2015 Subaru Impreza Power Train
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
My transmission completely locked up on me while driving at interstate speeds. I was traveling at 65 MPH with the car in regular driving mode, on cruise control and the transmission completely locked up on me. The front tires locked briefly, causing me to go into a small skid, which I was able to correct, and then the engine revved high and I had no power. This lockup and skid caused a rapid deceleration of the vehicle and had there been lots of traffic around me it would have caused a major accident on the interstate, possibly causing fatalities. My transmission completely locked up once I went through the nearest intersection to get to a side road. This left me stranded in the middle of a major highway intersection with no ability to physically push my vehicle out of the way. The vehicle behind me just about rear-ended me. This has been a major issue with these transmissions and a major safety issue. These transmissions should be put on a recall since this is a major safety issue. The extended warranty that Subaru has put out only waits for a problem to occur, this does not save lives but only puts them in danger. They should be FORCED to do a recall. No warning lights illuminated on the dash prior to the transmission locking up. The vehicle has been inspected by a certified mechanic and has diagnosed that it is an issue with the transmission itself and no other component on the vehicle. This issue of the CVT transmission is well documented.
Smoke and oil burning smell entering cabin through vents. I have two young children. I’m concerned of toxic fumes. Coming from oil leaking onto exhaust manifold and at only 52,000 miles on odometer!
KEY WILL NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION WHEN I GO TO TURN THE CAR OFF. THIS IS A REGULAR OCCURRENCE, REQUIRING ME TO TURN THE CAR BACK ON, SHIFT TO DRIVE AND THEN BACK TO PARK BEFORE TRYING TO TURN THE CAR OFF AGAIN. THIS HAPPENS AT LEAST ONCE A DAY.
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 60 MILES AN HOUR, IN THE SECOND FROM THE LEFT LANE ON A BUSY, FOUR-LANE FREEWAY ASCENDING A SLIGHT HILL, MY CAR SHUDDERED VIOLENTLY AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. WE WERE ALMOST REAR-ENDED SEVERAL TIMES; CARS WERE SWERVING AROUND US; IT WAS TERRIFYING AND QUITE DANGEROUS. WE WAITED CLOSE TO 10 MINUTES FOR THE CHP TO STOP TRAFFIC. SUBARU HAS IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS THE CVT TRANSMISSION AND IS IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING IT UNDER THE WARRANTY. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I THINK A RECALL IS MORE APPROPRIATE THAN AN EXTENDED WARRANTY.
WHEN I STOP MY CAR AND PUT IT INTO PARK, I CANNOT TURN THE KEY ALL THE WAY TO THE LOCK POSITION, AND THEREFORE CANNOT REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THE CAR IS NOT BELIEVING THAT IT IS ACTUALLY IN PARK. I HAVE TO RESTART THE CAR, DRIVE A LITTLE BIT, AND TRY AGAIN. THIS IS HAPPENING WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY AND IS BOTH A SAFETY AND SECURITY ISSUE IF THE KEY CANNOT BE REMOVED. I DO NOT KNOW THE FIRST DATE IT HAPPENED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU IMPREZA. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AUTOBARN SUBARU OF COUNTRYSIDE IN COUNTRYSIDE, ILLINOIS. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION'S WIRING HARNESS MAY HAVE BEEN AFFECTED, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE FULLY DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,520. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 SUBARU IMPREZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN SIXTH GEAR. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLUTCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, AFTER TWO WEEKS THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DIAGNOSED THE CLUTCH AND THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,600.
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2015 Subaru Impreza has 7 Power Train complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.