2016 Subaru WRX: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 34 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 3 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
34
Complaints
3
Recalls
1
Crash reports
2
Fire reports
0
Injuries
47.1
Severity index
Severity index 47.1 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 10 | 29.4% |
| ENGINE | 9 | 26.5% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 7 | 20.6% |
| POWER TRAIN | 4 | 11.8% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 5.9% |
| STEERING | 2 | 5.9% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 5.9% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2 | 5.9% |
The single most-reported system is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, cited in 10 of 34 complaints (29.4%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 6 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 7 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 2 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.7x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15V366000 | 12/06/2015 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: CRASH IMMINENT BRAKING | 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 Crosstr |
| 16V162000 | 21/03/2016 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER | 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 |
| 22V522000 | 21/07/2022 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BACK UP LIGHTS:SWITCH | 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. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.