SUBARU IMPREZA WRX · model year

2015 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX

3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2015SUBARUIMPREZA WRX carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2015 IMPREZA WRX is power train with 1 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (1) and steering (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 14 investigation files overlapping the 2015 IMPREZA WRX. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

3 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1
STEERING1

Recent Complaints

20181202STEERING

STEERING WHEEL PEELING STARTED AT 68,000 AND GETTING WORSE

Mileage: 68,000

20181030POWER TRAIN

A CVT DEFECT IS CAUSING ERRATIC, UNCONTROLLABLE, AND VIOLENT CHANGES IN ENGINE RPM, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: RAPID VIOLENT OSCILLATIONS IN RPM, NON-SHIFTING, SUSTAINED HOLDING OF RPM NEAR ENGINE RED-LINE, ABRUPT DECREASES OF RPM AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF POWER DESPITE THE ACCELERATOR IS STILL BEING APPLIED. THESE DEFECTS HAVE OCCURRED UNDER AN ARRAY OF DRIVING CONDITIONS, SPEEDS, THROTTLE POSITIONS, ROAD GRADIENTS, AMBIENT TEMPERATURES, ALTITUDES, AND ENGINE TEMPERATURES. SUBARU WAS PROVIDED WITH VIDEOS OF THE DASHBOARD GAUGES TAKEN DURING MALFUNCTIONS, AND THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THEM TO HAVE THE ISSUES ASSESSED AT LEAST 3 TIMES. SUBARU COMPLETED TCM "RE-FLASHING", ECM UPDATES, AND SOFTWARE UPDATES TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS WITH NO EFFECT. CVT MALFUNCTIONS HAVE GRADUALLY INCREASED IN SEVERITY AND FREQUENCY OVER THE PAST 20,000 MILES. THE REPEATED, SUDDEN, AND VIOLENT MALFUNCTIONS OF THE CVT HAVE PUT THE OCCUPANTS AT RISK OF COLLISION ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AND IN ONE INSTANCE AN AB

Mileage: 80,000

20181030VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

A CVT DEFECT IS CAUSING ERRATIC, UNCONTROLLABLE, AND VIOLENT CHANGES IN ENGINE RPM, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: RAPID VIOLENT OSCILLATIONS IN RPM, NON-SHIFTING, SUSTAINED HOLDING OF RPM NEAR ENGINE RED-LINE, ABRUPT DECREASES OF RPM AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF POWER DESPITE THE ACCELERATOR IS STILL BEING APPLIED. THESE DEFECTS HAVE OCCURRED UNDER AN ARRAY OF DRIVING CONDITIONS, SPEEDS, THROTTLE POSITIONS, ROAD GRADIENTS, AMBIENT TEMPERATURES, ALTITUDES, AND ENGINE TEMPERATURES. SUBARU WAS PROVIDED WITH VIDEOS OF THE DASHBOARD GAUGES TAKEN DURING MALFUNCTIONS, AND THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THEM TO HAVE THE ISSUES ASSESSED AT LEAST 3 TIMES. SUBARU COMPLETED TCM "RE-FLASHING", ECM UPDATES, AND SOFTWARE UPDATES TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS WITH NO EFFECT. CVT MALFUNCTIONS HAVE GRADUALLY INCREASED IN SEVERITY AND FREQUENCY OVER THE PAST 20,000 MILES. THE REPEATED, SUDDEN, AND VIOLENT MALFUNCTIONS OF THE CVT HAVE PUT THE OCCUPANTS AT RISK OF COLLISION ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AND IN ONE INSTANCE AN AB

Mileage: 80,000

Compare 2015SUBARUIMPREZA WRX to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2015 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX have?
The 2015 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2015 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX?
The most-complained component for the 2015 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX is POWER TRAIN with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and STEERING.
Is the 2015 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.