2009 Subaru Impreza Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2009 Subaru Impreza has a complaint index of 55 and ranks 10th worst out of 21 model years, earning a Caution verdict. Owners filed 103 complaints and NHTSA lists 14 recall campaigns, mostly airbags and electrical, with the top problem area being Transmission & Powertrain (29% of complaints).
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 55/100
- #10 of 21 Impreza years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 103
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 14
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 2
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 3
- Injuries
- 2
- Top issue
- Transmission & Powertrain
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 21
- 19 city / 25 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 2 / 0
Top 2009 Subaru Impreza problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Transmission & Powertrain30 (29%)
- Engine28 (27%)
- Structure & Body23 (22%)
- Brakes18 (17%)
- Airbags12 (12%)
- Electrical System10 (10%)
- Fuel System8 (8%)
- Other7 (7%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires4 (4%)
- Visibility & Wipers3 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Owners report electrical fires starting from the center console or dashboard area while the vehicle was parked or driving.
- Some describe the transmission stalling repeatedly at low mileage along with recurring air intake noise.
- Airbags reportedly failed to deploy during a front-end collision that also involved brake and seat belt failure.
- Drivers describe low beam headlights as too dim to see hazards at night.
- One owner reported the engine spun a bearing and damaged the crankshaft at low mileage on a new vehicle.
- The tire pressure monitoring system reportedly required a dealer reset whenever tires were seasonally swapped.
2009 Subaru Impreza recalls
14 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.
2009 Subaru Impreza fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 19 MPG
- Highway
- 25 MPG
- Combined
- 21 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,800
- 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.
2009 compared with other Impreza years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2009 Subaru Impreza reliable?
- NHTSA data gives the 2009 Impreza a complaint index of 55 and a Caution verdict, ranking 10th worst among 21 model years of the Impreza. It is not among the worst years, but it trails several better-scoring years.
- What are the most common problems with the 2009 Subaru Impreza?
- Transmission & Powertrain complaints make up 29% of filings, followed by Engine issues at 27% and Structure & Body complaints at 22%. Median mileage at failure for transmission issues was 63,382.
- Does the 2009 Subaru Impreza have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 14 recall campaigns for the 2009 Impreza, most involving airbags (passenger inflator replacement) and electrical system components like the ignition switch and brake light switch.
- How does the 2009 Impreza compare to other years?
- With a complaint index of 55, the 2009 model scores worse than years like 2005 (30) and 2010 (25) but better than 2008 (85), 2012 (95), and 2013 (90), which carry Avoid verdicts.