibrates very badly at speeds of about 50mph and up making it difficult to see what is in the mirror. This was dangerous. I pulled off the mirror and glued foam behind it and it now vibrates less and I can see out of the mirror better but it still vibrates and distorts the mirror's image.
Filed with NHTSA, September 2025
head on collision/hit the side of another car head, 2024 subaru impreza was smoking before vehicle stopped moving after impact (was slung in the opposite direction), not even five minutes after exiting vehicle it caught flames starting a the front of the engine that spread to the hood
Filed with NHTSA, June 2025
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.
Filed with NHTSA, December 2024
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2024 ranks fourth for owner complaints among 8 Impreza years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Recall repairs are free at any Subaru dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2024 Crosstrek, Impreza, 2023-2024 Forester, and 2023 WRX vehicles. The front driveshaft assemblies' outer race may develop cracks and break.
Risk: A broken driveshaft can cause a loss of drive power while driving or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is in park without the parking brake engaged. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the left and right front driveshafts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRP-23.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2024 Crosstrek and Impreza vehicles. Due to insufficient clearance, the instrument panel harness may contact the steering beam bracket, damaging the wire insulation and causing a short circuit.
Risk: A short circuit may cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the harness and install an additional clamp on the steering beam bracket. If damage is found, dealers will add protective tape or replace the instrument panel harness, as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 3, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRL-23.
Cars shoppers compare with the Subaru Impreza, with their own 2024 checklists.
2024 owner complaints, side by side
