Subaru Impreza ReliabilityAll Years Ranked (1993–2025)
Side-by-side reliability scores, risk levels, and owner-cost projections for every Subaru Impreza we've analyzed. Identify the best years to buy, the ones to avoid, and the problems that follow the Impreza across generations.
Average Score
81/100
Best Year
2010 Subaru Impreza
Score 88
Weakest Year
1994 Subaru Impreza
Score 68
Every Subaru Impreza Ranked
Sorted by reliability score. Each link opens the full year-specific report.
A confident all-weather performer, offering excellent value and reliability with focused attention to a few common Subaru-specific maintenance items.
Top risks: Engine Head Gaskets · Timing Belt Service · Wheel Bearings
A remarkably safe and reliable all-weather compact, provided the CVT is properly serviced.
Top risks: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) · Wheel Bearings · Front Suspension Components
A sure-footed and safe compact car that delivers excellent value, provided you understand its minor mechanical nuances.
Top risks: CVT Transmission (Lineartronic) · Infotainment System · A/C Compressor/System
A safe, practical, and generally reliable compact car that truly shines in adverse weather, provided its few known quirks are managed.
Top risks: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) · Starlink Infotainment System · Wheel Bearings
A sure-footed, safe compact offering great value, provided the CVT is properly maintained.
Top risks: Lineartronic CVT Transmission · Electrical / Infotainment System · Suspension Components (Bushings/Bearings)
A highly capable and safe compact car that offers excellent value, provided you commit to diligent CVT maintenance.
Top risks: Transmission (CVT) · Electrical/Infotainment · Wheel Bearings
A supremely practical and safe compact, the 2023 Impreza stands out with its AWD capability and generally solid build, provided the CVT is properly serviced.
Top risks: Lineartronic CVT · Infotainment System · Wheel Bearings
A practical, safe, and generally robust compact car, particularly strong for all-weather capability, with minimal long-term reliability concerns for a new model.
Top risks: Infotainment System · Lineartronic CVT · Electrical Sensors/Wiring
A smart, safe compact car with class-leading AWD, provided the CVT is well-cared for.
Top risks: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) · Wheel Bearings · Electrical / Infotainment System
A highly dependable compact car, offering exceptional all-weather capability and strong long-term value.
Top risks: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) · Infotainment System & Electrical · Suspension & Steering Components
A fun, capable, and practical compact with a few critical age-related weak points that demand diligent attention.
Top risks: Engine Head Gaskets · Body & Undercarriage Rust · Suspension Components
A highly capable all-weather compact that offers great value, provided you are proactive about its known engine and rust vulnerabilities.
Top risks: Engine Head Gaskets (EJ253) · Rear Wheel Arch & Subframe Rust · A/C Compressor Failure
A remarkably safe and capable compact car, provided its infotainment quirks are tolerable and regular maintenance is upheld.
Top risks: Infotainment System · Wheel Bearings · CVT Transmission
A superb all-weather compact, but the new-generation powertrain demands careful scrutiny to avoid costly surprises.
Top risks: Engine (FB20 Oil Consumption) · Transmission (Lineartronic CVT) · Wheel Bearings
A practical and safe AWD compact, but the CVT demands careful consideration and inspection.
Top risks: Lineartronic CVT Transmission · Engine Oil Consumption · Rust and Corrosion
A charming and capable classic AWD compact that requires dedication to combat age and rust, but rewards with unique character.
Top risks: Body & Chassis Rust · Engine Fluid Leaks · Suspension & Steering Components
A capable and fun AWD compact that requires diligent pre-purchase inspection and a budget for its few, but significant, known flaws.
Top risks: Engine Head Gaskets · Body & Undercarriage Rust · Suspension & Steering Components
A beloved rally-bred compact that punches above its weight, provided you proactively tackle its notorious head gasket weakness and body integrity.
Top risks: Engine Head Gaskets · Rust & Corrosion · Suspension & Steering
A fun, capable AWD compact that requires proactive vigilance against its well-known engine and rust vulnerabilities.
Top risks: Engine Head Gaskets · Rust & Structural Corrosion · Electrical System Minor Gremlins
A rugged AWD car with strong bones, but budget for the inevitable head gasket service and meticulously inspect for rust.
Top risks: Engine Head Gaskets (2.5L) · Body & Subframe Rust · Rear Wheel Bearings
A fun and capable compact, but a major engine vulnerability and rust concerns demand a diligent buyer.
Top risks: Engine Head Gaskets (EJ25 Naturally Aspirated) · Rust and Corrosion · Catalytic Converter/O2 Sensors
A capable and engaging car, but be prepared for specific, potentially costly engine and rust-related repairs.
Top risks: Engine Head Gaskets (EJ25) · Rust and Corrosion · Power Steering System
A spirited AWD performer that offers compelling value, provided you’re prepared to address its well-known engine and rust vulnerabilities head-on.
Top risks: Engine Head Gaskets (2.5L NA) · Rust and Corrosion · Suspension Components
A fun and capable AWD compact that demands thorough pre-purchase inspection to avoid costly common issues.
Top risks: Engine Head Gaskets (2.5L SOHC) · Body & Subframe Rust · Power Steering System
A capable all-weather companion that offers solid value, provided its engine's notorious maintenance demands are met proactively.
Top risks: Engine Head Gaskets · Timing Belt / Water Pump · Body Rust and Corrosion
A capable all-weather compact that offers great utility, but requires a diligent eye on its unique engine and diligent rust prevention.
Top risks: Engine Head Gaskets · Wheel Bearings · Rust and Corrosion
A highly capable all-weather compact that requires a proactive maintenance approach to avoid significant repair costs.
Top risks: Engine (Head Gaskets) · Rust and Corrosion · Suspension & Steering
A capable compact let down by specific powertrain risks that demand careful consideration and proactive management.
Top risks: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) · Engine Oil Consumption · Front Suspension & Wheel Bearings
A capable AWD compact that can be a great value, but the CVT is a significant wildcard requiring vigilance.
Top risks: Lineartronic CVT Transmission · Wheel Bearings · Oil Consumption
A fun, all-weather compact that offers great value, but requires vigilance for aging mechanicals and structural rust.
Top risks: Engine Head Gaskets · Rust and Corrosion · Suspension Components
A fun-to-drive, AWD icon with a few costly, common flaws that require a vigilant owner.
Top risks: Engine (Head Gaskets) · Rust and Corrosion · Suspension & Steering Components
A fun, capable AWD compact, but be prepared for specific, costly engine maintenance to truly enjoy its longevity.
Top risks: Engine Head Gaskets · Timing Belt System · Rust and Corrosion
A fun, capable classic that demands diligent preventative maintenance to avoid costly core failures.
Top risks: Engine Head Gaskets · Body Rust & Corrosion · Suspension & Steering Components
Problems That Follow the Impreza Across Generations
Issues that appear in the top-3 risks across multiple model years — the cost of ownership you can actually predict.
Engine Head Gaskets
Appears in 10 model years · 30% of generations
Wheel Bearings
Appears in 10 model years · 30% of generations
Rust and Corrosion
Appears in 9 model years · 27% of generations
Suspension & Steering Components
Appears in 5 model years · 15% of generations
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
Appears in 5 model years · 15% of generations
Infotainment System
Appears in 4 model years · 12% of generations
Suspension Components
Appears in 3 model years · 9% of generations
Lineartronic CVT Transmission
Appears in 3 model years · 9% of generations