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2016 Subaru Wrx Recalls & Complaints

3

open safety recalls on record

Critical

40 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.20 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical16V162000

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Turbo/Supercharger

engine stall raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the turbocharger air intake duct, and replace it as necessary, free of charge, depending on the lot number found on the duct. The recall began April 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTA-62.

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 WRX vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 21, 2015, and Forester 2.0XT vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 20, 2015. The turbocharger air intake duct may crack and possibly result in an engine stall.

Serious15V366000

Forward Collision Avoidance: Crash Imminent Braking

If the automatic pre-collision braking system does not function as intended, the vehicle will not react to an obstacle in its path, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the driver assist system, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQS-54.

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy vehicles manufactured March 10, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Outback vehicles manufactured February 24, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Impreza vehicles manufactured September 9, 2014, to April 14, 2015, XV Crosstrek vehicles manufactured October 16, 2014, to April 15, 2015, and 2016 WRX vehicles manufactured March 23, 2015, and equipped with the Eyesight Driver Assist System. If the switch that activates the brake lights fails, the automatic pre-collision braking component of the driver assist system will not function.

Serious22V522000

Exterior Lighting:Back Up Lights:Switch

Inoperative backup lights and an inoperative rearview camera can reduce vehicle visibility and driver awareness, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Dealers will inspect and replace the backup light switch, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE-22.

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2021 WRX vehicles. The backup light switch may corrode and become inoperative, which can result in the backup lights not illuminating and the rearview camera image not displaying when the vehicle is in reverse.

Complaint volume

40 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

1Crashes
2Fires
0Injuries
0Deaths

Across 40 complaints. Severity Index 0.20.

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

Electrical System10 · 25%Engine8 · 20%Unknown Or Other6 · 15%Power Train4 · 10%Service Brakes2 · 5%Electronic Stability Cont…2 · 5%Steering2 · 5%Fuel/Propulsion System2 · 5%
  1. Electrical System — 10 reports
  2. Engine — 8 reports
  3. Unknown Or Other — 6 reports
  4. Power Train — 4 reports
  5. Service Brakes — 2 reports
  6. Electronic Stability Control (Esc) — 2 reports
  7. Steering — 2 reports
  8. Fuel/Propulsion System — 2 reports
  9. Visibility:Sun/Moon Roof Assembly — 1 reports
  10. Tires — 1 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

2002 (2) · 2003 (2) · 2004 (5) · 2005 (5) · 2006 (4) · 2008 (7) · 2009 (10) · 2010 (12) · 2011 (11) · 2012 (12) · 2013 (11) · 2014 (10) · 2015 (3) · 2016 · 2017 (1) · 2018 (2) · 2019 (2) · 2020 (1) · 2021 (1) · 2022 (1) · 2023 (1) · 2024 · 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.

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