AI Damage2017 Subaru WRX: common problems
Owners of the 2017 Subaru WRX filed 53 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and engine. The maker issued 272 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 53
- involving a crash
- 8
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 272
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 26% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 23% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 21% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 11% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 8% of all complaints
- 6 Exterior lighting 8% of all complaints
- 7 Visibility 8% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel/propulsion system 6% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 14 complaints (26% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 140.
- Engine: 12 complaints (23% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 29.
- Powertrain: 11 complaints (21% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 26.
- Steering: 6 complaints (11% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
- Air bags: 4 complaints (8% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 3.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- 2.5 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- CVTnamed in 2 complaints
- manual, 6-speednamed in 2 complaints
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 53 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 14 | 3 | 140 |
| Engine | 12 | 1 | 29 |
| Powertrain | 11 | 0 | 26 |
| Steering | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| Air bags | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Visibility | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| Suspension | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 4 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Airbags did not deploy, however I have reasonable suspicion to believe my head hit the A pillar during impact.
Going about 55mph, I struck a deer head on. It struck towards the center, but more so on the passenger side. During the impact, no airbags deployed, however, based off IIHS videos, it seems likely that they should have.
UNKNOWN. Was hit very hard, approximately at 70mph, on rear passenger corner of car, hit caused my vehicle to slide and hit the guardrail on front end of vehicle, and no airbags deployed at any point in collision. Airbags are intact.
The contact stated that he jerk the wheel a little bit to the right, the vehicle hit a pothole, the vehicle brushed a little of the godrail and run into cones and hit a concrete barrier, the vehicle came to a stop. The power steering warning light illuminated. The contact did not sustained injuries.
The dash light up like a christmas tree, the lane tracking along with the adaptive cruise control indicators flashed, and the dash said eyesight unavailable. It felt like I couldn't control the car and almost felt as if it accelerated on its own.
Tl* the contact owns a 2017 subaru wrx. While driving 30 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to turn and was uncontrollable. The brake pedal was applied, but the vehicle failed to respond. As a result, the vehicle accelerated and crashed into a ditch.
Emergency brake failure. While vehicle was parked emergency brake broke and vehicle rolled onto street causing accident. Have video of incident and can hear brake cable breaking.
Experienced catastrophic engine failure with no known cause. The car had been inspected and had an oil change 3,000 miles prior to the incident. Thankfully, I had already exited the thruway and was on a quiet backroad but if this had happened 15 minutes earlier on the thruway this could have been a much different…
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 847 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 40% most complained about).
On average one model year of the WRX has 22 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 53, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- This announcement provides information on a new software update for the Midtronics Dss and DCA machines
- This bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles
- "This Bulletin announces additional troubleshooting steps for the following DTCs
DTC C1956: RH Actuator Circuit DTC C1957: LH Actuator Circuit"
- This announcement provides an update to all 2027 model year Subaru warranty coverages for wear items and…
- This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a…
This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
- This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during…
This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
- This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw…
This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experiencing battery drain when the ignition is off, leading to no-start conditions or…
- This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during…
This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)
- Techtips newsletter locator index
- This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a…
This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. This is an revised version of the original bulletin
- This bulletin provides updated parts information and a service procedure to follow for removing…
This bulletin provides updated parts information and a service procedure to follow for removing accumulated carbon deposits from fuel injectors and internal engine components (e.g. intake valves and / or manifold, and…
- This announcement is requesting retailer staff to retain the EyeSight protective hood covers from…
This announcement is requesting retailer staff to retain the EyeSight protective hood covers from Generation 4 EyeSight cameras.
NHTSA lists 272 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2017 Subaru WRX?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, engine, powertrain. Total complaints: 53. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (8%), stalls while driving (8%), battery drain (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2017 Subaru WRX?
NHTSA lists 272 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2017 Subaru WRX from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2017 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.