Buyer Research

2018 Subaru Impreza — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $11,000–$16,000. There is 1 high-severity known issue you need to know before handing over a check.

Deciding between model years? Compare the 15 Subaru Impreza years we've written up →

Kestrel Take

Standard all-wheel drive at a compact-car price is a real advantage in snow country. The FB20 engine dropped the old head gasket curse but the CVT is now the component to watch, and Subaru's infotainment of this era is genuinely poor.

What we checked

Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 149 owner complaints for the 2018 Subaru Impreza, and 5 recall campaigns.

A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. 43% of them are about one thing — the lights. That much concentration is a genuine pattern rather than background noise, and it is the first thing to check on any example you look at.

5 recall campaigns cover this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.

Looked at and set aside: the lights (64) — 64 lighting complaints on file; real, but usually a bulb or a housing rather than a reason to walk; glass, wipers and mirrors (39) — 39 complaints about glass, wipers or mirrors; usually annoying rather than expensive.

Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.

Known Issues for the 2018 Subaru Impreza

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.

Lineartronic CVT failureHigh — wallet impact

Subaru extended CVT warranties on earlier model years after widespread failures. Symptoms: shudder from a stop, juddering under light throttle, and a whine that rises with speed.

Repair cost (estimate): $4,000-$6,500 — about 48% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the transmission and drivetrain (4), throttle and cruise control (3).

Oil consumption on FB enginesMedium

Some FB20 engines burn oil. Subaru ran an oil consumption test procedure and replaced short blocks under warranty on affected builds.

Repair cost (estimate): $0 under warranty, $4,000+ after — about 30% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (11).

Starlink infotainment freezing and rebootingMedium

Screen blackouts, loss of the backup camera, and Bluetooth failures. Software updates helped but did not cure it.

Repair cost (estimate): $0-$900

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under electrics and electronics (12).

Wheel bearing wearMedium

A hum that changes with steering input, typically starting around 80k miles. An AWD-car staple.

Repair cost (estimate): $350-$700 per corner

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the transmission and drivetrain (4).

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗Shudder or judder at low speed — the CVT talking
✗No record of CVT fluid service
✗Oil level low with no consumption tracking
✗Mismatched tires on an AWD car — this destroys the center differential

Good Signs

✓All four tires the same brand, model, and wear depth
✓CVT fluid service documented
✓Under 70k miles with dealer maintenance history