Problems · NHTSA complaints
1999 Subaru Impreza problems
Owners filed 22 complaints about the 1999 Subaru Impreza with NHTSA between Aug 1999 and May 2009. The most-cited component is suspension (6).
Complaints
22
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Suspension6
- Power train4
- Vehicle speed control2
- Air bags2
- Service brakes, hydraulic2
- Fuel system, other1
- Child seat1
- Fuel system, gasoline1
- Engine and engine cooling1
- Visibility1
- Wheels1
- Seat belts1
- Tires1
- Steering1
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
4
1
4
2
3
5
1
1
0
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 4 |
| 2000 | 1 |
| 2001 | 4 |
| 2002 | 2 |
| 2003 | 3 |
| 2004 | 5 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Suspension
6 reports
“MY 99 SUBARU IMPREZA RS'S REAR WHEEL BEARINGS ARE STARTING TO FAIL. I'VE BEEN DOING SOME RESEARCH AND FIND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SUBARU'S. THERE IS AN OBVIOUS DEFECT WITH THE BEARING BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS. I ALSO FOUND THAT THERE IS A NEW PROCEDURE FOR REPAIRING THE WHEEL BEARING, WHICH WOULD INDICATE SUBARU'S KNOWLEDGE OF THE DEFECTIVE PART. *JB”
Power train
4 reports
“NAR 02/13/2003 ANSWERED BY TIS. THE CONSUMER HAD TO HAVE HIS CLUTCH REPLACED TWICE DUE TO PREMATURE WEAR WHILE STILL UNDER THE 3 YEAR WARRANTY, HOWEVER SUBARU REFUSED TO COVER THE REPAIRS. *JB”
Vehicle speed control
2 reports
“WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO DRIFT OFF THE ROAD. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE ACCELERATOR CABLE FAILED. *AK *JB”
Air bags
2 reports2 crashes
“THE VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED AND WAS PUSHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER WAS INJURED. TS *JB”
Service brakes, hydraulic
2 reports
“REAR WHEELS REQUIRED NEW BEARINGS...HARSH GRINDING NOISE AS CAR SPED UP...WARRANTIED ITEM. MY MAIN CONCERN IS THAT I'VE DROPPED THE CAR OFF TWICE IN 3 MONTHS FOR SIMILAR NOISES...BRAKES, TRANSMISSION AND WHEELS.*AK”
Fuel system, other
1 report
“1999 SUBARU IMPREZA 2.5RS, I DISCOVERED THE ENTRANCE TO THE FUEL FILLER STARTED TO RUST. IT WILL COST ME $500 TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. I ALSO NOTICED THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. *TR”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.