2011 Subaru Impreza Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
GoodComplaint Index
33/100
#11 most-complained of 16 Impreza years
The 2011 Subaru Impreza has a Complaint Index of 33, ranking 11th out of 16 model years, and is rated Good relative to other Impreza years. NHTSA lists 57 complaints and 14 recalls, with airbags as the top problem area (30% of complaints).
- Complaints
- 57
- Recalls
- 14
- Crashes / fires
- 5 / 2
- Injuries / deaths
- 5 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 21.5
- 19.5 city / 25.5 hwy
Top 2011 Subaru Impreza problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags17 (30%)
- Electrical System9 (16%)
- Engine8 (14%)
- Visibility & Wipers8 (14%)
- Brakes6 (11%)
- Fuel System6 (11%)
- Transmission & Powertrain6 (11%)
- Other5 (9%)
- Structure & Body4 (7%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires3 (5%)
What owners report
- Airbags failed to deploy during frontal or angled collisions, leading to head injuries and facial lacerations.
- Airbags deployed in a way that caused facial cuts from plastic or airbag material during a crash.
- Engine failure occurred with heavy smoke and sudden power loss while driving in traffic at low mileage.
- One engine failure was traced to broken piston ring lands on two cylinders, requiring a short block replacement.
- A seat heater caused a burning smell, leg pain, and a burned hole in the driver seat due to an electrical fire.
- Severe vibration and steering shimmy occurred above 55 mph despite repeated tire balancing and suspension component replacement.
2011 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.
2011 Subaru Impreza fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 19.5 MPG
- Highway
- 25.5 MPG
- Combined
- 21.5 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,375
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- 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.
2011 compared with other Impreza years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2011 Subaru Impreza reliable?
- Relative to other Impreza model years, the 2011 is rated Good, with a Complaint Index of 33 and 57 NHTSA complaints, ranking 11th out of 16 years tracked.
- What is the biggest problem with the 2011 Subaru Impreza?
- Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 30% of complaints (17 of 57), including 4 crashes tied to airbag issues at a median mileage of 55,000.
- Does the 2011 Subaru Impreza have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 14 recalls for the 2011 Impreza, mostly covering airbags and the electrical system, including passenger airbag inflator replacements and ignition switch inspections. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2011 Impreza compare to other years?
- The 2011 model's Complaint Index of 33 is much lower than the 2012 (93) and 2013 (100) years, which are rated Avoid, making 2011 one of the better Impreza years.
- What mileage do 2011 Impreza problems typically show up at?
- The median mileage at failure across complaints is 38,000, though airbag issues showed up at a median of 55,000 miles and engine issues at 10,500 miles.