RecallRadar

Home → Subaru → Impreza → 2016

2016 Subaru Impreza Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Serious

108 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.33 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious19V149000

Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights:Switch

Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, raises the risk of crash.

Remedy & full details

Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUE-90.

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek vehicles. Exposure to certain contaminants may cause the brake light switch to malfunction, preventing the brake lights from illuminating and also preventing keyless ignition vehicles from starting and CVT/automatic transmissions from being able to be shifted out of Park.

Complaint volume

108 this model-year 7 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

14Crashes
0Fires
2Injuries
0Deaths

Across 108 complaints. Severity Index 0.33.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Unknown Or Other19 · 18%Power Train13 · 12%Electrical System13 · 12%Air Bags8 · 7%Vehicle Speed Control8 · 7%Service Brakes6 · 6%Steering5 · 5%Visibility/Wiper4 · 4%
  1. Unknown Or Other — 19 reports
  2. Power Train — 13 reports
  3. Electrical System — 13 reports
  4. Air Bags — 8 reports
  5. Vehicle Speed Control — 8 reports
  6. Service Brakes — 6 reports
  7. Steering — 5 reports
  8. Visibility/Wiper — 4 reports
  9. Structure:Body — 3 reports
  10. Seats — 3 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (4) · 1996 (3) · 1997 (3) · 1998 (3) · 1999 (4) · 2000 (4) · 2001 (3) · 2002 (6) · 2003 (6) · 2004 (8) · 2005 (6) · 2006 (10) · 2007 (9) · 2008 (15) · 2009 (15) · 2010 (15) · 2011 (14) · 2012 (6) · 2013 (4) · 2014 (3) · 2015 (2) · 2016 · 2017 (7) · 2018 (5) · 2019 (5) · 2020 (1) · 2021 (2) · 2022 (1) · 2023 (2) · 2024 (2) · 2025

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

From the same data desk

Independent sites, same maintainer, same open-data standards.

TireFit
Is that tyre actually right for your car?
2,808 fitment guides
FuelFacts
What that trip really costs in fuel
Live consumption data
CostCompare
What things cost, city by city
2,123 comparisons