Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 79 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Subaru Impreza, and it carries 2 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown or other | 12 | 15% |
| Electrical system | 12 | 15% |
| Power train | 7 | 9% |
| Engine | 6 | 8% |
| Steering | 6 | 8% |
| Air bags | 4 | 5% |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 4% |
| Structure | 3 | 4% |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 3% |
| Power train | 2 | 3% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
My front passenger seat belt has been stuck and unusable since November 2025. This issue has been reported to Brandon Tomes Subaru in McKinney TX at the end of November. The seat belt was inspected and was determined fau
NHTSA complaint: Seat belts
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that while reversing the vehicle at 10 MPH, the transmission was shifted into drive (D), and the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration at 30 MPH. The conta
NHTSA complaint: Vehicle speed control
My 2015 Impreza has had its rear wheel bearings fail twice now, and now there’s still a loud noise coming from the end of my vehicle. My most recent trip to the dealer to get a bearing replaced costed me nearly $800. The
NHTSA complaint: Wheels
Driving the 2015 Subaru Impreza the front hood popped open and crashed into my windshield. Luckily it popped at 30-40 miles per hour and I was able to stop safely. Many damage to the body of the vehicle. It has happene
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
All of a sudden, with no reason whatsoever, my daughter's car has "rod knock" with less than 100,000 miles on it. Bought this Subaru for my daughter so she would have a car that would last a long time and she would be s
NHTSA complaint: Engine
We bought our 2015 Subaru Impreza from a used car dealer (we are second owner) in February 2020 with 55K miles on it. On our test drive, we noticed the air bag said it was off even with a passenger in the car. We agreed
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
Battery Drain when plugging into the USB port: This is second battery that had to be replaced since purchase of the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
Power Steering failed, extremely hard to turn steering wheel, EPS Light on dash illuminated. Luckily happened in driveway. Thinking back steering seemed odd last week was less effort to turn left as opposed to turning ri
NHTSA complaint: Steering
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2015 Subaru Impreza. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
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
Risk: Brake lights that do not illuminate properly will not alert other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: 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 n
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 manufact
Risk: If the automatic pre-collision braking system does not function as intended, the vehicle will not react to an obstacle in its path, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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. Suba
| Reliability raw | 71 | good |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 77 | good |
| Maintenance | 72 | good |
| Depreciation | 97 | excellent |
| Performance | 55 | average |
| Efficiency | 50 | average |
| Safety | 100 | excellent |
Percentile ranks against other compact cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 79 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and unknown or other is the most reported area with 12 of them (15%). There are 2 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 71/100 (good) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 77/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2015 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 75/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.