2006 Subaru Impreza Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2006 Subaru Impreza has a Complaint Index of 15 with 56 complaints and 10 recall campaigns, mostly for airbag inflators. NHTSA data ranks it 18th of 21 Impreza model years, and it carries a Caution verdict capped by its recall count rather than by complaint volume.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 15/100
- #18 of 21 Impreza years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 56
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 10
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 3
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 2
- Top issue
- Airbags
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 20
- 18 city / 24 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 2 / 0
Top 2006 Subaru Impreza problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags20 (36%)
- Engine12 (21%)
- Fuel System7 (13%)
- Transmission & Powertrain7 (13%)
- Brakes6 (11%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires6 (11%)
- Electrical System2 (4%)
- Other2 (4%)
- Structure & Body2 (4%)
- Visibility & Wipers2 (4%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Passenger airbags failed to deploy in frontal or head-on crashes, in some cases at highway speed.
- Engine or transmission mounts broke under normal driving, causing loud clunking and, in one case, clutch line damage that ruined the transmission.
- HID headlights reportedly aimed too low, limiting visibility of the road ahead at night.
- Factory Brembo brakes showed a multi-second delay in stopping power after extended driving in rain without braking.
- Bridgestone Potenza tires developed sidewall bubbles and tread deformation at low mileage.
2006 Subaru Impreza recalls
10 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 20V001000Jan 2, 2020Airbags258,813 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-20.
- NHTSA 20V003000Jan 2, 2020Airbags111,562 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-20.
- NHTSA 20V002000Jan 2, 2020Airbags127,547 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-20.
2006 Subaru Impreza fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 18 MPG
- Highway
- 24 MPG
- Combined
- 20 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $4,000
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Premium
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2006 compared with other Impreza years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2006 Subaru Impreza reliable?
- NHTSA data gives the 2006 Impreza a Complaint Index of 15 with 56 complaints, ranking it 18th of 21 model years. Its verdict is Caution, driven mainly by 10 recall campaigns rather than a high complaint count.
- What are the main problems with the 2006 Subaru Impreza?
- Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 36% of complaints (20 of 56), followed by engine issues at 21% and fuel system and transmission issues each at 13%.
- Does the 2006 Subaru Impreza have an airbag recall?
- Yes. NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns for the 2006 Impreza, and airbags are the component in every one of them, tied to passenger frontal air bag inflator replacement.
- How does the 2006 Impreza compare to other years?
- The 2006 model's Complaint Index of 15 is lower than 2008 (85), 2012 (95), 2013 (90), 2017 (80), 2018 (75), and 2019 (100), all of which carry Avoid verdicts, but it still ranks worse than years like 2005 (30, Good) and 2015 (45, Good).
- At what mileage do 2006 Impreza problems typically show up?
- The median mileage at failure across complaints is 61,727.5 miles, with airbag issues reported at a median of 64,455 miles.