- The problem
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2021 WRX vehicles. The backup light switch may corrode and become inoperative, which can result in the backup lights not illuminating and the rearview camera image not displaying when the vehicle is in reverse.
- The risk
- Inoperative backup lights and an inoperative rearview camera can reduce vehicle visibility and driver awareness, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect and replace the backup light switch, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE-22.
Vehicle safety record
2015 Subaru WRX Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 52 complaints about the 2015 Subaru WRX with NHTSA, most often about the engine & cooling (18) and the transmission & drivetrain (18). Those complaints describe 2 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury. It is covered by 3 recalls, the latest in July 2022 for the switch. For comparison, the 2014 has 6 and the 2016 has 34.
NHTSA data checked
DMore problems than a typical WRX year, for its age
#153 most complained-about 2015 vehicle
- Complaints
- 52
- Recalls
- 3
- Crashes
- 2
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 1
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2015 Subaru WRX problems
Share of all 52 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2015 Subaru WRX recalls 3
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015 WRX and WRX/STI vehicles, equipped with an optional factory-installed subwoofer in the trunk. Items in the trunk may cause the subwoofer wiring to contact the subwoofer metal frame, possibly resulting in an electrical short.
- The risk
- An electrical short may damage the subwoofer amplifier, and may result in the subwoofer overheating, increasing the risk of a fire.
- The fix
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the subwoofer wire, install a wire retainer clip, and, as necessary, replace the subwoofer, free of charge. The recall began October 31, 2017. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTQ-76.
- The problem
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 WRX vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 21, 2015, and Forester 2.0XT vehicles manufactured April 10, 2015, to October 20, 2015. The turbocharger air intake duct may crack and possibly result in an engine stall.
- The risk
- An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the turbocharger air intake duct, and replace it as necessary, free of charge, depending on the lot number found on the duct. The recall began April 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTA-62.
What owners say
Be the first WRX owner to share.
Problems or none - your experience is exactly what the next buyer is looking for. Write it now
52 complaints about the 2015 Subaru WRX
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 3.
My engine starting making like a clunking sound I always have took my car for service at the dealership i own the 2015 subaru wrx premium i haven't move the car after the noise due to scare I might mess something with the engine
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru WRX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed failures with the drive belt, front drive axles, rear axle differential seals, and windshield washer reservoir. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 87,000.
Engine has rod knock present common amongst owners. Short block replaced under warranty at 55k miles. How can a stock engine with synthetic oil changes commonly fail? Flaws.
The secondary o2 pump will burn out or continue running causing unsafe risk to short circuit a fire. Recall has already been previously documented in the -2014 models however Subaru uses the same design and part number. My car Secondary o2 Pump was replaced under warrenty at 55k miles now at 90knmiles have the same CEL code.
I first noticed the car engine began making a loud ticking sound and significantly lost power as I exited the freeway heading toward my home after work. After towing the vehicle to the Subaru dealership, they tore apart the engine and found a connecting rod bearing had failed. It had slid out between the rod and crankshaft and shattered in the oil system sending shards of metal into the engine and all components that the oil touches. Every component that oil touches needed to be replaced. Prior to this problem,...
Read the full complaint
maintenance and oil changes were performed according to Subaru's specifications. Had the engine completely failed on the freeway during my commute home (during rush hour traffic) I could have caused an accident and possibly hurt myself and others. Subaru inspected and kept the components that were faulty though they never accepted responsibility for the failure of the components. There was absolutely no indication nor warning signal prior to the failure of the connecting rod bearing. Subaru blamed me for the component failure saying the vehicle was not properly maintained though they never asked me for proof of maintenance. I had to pay $7868 to repair the car to it's original mechanical state.
-Engine Head Gasket (Blown), Yes. -Engine coolant created cloud of white vapor while driving, impairing ability to visually assess the road. Leaked hazardous fluid over freeway possibly contaminating soils and affecting local wildlife. -The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by Eastside Subaru in Kirkland, WA. -The vehicle has been inspected by Eastside Subaru in Kirkland, WA. -There was no warning (check engine lights) until the incident occurred.
* Battery charging system damaging battery resulting failure of battery. Suspecting overcharging or constant draining of battery below cycling. * Improper charging of battery could result in catastrophic battery failure which may cause battery to catch on fire. * Failure of battery in inclimate/severe weather may impede egress from elements and/or not allow for certain functions of the vehicle that would assist in providing warmth or cooling to occupants. *No, dealer simply replaced battery *No *Vehicle in...
Read the full complaint
question was purchased new in 2015 with no electrical modifications. OD reads ~92000 miles. This is the third battery replacement with evidence of suspected overcharging such as excessive build up of copper sulfate and corrosion on positive battery terminal (present on all replaced batteries).
Turbocharger intake cracked and causes the engine to have an extremely rough idle and stall. My vehicle has the same issue as NHTSA campaign number 16V16200 however it was manufactured before April 10th 2015 so it is not included in that recall.
Car battery is constantly drained even when car is used every other day
DEFECTIVE OEM THROW-OUT BEARING and FORK in the SIX SPEED manual transmission completely BURNING the clutch. I was going up a hill and the car just started rolling back. No gear would work on the car.
The engine blew up around 75k miles, it had blown a rod barring even though the car had been maintained. The clutch prematurly went out causing me to have to replace everything but the flywheel at under 75k miles. The clockspring is bad in the car affecting the horn and air bags. Having to get that replaced as well. The car is currently at a dealership getting everything resolved other than the clutch as thats already been replaced. My safely and others safely were at risk as if the clutch went out while driving,...
Read the full complaint
my horn would not work, my airbag light was on flashing and possibly wouldn't deploy in an accident and the engine blowing up due to a thrown rod barring put me at risk as it was on the freeway this happened. You can get all this info on mileage and what has been replaced. This has cost me thousands upon thousands of dollars to fix in the car when none of it should of happened.
Battery lasted only less than 2 year s
I own a 2015 wrx limited cvt. When I go to my car to go to work and I start it, the car sputters. I've only noticed this on cold starts only, once the car is warmed up it's fine. For some reason though when the car is sputtering on start ups it will trip my cel and basically put the car into 'get home' mode, but it only seems to trigger the cel when it wants to. The car will always sputter on start up but sometimes the cel will come on and I can't use the drive modes and sometimes it won't come on. No matter what I...
Read the full complaint
do I can't get the car to stop sputtering. I've cleaned pretty much every sensor I could and nothing worked. I scanned the obd2 port and got p0300 for random misfire, which tells me absolutely nothing.
RUST IS ON THE INSIDE OF THE TRUNK.
When I take sharp turns (like parallel parking or backing out of my driveway) my steering column clunks. Mainly left turns ... But it does happen time to time with right turns.
Rust appearing on door(s) frame inside near weather strip, bubbling outwards and showing outside on b-pillar.
Vehicle is burning oil, oil came out through where the dip-stick is placed. Found oil on the exhaust tips. Mass air flow sensor is malfunctioning. Requires new coils and spark plugs even though I have already replaced them. Required a new battery, however, replacing the battery did not keep the vehicle from turning off by itself. O2 sensor, bank 1 sensor 2, is also malfunctioning.
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 subaru wrx. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, a creaking noise was present coming from the engine bay. Also, a grinding sound was present when shifting between gears and the vehicle would jolt while accelerating and deceleration. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer (mid hudson subaru located at 1715 u.S. 9, Wappingers falls, ny 12590) who diagnosed that the transmission pitcher stopper mount was faulty and was separating from the engine fire wall and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 50,000. *Ln *dl
Squeaky clutch pedal and whirring noise when clutch depressed
Driving on the highway at ~70 mph and suddenly lost all throttle response, the car would not accelerate only loose speed. Engine started to shutter to low rpms, and because of this drastically lost speed and nearly got into an accident with oncoming traffic while moving to the side of the highway to pull over. After eventually pulling over, engine continued to shutter to low rpms and could not hold an idle - would just stall after repeated attempts to start it up. Car was towed to closest dealership and after...
Read the full complaint
waiting 4 days finally heard it was the engine wire harness that needed to be replaced. Researching the issue I found that subaru made a design change for the wire harness to prevent water/moisture failure which is most like what happened to my vehicle. Stuck with a $1400 bill due to a design flaw, I decided to purchase a 2020 model which hopefully doesn't have the same issue. After calling subaru of north america and explaining the situation, they offered me $1000 towards the new purchase. It was a kind gesture however I question if it is somewhat admission of guilt for the design flaw. 2015 Wrx 138k miles was meticulously maintained with all necessary maintenance completed at proper intervals and oil changes every 3-4k miles.
The rpm drop and the engine stalls, but no check engine lights come on. It only happens in first gear, from what I've noticed.
Decided to get my spark plugs replaced, and got a compression test done while that service was done for convenience. Compression came out low on one side of my fa20dit engine. With more research, because the engine is direct injected, there is obvious build up on the intake valves, causing bad air flow. This is not a wear and tear issue.
Vehicle had a brand new short block with approximately 6,000 miles on it, and spun a bearing.
I was driving on the highway on my way to work not following anyone closely. I did not go under any overpasses or trees and I had my sunroof closed with the shade visor open at the time. All of a sudden my sunroof exploded out of nowhere (loud boom) and a large amount of glass fell on me into the vehicle. Luckily, there was no one near me on either side and I kept my composure until I pulled over on the side of the highway to look and clear the glass from my seat and the passenger seat. When I inspected the...
Read the full complaint
sunroof glass, it looked like some of the broken pieces are forced in an upwards manner as if due to pressure or temperature fluctuation. I checked over the rest of my vehicle and there are numerous chips and deep scratches from the glass that damaged my roof, sharkfin antenna, and my trunk area which I will need to have repaired to avoid rust. I was completely surprised by this incident and got a few small cuts on my hands from cleaning the glass off so I could drive back home. I have dashcam footage (that can be provided as well) of me driving during this occurrence and I was not able to find anything that would have hit the sunroof to damage it in such a way. There were also no objects that went into my car's cabin following the breakage. I was reading over other similar reported issues and this appears to be a problem that is spread across various makes and models throughout the years. This is definitely a factory defect that needs to be taken care of and covered by manufacturers as it is a safety issue.
I'm trying to find the agency responsible for regulating car entertainment interfaces. The note 9 with android auto has two defects one where the navigation bar does not respond to touch input. And the second is that touch controls for the gps navigation screen. The phone has been like this for two months and several other people have reported this issue on the support forums, neither google nor samsung has fixed the issue or given a timeline on when we can expect the issue. This is incredibly distracting to the driver when using the interface, exactly the opposite of what android auto is supposed to accomplish.
Subaru WRX: every year compared
All WRX years2015 Subaru WRX vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Subaru WRX | 52 | 3 | D | |
| 2015 Chevrolet Camaro | 208 | 2 | F | Compare |
| 2015 Dodge Charger | 137 | 8 | F | Compare |
| 2015 Dodge Challenger | 127 | 6 | D | Compare |
| 2015 Chevrolet Corvette | 65 | 5 | F | Compare |
| 2015 Scion FR-S | 14 | 3 | D | Compare |
| 2015 Nissan 370Z | 3 | 0 | C | Compare |
| 2015 Subaru BRZ | 3 | 0 | A | Compare |
| 2015 Mazda MX-5 | 1 | 0 | A | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2015 Subaru WRX
Does the 2015 Subaru WRX have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2015 Subaru WRX: switch (July 2022); wiring (October 2017); turbo / supercharger (March 2016). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2015 Subaru WRX?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the engine & cooling (18), transmission & drivetrain (18), electrical system (6).
How many complaints has the 2015 Subaru WRX had?
52 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on May 20, 2014 and the latest on March 5, 2024. Of these, 2 describe a crash and 1 a fire, and together they report 1 injury and 0 deaths.
Is the 2015 Subaru WRX a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 32 out of 100 (grade D: more problems than a typical Subaru WRX year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Subaru WRX years have the most complaints?
2002 (426), 2008 (65), 2003 (60). See every Subaru WRX year compared.
What should I do if my 2015 Subaru WRX has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data