2009 Subaru Impreza problems
The 2009 Subaru Impreza has 150 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (19%) concerns drivetrain & axles. After that come body & structure (15%) and engine (13%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 150 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Drivetrain & axles 19% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 6 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 4 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 65,000 miles 114 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 14 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 15 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 14 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 29 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 14 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 13 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 5 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 8 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Among the 114 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 65,000 miles. For drivetrain & axles specifically, the median reported mileage is about 66,000 miles (26 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 6 complaints mention a crash; 3 complaints mention a fire; 4 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2009 ranks 12th most-complained-about out of 27 model years of the Subaru Impreza with enough data (69 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 14 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Front end collision, vehicle totaled. Seat belt failure. Brake failure. Airbags failed to deploy. Multiple injuries sustained.
I called subaru almost 5 months ago when I came across there was a recall on brakes since we were having the issue of the brakes flashing and the vehicle not shifting. Manufacturer recall #: wue90 on 2-28-19. NHTSA recall #: 19v149000. When I called they said they did not have the parts yet to fix. On 8-29-19 the car was in an accident and brakes light was chiming and flashing earlier and may be related to why it did not stop in time and was involced in a rear end crash when driver in front slammed on brakes.
Today (july 10, 2019) I discovered that the driver's side rear door of my 2009 impreza will not open from the inside even when the child lock is in the free position. I have a similar problem with the same door on my 2014 outback, in that the child lock is stuck in the locked position and the door cannot be opened from the inside. I don't think it's a coincidence that both of my subarus are having a problem with the child safety locks and I would like this investigated.