2023 Subaru WRX

Routine

Owners filed 8 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Suspension2
000
Service Brakes2
100
Engine2
000
Air Bags2
100

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Power Train › Driveline › Driveshaft23V754000
Filed Nov 9, 20234,701 vehiclesSubaru Of America, Inc.

Defect. Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2024 Crosstrek, Impreza, 2023-2024 Forester, and 2023 WRX vehicles. The front driveshaft assemblies' outer race may develop cracks and break.

Risk. A broken driveshaft can cause a loss of drive power while driving or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is in park without the parking brake engaged. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Dealers will inspect and replace the left and right front driveshafts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRP-23.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Air Bags
Filed Aug 25, 2026PA

The failing component system is the drivers side impact airbags. Subaru of America did their own inspection and has listed their findings in an email (it can be forwarded to you if needed). The vehicle is currently at a collision center appointed by our insurance company but has not yet been inspected there. Our vehicle sat at NEW MOTORS dealership so that Subaru of America could do their investigation. They had our vehicle for 50 days to do this inspection (no repairs). Yes our safety could potentially be at risk as the airbag system deployed while the car was not moving/running in our driveway. We were standing outside of the vehicle both front doors were open when the back driver side door was closed causing the airbags to deploy. Subaru found that the seatbelt had been shut in the door causing airbag deployment. We argue this finding due to the fact that the seatbelt was buckled at the time so that the seatbelt bell alarm was not going to go off as we drove with our bloodhound in the back seat. A 80+ lb bloodhound would cause the fasten seatbelt alarm to go off while driving. There was no warning or failures prior to the deployment. The problem has not been reproduced as far as we know. Everyone that we have talked to does not understand what would have caused this. (other than subaru that made their findings). There are pictures in the email that show the minimal damage to the seatbelt latch and a small scuff in the paint in the door jam of our 3 year old car. There is n

Service BrakesCrash
Filed Apr 18, 2026TX

Factory brake system is weak to slow down. The tree on the road stopped my car faster than the brakes did. Many videos and internet posts document this. Quick google search will provide a lot of information. Many owners with money upgrade calipers from tr model Amazon reviews purchasing brake pads provides stopping power. Subaru knows this and did it with 2007 wrx

Air BagsCrash
Filed Jan 15, 2026NC

I was heading to work on a stretch of road. I was traveling at about 45-50mph. A car pulled out in front of me and we had an accident. The airbags in the older Subaru of the person who collided with me went off and mine did not. Surprisingly. My head was slammed against the B pillar and a small bruise on my leg. Insurance is saying my car is totaled. With an accident of that magnitude, my air bags should have deployed. If I was going any faster, I most likely wouldn't be here typing this message. This is a serious concern of mine. I have 0 interest getting back into another Subaru which Consumer Reports quotes as being the safest, most reliable brand.

Service Brakes
Filed Dec 11, 2025NV

My vehicle has a hand brake built into the vehicle and at 25,000 miles my hand brake started to fail and wouldn’t hold the car in place. I had it repaired under warranty and the whole emergency/handbrake assembly was replaced, I looked at it and tested it before I left the dealership and noticed the same issue, I brought it up to the dealership and they noticed the same issue also after testing it again themselves, and they also stated there were other vehicles of the same model with less miles having the same issue and also said it could possibly be a recall. I drive a car with a manual transmission so the hand/emergency brake is what parks and holds the vehicle in place. I originally took it there because my handbrake was no longer holding my car in place to avoid hitting other vehicles especially being parked on an incline or decline.

Suspension
Filed May 7, 2025AZ

I am reporting a potential safety-related defect involving the front suspension of my 2023 Subaru WRX. After installing aftermarket lowering springs, I began noticing loud popping, clicking, and cracking noises from the front struts during low-speed turns and uneven road surfaces. To isolate the issue, the springs were completely removed from the strut assemblies. The noise persisted when manually rotating the top hat and shaft, confirming an internal defect in the OEM strut mount bearing (Subaru part #20320FL010). This eliminates the springs as the source of the issue. The component remains installed and is available for inspection. This defect poses a safety concern, as the strut bearing appears to bind during steering input. This can compromise vehicle stability and steering responsiveness—especially during evasive maneuvers or rough road conditions. The dealership acknowledged the noise but blamed the aftermarket springs. Subaru of America (SOA) opened a formal case but backed the dealership’s position without independent verification. The failure has been reproduced and confirmed by an independent mechanic, even with the aftermarket springs removed. Despite the clear evidence of a factory component failure, SOA refused to cover the repair under warranty, stating that the presence of aftermarket parts voids the claim. This is contrary to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which requires proof that a modification caused a failure. No warning lamps or messages appeared prior t

Suspension
Filed Nov 21, 2024GA

Popping sound on the right side when i turn the wheel fully to either side and move slowly in either direction.

Engine
Filed Jul 18, 2024UT

I would just like to complain about the excess Rtv on the engine oil pan that has been demonstrated on numerous videos of people opening up the oil drain pan and finding chunks of Rtv blocking some of the engine oil pickup tube. I have not opened up my oil drain pan due to cost. This has not lead to failure as of yet but it is worrisome. Thank you

Engine
Filed Aug 16, 2023CA

Oil pickup tube was clogged with rtv that was over used to seal the oil pan, which causes less oil flow into the engine and can cause failure.

8 of 8 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2002
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20252000Routine
202413000Routine
2023 — this page8100Routine
202225110Routine
202113100Routine
202017100Routine
201930200Routine
201842210Routine
201753120Routine
201631320Routine
201552310Routine
201461000Routine
201371100Routine
201221200Routine
201141100Routine
201011200Routine
2009411000Routine
200865710Routine
20070300Routine
200614400Routine
200519500Routine
200442501Fatalities reported
200360220Routine
2002427220Above average

Compare every WRX year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Nov 9, 2023. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.