The Lane Check

Home › Cars › Subaru › Impreza › 2015

2015 Subaru Impreza problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
33%
23 of 70 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2015 Subaru Impreza. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 33% of relevant complaints.

Better than 66% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 9 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 29%).

NHTSA data checked October 3, 2026

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2015 Subaru Impreza have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 23 of 70 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2015 Subaru Impreza concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (33%). For comparison, the 2014 scores 42% and the 2016 scores 27%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
23
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
79
this model year
Fires reported
0
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
2
5 crashes · 4 injuries

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM20 · 25%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER14 · 18%
POWER TRAIN12 · 15%
ENGINE10 · 13%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL7 · 9%
AIR BAGS7 · 9%

The years either side

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

How the 2015 compares with other Subaru Impreza years

Of the 11 Subaru Impreza years with enough complaints to score, the 2015 is the 6th-best on engine and transmission share (33%). The worst is the 2013 (57%), the best the 2020 (4%). By volume, the 2015 drew 79 complaints (23 drivetrain), against 108 for the 2014 and 75 for the 2016.

Subaru Impreza years to avoid and best years →

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2015 Subaru Impreza

  • Up to 15 owner reports, with the ones about your car's own engine first.
  • What to ask the seller and what to check on the test drive, for this car.
  • Two cars side by side, if you are deciding between them.

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL10/30/20181 INJURED
A CVT DEFECT IS CAUSING ERRATIC, UNCONTROLLABLE, AND VIOLENT CHANGES IN ENGINE RPM, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: RAPID VIOLENT OSCILLATIONS IN RPM, NON-SHIFTING, SUSTAINED HOLDING OF RPM NEAR ENGINE RED-LINE, ABRUPT DECREASES OF RPM AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF POWER DESPITE THE ACCELERATOR IS STILL BEING APPLIED. THESE DEF…

One of 23 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows up to 15, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

2015 Subaru Impreza engine and transmission recalls

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns on the 2015 Subaru Impreza, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

2 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
exterior lighting: brake lights: switch19V149000 · Feb 2019
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Forester, 2008-2016 Impreza sedans, 2012-2016 Impreza station wagons, 2008-2014 WRX sedans (including STI), and 2013-2017 Crosstrek…
forward collision avoidance: crash imminent braking15V366000 · Jun 2015
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy vehicles manufactured March 10, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Outback vehicles manufactured February 24, 2014, to April 16,…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 3, 2026.

Checking one particular 2015 Subaru Impreza? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

Get a history report from EpicVIN Before you pay: EpicVIN’s $1 offer is a 3-day trial (up to 5 reports) that renews at $49.99 a month unless you cancel. Other plans are listed under “View all our packages” at checkout. We may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It does not change what this page reports.

Questions people ask about the 2015 Subaru Impreza

Does the 2015 Subaru Impreza have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 23 of 70 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2015 Subaru Impreza concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (33%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

What is the most common problem with the 2015 Subaru Impreza?

Going by NHTSA owner complaints, the most common problem filed against the 2015 Subaru Impreza is electrical system: 20 of 79 complaints (25%) name it, followed by power train (12) and engine (10). A complaint can name more than one component, so these overlap. Engine, transmission and fuel-system complaints together make up 33% of the relevant total.

Is the 2015 Subaru Impreza reliable?

On the engine and transmission, nothing stands out: 33% of relevant complaints filed with NHTSA concern the drivetrain, below the 33% line where we call a signal elevated. That is better than 66% of the 1,790 model years we track. Among the 11 Subaru Impreza years we score, it ranks 6th-best. Complaint data describes the model year, not one car, and it says nothing about trim, paint or electronics outside the drivetrain; an independent inspection still decides it.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2015 Subaru Impreza?

No. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns on the 2015 Subaru Impreza, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Subaru Impreza years are better?

Among the Subaru Impreza years we track, the 2020 (4%), the 2018 (13%) and the 2019 (13%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2015 (33%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car. Every year side by side: https://thelanecheck.com/cars/subaru-impreza

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

Check a VIN

Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.