10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
22,494 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2014 Subaru Impreza drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2014 Subaru Impreza Owner Comments

problem #8

Aug 102023

Impreza

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

To whom this may concern, My name is [XXX]. I purchased my 2014 Subaru on December 13th, 2013. My car has 57,000 miles on it. It has loss of acceleration when entering a freeway. I push on the gas pedal harder and harder to try to get my car to obtain 60 mph. The car does not respond until minutes go by. The CVT transmission was replaced in June 2022. The car has not performed any better after the transmission replacement. I am the original owner of my car. Initially, my car performed very well, quick response to acceleration for the first 35-40 thousand miles. Then, it began to have lack of acceleration. The transmission was replaced by Subaru of America in June 2022 at around 48,000 miles. I brought my car to Elk Grove Subaru approximately 4 times since the transmission was replaced, each time I paid for their hourly diagnostic fee; between $165 to $195. Each time the service advisor said they found nothing wrong with my car. I took my car to two independent mechanics (One of them is a transmission repair shop) they each stated in writing that my transmission is slipping and has loss of power. I feel unsafe driving my car on the street as if shakes, shudders and jerks. I do not want to be a statistic in an accident on the freeway due to the lack of power trying to obtain speed while entering freeway and trying to keep my vehicle speed at a speed of barely 60 mph. My vehicle is still within the extended CVT warranty. I feel that the Subaru dealership is purposely avoiding acknowledgement of the failing transmission. Subaru is a big corporation. Many Subaru owners believe there needs to be an actual recall on their Subaru CVT transmissions. I do not feel safe driving my car. With 57,000 miles on a vehicle that's a potential safety hazard, Subaru needs to take more responsibility for their vehicles as people's lives are much more precious than their profit margins. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Stockton, CA, USA

problem #7

Jun 262023

Impreza

  • miles
The transmission on my 2014 Subaru Impreza failed suddenly while I was driving about 70 mph in the middle lane of the interstate. My car began to decelerate rapidly, and I lost all ability to accelerate or even put my car in park. I was able to navigate to the side of the interstate and use the car's emergency brake to come to a stop. The event was extremely traumatic, and I have nightmares about losing control of my vehicle on that interstate with cars whizzing past me. I was stranded in a very remote area, barely making it onto the shoulder of the interstate, over an hour from my home and in a different state. During the three hours I waited for a tow on the side of I-5N, I discovered the many NHTSA bulletins issued regarding CVT transmission issues with the 2014 Impreza and the consequent extended warranty. Thus, I paid out of pocket to have my 2014 Impreza towed the thirty miles to the closest Subaru dealership, expecting the repair to be covered by the warranty. My car-??s mileage is 71,612, and it is under 10 years old, falling within both requirements of the extended warranty. There had never been any indication of transmission trouble, and Subaru never contacted me to inform me of the known CVT transmission issues. No warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms ever appeared regarding the transmission. After inspecting my vehicle, the Subaru dealership verified a transmission issue, and claimed that the car was roughly 3 quarts low on CVT fluid. Despite NHTSA safety bulletins about known transmission fluid seepage issues in the 2014 Impreza, Subaru is trying to skirt responsibility for the known defect, and instead, they are claiming that it is the fault of a reputable independent mechanic stating that they *suspect* that since it was 3 quarts low because the independent shop did something wrong. However, records show otherwise. Subaru is not standing by its extended warranty and attempting to shirk responsibility for known CVT defects. Permission to inspect.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #6

May 122023

Impreza

  • miles
While driving on the highway in Denver, the engine stalled - I later learned that a valve spring broke and went through the engine, destroying it. I lost all power - lost braking - but was able to steer the vehicle off to the side of the road. I subsequently learned that about 160,000 Subarus - the same vehicle year, the same model car, the same exact engine - have been recalled by Subaru. However, this car, which suffered the same exact problem was considering "outside the window" of the recall. If I had been on the freeway at a normal rate of speed this could have been a very dangerous accident. My concern is hundreds if not thousands of these cars are still on the road and Subaru is well aware of the problem.

- Golden, CO, USA

problem #5

Apr 242023

Impreza 4-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My check engine light and other lights simultaneously lit up while driving 50 mph down the highway. The car started to -??buck-?? slightly. I pulled over, let it cool a bit, checked the oil. Oil level and quality was fine. Took to a mechanic where I found the problem was with the CVT. This car has only 100,283 miles on it! It should not be having transmission problems. This is a defective system. Repairs are more than the car is worth. (Even though I-??ve kept it in good shape).

- Milford, NH, USA

problem #4

Nov 252019

Impreza

  • 73,450 miles
My son owns a 2014 Subaru WRX with a manual transmission. On 25 Nov 2019 he was driving on 501 towards lititz/lancaster pa when his third gear decided to destroy itself while driving @ 45mph. I have read about so MA Y of these manual transmissions destroying themselves under normal driving conditions. That car is his pride & joy until this happened. He purchased the car in Maryland. Watching a rebuild on youtube after his phone call it seems that this is a common problem in any helicut gears. Lousy materials used. Being around cars, street & hi performance rides all my life I have never heard of a manual transmission destroy itself while driving at normal/highway speeds. Either Subaru manufactures it's vehicles to have issues such a lousy gear box's or they are buying trash from lousy vendors. High performance american, german, french, italian & other Japanese cars with manual transmissions do not have this issue. It should be a recall issue. Submit a question to all Subaru owners with manual transmissions to see how MA Y of them lost gears in them. No accident had happened only because my son is a level headed person with good common sense for a 24 year old this 3 Dec.

- Richland, PA, USA

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problem #3

Jun 072019

Impreza

  • 90,000 miles
Was told that my car might have a recall on the valve spring, took it in they said the valve spring was bad but that my car was not included in the recall and I had to pay 2200. Not sure why my car which is the exact year for the recall and was actually having the issues caused by the bad valve would not be included in the recall.

- Spanish Fork, UT, USA

problem #2

Jan 172019

Impreza

  • miles
I am filing a complaint for my Subaru as the transmission is failing. I was unaware of this and never even notified of an issue or an extended warranty. My safety is at risk as the vehicle is not operating as it should and I was told by Subaru that they only had an extended warranty which I am out of and basically too bad our known issue is not Subaru responsibility once you hit a 100,000 miles. How is a known stalling issue due to a transmision failure in a vehicle not a safety issue and a recall"???? who is responsible for there not being a recall" I need to know so that if and when my safety or any others is compromised god forbid anyone is hurt or critically injured, due to this known problem, which has not been recalled, who I will sue.

- Topton, PA, USA

problem #1

Sep 262014

Impreza 4-cyl

  • 16,500 miles
I parked the car on the side of the road on a large pull out area. I put the car in reverse, turned the off and took the keys out of the ignition and got out of the car to take some pictures of the fall colors. I was out of the car for about 3 to 5 minutes and I look back to see the car rolling down the slope in to a truck that was parked in the same area. When I got back into the car the transmission was in neutral. The hood and front bumper was damaged.

- Loveland, CO, USA

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