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#BS-2012-SUBIMP-118A

2012 Subaru Impreza

Based on reports from 336 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
336
Crashes
19
Fires
6
Recalls
6
TSBs
499
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 336 complaints, 19 crashes, 6 fires, and 6 recalls. This is the worst model year for this vehicle.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

sudden unintended acceleration

5 complaints • Severity 9.2/10

$X,XXX
2

not shifting properly

2 complaints • Severity 6/10

$X,XXX
3

brake failure

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the AirbagsHIGH

105 owners reported airbags issues — failures commonly reported around 46K miles.

!Inspect the EngineMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

99
0–30K
54
30–60K
47
60–90K
24
90–120K
29
120–150K
12
150K+

Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (99 reports) • Median: 46K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Airbags (105 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Airbags105 (31%)
Engine56 (17%)
Electrical30 (9%)
Drivetrain26 (8%)
Seats15 (4%)
Brakes15 (4%)
Other12 (4%)
Speed Control11 (3%)

2012 Subaru Impreza: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 31% of all reports filed for the 2012 Subaru Impreza, with 105 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 45,750 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 46K-mile mark.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 17% of all reports filed for the 2012 Subaru Impreza, with 56 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2012 Subaru Impreza, with 30 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Drivetrain Issues

Drivetrain complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2012 Subaru Impreza, with 26 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to drivetrain-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

1
11
18
12
17
13
53
14
52
15
21
16
22
17
38
18
53
19
27
20
2
21
8
22
8
23
4
24
12
25

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2012 Subaru Impreza. Recent trend: increasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (6 recalls)

11V562000Dec 2011

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES

SUBARU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 IMPREZA SEDANS AND WAGONS (EXCEPT WRX/STI MODELS), MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 21, 2011, THROUGH NOVEMBER 15, 2011, AND LEGACY AND OUTBACK VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 17, 2011, THROUGH NOVEMBER 23, 2011. THESE VEHICLES MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH A BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER THAT COULD MALFUNCTION AND CAUSE AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL DISTANCE REQUIRED TO SLOW OR STOP THE VEHICLE.

13V061000Apr 2013

EQUIPMENT

Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with an automatic or CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, certain model year 2012-2013 Impreza vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, and certain model year 2013 XV Crosstrek vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory. Additionally included are certain model year 2013 Legacy and Outback vehicles that may have received replacement RES fobs. If the RES fob is dropped, the fob may malfunction and randomly transmit an engine start request without pressing the button.

15V419000Aug 2015

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2012 model year Subaru Impreza 4-Door and Station Wagon vehicles (except WRX/STI models) manufactured April 21, 2011, to February 16, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may deactivate if a front seat passenger operates a device that is plugged into the power outlet such as a music player or cell phone, or touches a metal part of the vehicle such as the forward/rearward seat adjuster lever.

16V738000Dec 2016

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 model year Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2008-2014 Impreza vehicles and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, all equipped with turbo-charged engines. The relay that controls the secondary air injection pump may fail, causing the pump to continuously operate and overheat.

18V772000Dec 2018

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Subaru Impreza, 2012-2013 Impreza Stationwagon, 2013 Subaru BRZ, XV Crosstrek and Toyota Scion FR-S vehicles. The engine valve springs in these vehicles may fracture causing an engine malfunction or a possible engine stall.

+ 1 more recall in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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This is the worst model year for the Subaru Impreza according to owner complaint data. The biggest problem area is engine.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 336 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 6 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Subaru Impreza Model Years

2026202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990
View all Subaru Impreza years →

2012 Subaru Impreza: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2012 Subaru Impreza?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2012 Subaru Impreza is related to the airbags, with 105 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2012 Subaru Impreza reliable?
The 2012 Subaru Impreza has 336 complaints, 19 crash reports, and 6 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2012 Subaru Impreza problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2012 Subaru Impreza have any recalls?
Yes, the 2012 Subaru Impreza has 6 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Subaru Impreza problems start?
Based on 265 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 45,750 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 336 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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