Platform Heritage
The Subaru Impreza (Japanese: スバル・インプレッサ, Hepburn: Subaru Inpuressa) is a compact car that has been manufactured by the Japanese automaker Subaru since 1992. It was introduced as a replacement for the Leone, with the predecessor's EA series engines replaced by the new EJ series. It is now in its sixth generation.
Subaru has offered a 5-door hatchback body variant since 2008. The firm also offered a coupe from 1995 until 2001, a 4-door sedan up to the fifth generation, and a 5-door wagon from the Impreza's introduction which was replaced by a hatchback with the third generation in 2008. Mainstream versions have received "boxer" flat-four engines ranging from 1.5- to 2.5-liters, with the performance-oriented Impreza WRX and WRX STI models upgraded with the addition of turbochargers. Since the third generation series, some markets have adopted the abbreviated Subaru WRX name for these high-performance variants. The first three generations of Impreza were also available with an off-road appearance non-SUV package called the Outback Sport, exclusive to the North American market. For the fourth generation, this appearance package was raised up to be subcompact crossover SUV and renamed the XV (Crosstrek in North America), and is sold internationally. Colloquially, the car is sometimes referred to as Scooby.
Subaru has offered front- and all-wheel drive layouts for the Impreza. Since the late 1990s, some markets have restricted sales to the all-wheel drive model, putting the Impreza in a unique selling proposition in the global compact class, which is usually characterized by front-wheel drive or FWD in short. Japanese models remain available in both configurations.
A 2019 iSeeCars study named the Impreza as the lowest-depreciating sedan in the United States after five years.
Source: Wikipedia intro extract · as of Jun 19, 2026
Key facts for this model year
0NHTSA owner complaints
N/ASafety recalls on file
0Top issue reports · None reported
N/ARecall data unavailable
Verify the data — open primary sources · as of Jun 19, 2026
System Defect Summaries & Field Data
NHTSA enrichment missing — model token did not resolve or API query failed. Do not treat as zero complaints.
Search demand cross-check: ~1,962 avg monthly intent searches (source: google ads data · as of Jun 19, 2026)
On-Site Subaru Impreza Pre-Purchase Checklist
- Verify OBD-II readiness monitors are complete (not recently cleared) using a full protocol scan.
- Compare dashboard mileage to ECU-stored odometer modules where accessible.
- Pull permanent and pending DTCs — not only stored codes visible on the dash.
- Run a MotoMetrics on-site scan for Subaru Impreza before signing the bill of sale.