2020 Subaru Impreza

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
25–31 mpgcombined; city 22–28, highway 30–36; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$10,480–$12,990U.S. average; Ohio $9,360–$11,610 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
5 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
1over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
85filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2020 Impreza. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 85 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Impreza. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by part of the car
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Visibility/wiper52000
Unknown or other17110
Service brakes5100
Electrical system4010
Visibility4000
Air bags3112
Engine3000
Forward collision avoidance3000
Exterior lighting1000
Latches/locks/linkages1000
Steering1000
Structure1000
2 more parts
Suspension1000
Tires1000

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

  1. 200656
  2. 200768
  3. 2008209
  4. 2009113
  5. 201046
  6. 201158
  7. 2012243
  8. 2013250
  9. 2014108
  10. 201579
  11. 201675
  12. 2017125
  13. 2018151
  14. 2019194
  15. 202085
  16. 202114
  17. 202214
  18. 20234
  19. 202432
  20. 20255
  21. 20261

Every Impreza year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2020 Impreza over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.

Fuel system, gasoline: delivery

NHTSA campaign 21V587000 · reported Jul 29, 2021 · 175,968 vehicles potentially affected

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 407 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2020 Impreza, the latest on Oct 5, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: electrical system (239), equipment (146), engine (41), power train (34), engine and engine cooling (33).

NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2020 Impreza.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Specs

EPA class: midsize cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 5–7 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Impreza 4-Door
All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cylAutomatic (AV-S7)Regular Gasoline28 / 36 / 31
Impreza 4-Door
All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cylManual 5-spdRegular Gasoline23 / 31 / 26
Impreza 5-Door
All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cylAutomatic (AV-S7)Regular Gasoline28 / 36 / 31
Impreza 5-Door
All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cylManual 5-spdRegular Gasoline24 / 31 / 26
Impreza Sport 4-Door
All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cylAutomatic (AV-S7)Regular Gasoline27 / 36 / 30
Impreza Sport 4-Door
All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cylManual 5-spdRegular Gasoline23 / 31 / 26
Impreza Sport 5-Door
All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cylAutomatic (AV-S7)Regular Gasoline27 / 35 / 30
Impreza Sport 5-Door
All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cylManual 5-spdRegular Gasoline22 / 30 / 25

Sources and dates

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data