2013 Subaru Impreza Problems & Complaints

Most common 2013 Subaru Impreza problems

• Air bags~57,000 miles
  7931%
• Engine & cooling~70,000 miles
  7630%
• Electrical system~84,000 miles
  3414%
• Brakes~48,000 miles
  2510%
• Transmission & drivetrain~97,000 miles
  239%
• Other / not specified~61,000 miles
  218%
• Steering~51,000 miles
  146%
• Speed control & acceleration~62,000 miles
  135%
• Seats~70,000 miles
  94%
• Lights~78,000 miles
  73%
• Seat belts~55,000 miles
  62%
• Body & structure~66,000 miles
  62%
• Fuel & propulsion system~67,000 miles
  52%
• Stability & traction control~78,000 miles
  42%
• Windows, wipers & sunroof~75,000 miles
  31%
• A/C & heater~3,000 miles
  10%
• Wheels & tires~74,000 miles
  10%
• Driver assistance
  10%

Share of the 251 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

Subaru Impreza complaints by model year

Best Impreza years: 2023, 2021, 2022. Years to avoid: 2012, 2013, 2019, 2018, 2017. Compare all years →

2013 Subaru Impreza recalls (4)

What 2013 Subaru Impreza owners say

Air bags all 79 →

Air bags did not go off after a car accident with a commercial box truck, car seems to be totaled. Insurance is going to inspect vehicle to confirm it being totaled. No warning lights were on at the time. Just passed inspection a month a month ago.

The passenger airbag occupancy sensor in my care is broken and has been since I purchased this vehicle in 2016. It is the same issue that caused the recall of 2012 Impreza models, however, my 2013 model is not covered under the recall despite having the same occupancy sensor for the airbags. If the passenger airbag sensor is exposed to moisture, whether from a wet seat, a sweaty bum, or even an excessively humid environment like Charleston SC in the summer or western Washington, the passenger airbag will switch off even when there is a passenger present. . The warning lamp on the driver dash lights up, and the passenger airbag display reads "OFF". The airbag will shut off at any point, even if the vehicle is already in motion, should the moisture levels reach a certain level in the environment. …

Engine & cooling all 76 →

The contact owns a 2013 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph when the check engine illuminated and a loud rattling noise emitted from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle then suddenly stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer had replaced the engine. Approximately after the repair while they were driving approximately 40 mph when the same failure occurred. The vehicle was towed to the same dealer who replaced the engine again. After the second replacement while driving the vehicle was part the vehicle had caught on fire. The fire department was called and put out the fire. No injuries, medical attention needed. The contact's insurance had replaced the engine a third time. Again, while driving at the same speeds the check engine light suddenly illuminated and the vehicle began rattling underneath the hood. …

The contact owns a 2013 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled without warning. The contact was able to merge over to the right lane, exited the highway, and veered to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure reoccurred while driving and coming to a complete stop. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be rebuilt or replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was not included in a recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the dealer. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be rebuilt; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed by the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

Electrical system all 34 →

The wires that connect to the climate control have started an electrical fire and burned out my climate control twice. Upon reporting this to Subaru they advised the climate control randomly not working is a very common problem as it can melt due to high heat outside (90-100+ temperature). Now upon replacing the climate control unit, the wire connected was burned as there was an active electrical fire that was the cause of the climate control not working because it could not connect to the wire pack properly due to the fire. Fire started and went out on its own but without my knowledge as it's internal behind the radio portion of the car. I would not have known about the fire unless I replaced the part, which is what I did.

In the morning of 7-11-2024, I started the engine to go to work as usual. I found the engine light on and noticed strange symptoms from the hood, such as unusual loud noise. Thereafter, I lifted the hood and confirmed loud noise coming from somewhere. Then, I immediately shut down the engine (no key in ignition), but still, the secondary air pump kept running. I thought it may be blowing up, so I immediately disconnected the battery. I touched the pump and almost burnt my hand. I did do this immediate action because I have some experience/knowledge on car maintenance, but I feel terrible if this happened to someone else, such as young drivers. Then, I googled for the similar symptoms, and found something matching my symptoms in the recall notification letter (NHTSA recall no. 16V738), in which the relay in fuse box can cause the issue. …

2013 Subaru Impreza engines & fuel economy

EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.