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2016 Subaru WRX Problems, complaints & recalls

Owners have filed 34 complaints about the 2016 Subaru WRX with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system (10) and the engine & cooling (9). Those complaints describe 1 crash and 2 fires. It is covered by 3 recalls, the latest in July 2022 for the switch. For comparison, the 2015 has 52 and the 2017 has 53.

NHTSA data checked

CAbout as many problems as a typical WRX year, for its age

#153 most complained-about 2016 vehicle

Complaints
34
Recalls
3
Crashes
1
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
0

Most common 2016 Subaru WRX problems

Share of all 34 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.

2016 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

Exterior lighting: switch

22V52200059,934 vehicles affected

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.

Engine and engine cooling: turbo / supercharger

16V16200018,187 vehicles affected

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.

Forward collision avoidance: crash imminent braking

15V36600071,710 vehicles affected

The problem
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy vehicles manufactured March 10, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Outback vehicles manufactured February 24, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Impreza vehicles manufactured September 9, 2014, to April 14, 2015, XV Crosstrek vehicles manufactured October 16, 2014, to April 15, 2015, and 2016 WRX vehicles manufactured March 23, 2015, and equipped with the Eyesight Driver Assist System. If the switch that activates the brake lights fails, the automatic pre-collision braking component of the driver assist system will not function.
The risk
If the automatic pre-collision braking system does not function as intended, the vehicle will not react to an obstacle in its path, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the driver assist system, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQS-54.

What owners say

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34 complaints about the 2016 Subaru WRX

Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 2.

Electrical systemFire

The Seconary Air Injection pump stayed on for days. Burnt a hole in the side, relay possibly damaged, and now setting off other components and computers.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11611157
Other & unknown

Driving and a loud explosion, sound, like a gunshot then a ton of pinging. The sunroof exploded and glass flew down my car and chipped a bunch of paint.

Filed Incident Unknown or otherNHTSA 11574934
Transmission & drivetrain

While driving, the clutch became stiff and unusable. Ultimately the car could not be shifted resulting in using a lower gear than normal to limp the car to safety. The car had to be towed to a mechanic. During the repair the mechanic identified that the cause of the failure was the clutch fork pivot ball punched through the stamped steel clutch fork. Looking online this seems to be a common failure since aftermarket re-designed parts are offered. I feel this is a manufacturer defect which resulted in the clutch failure and a 2500.00 repair. This car is only 7 years old with 67K miles on it. The clutch fork should not have failed catastrophically at this point in the car's life.

Filed Incident Power trainNHTSA 11521395
Engine & coolingFuel system

I purchased a 2016 subaru wrx (premium) used from a subaru dealer in albany, ny with under 26k miles for approximately $25k in 2018. On a drive in december 2022 I experienced hesitation and/or stuttering under load or when attempting to accelerate, and car began getting very hot, and close to overheating, and the engine was knocking loudly. After turning engine off and then restarting, the knocking (intensity) was not as noticeable as the initial incident. Initially I replaced all coil over plugs, as cylinder #4...

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initially was reporting a misfire code after the check engine light came on. This appeared to relieve the misfire briefly, but the issue immediately returned, this time with piston #3 reporting misfires and also exhibiting signs of a possible failed ringland, with oil seeping past rings (on to / in spark plug) causing the engine to run very poorly. Presently upon startup white smoke comes from exhaust out the tailpipe and the engine is hesitating and/or missing, running poorly and I feel it cannot be driven safely with the diminished permormance or complete lack of ability to accelerate normally like a motor vehicle should. I have engaged a mechanic to inspect the engine, but have not yet proceeded with inspection/repairs due to the class action litigation. Current mileage is: 73563. This car has an fa20 engine.

Filed Incident Unknown or other · Engine · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11516402
Electrical system

I have faulty rear lights and a faulty rear view camera. According to MotorSafety.org there is currently a recall for this exact issue for WRX's from 2015-2021. https://www.motorsafety.org/subaru-recalls-wrx-cars-over-faulty-rear-lights-rearview-camera-issue/

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11508644
Electrical system

recurring battery drain, which has happened before. subaru dealer replaced the battery for the same reason less than 2 years ago. now it needs it again. car is inoperable as is.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11499555
Engine & cooling

Started having issue with the engine making loud rattle noises and oil pressure was not consistent. Upon further investigating I removed the oil pan and removed the oil pickup. The oil pickup screen was full of RTV sealant causing the oil pickup to struggle with maintaining proper oil pressure and flow to the engine. I ended up having to change my timing belt tensioners because one went bad. Probably because of low oil pressure or RTV was sucked into oil galleys and caused it to malfunction. My car sounds a little...

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better now but I believe I also have a light amount of rod knocking. If I kept driving the car, This could have led to catastrophic engine damage and caused my car to stall while traveling on public roads. I later researched if others have seen this issue and it appear to be a common issue in with Subaru and Toyota vehicles using the FA20DIT engine. These engine already have small enough rods, they don't need to be robbed of oil and cause engine damage because the manufacturer applied too much RTV sealant in assembly. There needs to be a recall on this.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11492009
Steering

My power steering one day lost all fluid out of no where. I have this awful sound and go buy new power steering fluid. It's continuing to leak. I joined a Subaru Wrx/STi group on Facebook and found that this is a reoccurring problem for many Subaru sti owners around the year I have. It sounds faulty and defective and sucks that the customer is stuck paying for these issues instead of Subaru fixing their reoccurring issue with many customers. I baby my car to the highest extent and the power steering should not have...

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just gone out after I parked in my drive way. There is a massive stain now due to the leakage, which is fine. But it's inconvenient knowing I'll have to fork up hundreds to over a thousand to get this properly fixed instead of a DIY where it has to do with such an important compartment of the car.

Filed Incident SteeringNHTSA 11475251
Electrical systemAcceleration & cruise controlBrakes

ABS, cruise control, and other driving assistance features are disabled while driving at night. I checked for recalls on Subaru WRXs and noticed a recall was issued for the same problems on 2011-2015 models. My vehicle is a 2016 model and demonstrates all the same failures observed from the recall of the 2011-2015 models.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Vehicle speed control · Service brakesNHTSA 11451282
Electrical system

Several batteries that have died prematurely, last one only 2 months since last use. Vehicle has refused to start on several occasions, despite the battery being okay. Suspect issues with controller area network.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11448307
Electrical system

The battery on my 2016 Subaru WRX has drained - twice - while parked for a week or less. This has occurred before and after replacing the battery at the dealership. Both times the battery was recharged by AAA and driven for 30-45 minutes to bring the battery back to full charge.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11448280
Lights

While driving in below zero temperatures I received a warning "Headlights Disabled" and my headlights were inoperable. I was able to use the high beams otherwise, complete darkness causing an immanent safety concern and potential for financial loss in terms of legality and ticketing. The failure remained in effect for approximately 10 minutes and then the warning disappeared and the light regained full operation. Upon googling, this is a common issue with other owners. Please note, I am in Canada and have provided a state/zip code of the nearest US location. Sorry if not allowed :)

Filed Incident Exterior lightingNHTSA 11446318
Electrical system

2016 WRX drains its battery while the vehicle is turned off. After 3 days of being outside in 20-40 degree Fahrenheit weather, the battery was completely flat and would not start. This has happened 2 winters in a row now.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11444185
Wheels & tiresEquipment & accessoriesSeats & seat belts

Vehicle did not meet inspection / wheel alignment vehicle was parked near a high voltage power line during which atmospheric / and natural occouranace electric disturbance caused a electric disturbance vehicle is been recalled homeless at the time of the vehicle was scheduled to be turned over to dealer ship family and friends have been helpful in storage I believe its safety / not compliant with ntsb further instructions is needed.

Filed Incident Tires · Equipment · Unknown or other · Tether, lower anchor (on car seat or vehicle) · I suspect the car seat is counterfeitNHTSA 11414874
Engine & cooling

The turbo charger intake duct cracked on my car, this is the new one that replaced my recalled one. But clearly was not a solution. I posted this on a form and a large amount of people commented stating they had the same issue. Ranging from 15 wrx to 18 maybe even newer. Whatever they used to glue the air bypass connector to the turbo duct does not hold up. It cracked and completely separated from the part. This allowed dirty air to contaminate my turbo and engine. Possibly causing premature wear in the future. This is an issue that needs to be addressed because the car can completely stall if it fails.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11395420
Other & unknown

Windshield keeps getting chipped and cracked. Already has gone through one windshield replacement. Now the second one has two chips already and can pretty much crack anytime.

Filed Incident Unknown or otherNHTSA 11318022
Engine & cooling

"Takata recall" took my car to a local shop because it was lacking power and had low mpg readings. Found a boost leak in the top inter-cooler and expressed that all the 2016 wrx that come in this happens quite often. Forums and online posts verified this problem, the car is a 2016 so its fairly new this shouldn't be happening.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11210266
Electrical systemDriver assistanceFuel system

Recall clutch change brakes electrical and emissions seem to be failing tucson, az subaru palm springs ,ca subaru in motion systems systems failure

Filed Incident Electrical system · Electronic stability control (ESC) · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11210068
Other & unknown

Doors will not unlock in key fob press. Will beep continiously, one door will intermittently not open. Only affects my driver side door.

Filed Incident Unknown or otherNHTSA 11181754
Engine & coolingCrashFire

Front end collision vs deer on interstate at approximately 75 mph. 4-5 Minutes after the accident the engine caught on fire. The car is a total loss. No one was injured. We all were out of the car at the time the fire started.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11151840
Engine & cooling

Tl* the contact owns a 2016 subaru wrx sti. While driving various speeds, the vehicle would overheat, but no smoke was present. The odometer gauge needle moved to the hot indicator. The contact would turn off and restart the vehicle, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to spurr subaru (6331 brockport spencerport rd, brockport, ny 14420, (585)-637-9582) where it was diagnosed that the thermostat failed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle's lease expired in two months and to turn in the vehicle after it expired. The failure mileage was 23,000. The vin was unknown.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11124726
Electrical system

Tl* the contact owns a 2016 subaru wrx. The contact stated that the check engine indicator illuminated and the cruise control failed to function. The vehicle was taken to subaru of jacksonville (10800 atlantic blvd, jacksonville, fl 32225) for the failures at least three times and the electrical system was serviced, but the failures persisted. The dealer stated that the sensor failure was due to a faulty computer system that needed replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed. The failure mileage was 36,000.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11104253
Lights

Out of nowhere, the information screen in the center of the dash displayed "headlights disabled" the headlights turned offi flicked the switch on and off and it came back on and then only one of the headlights were on and the other was off and wouldn't come back on. One hour later turned the car back on and the headlights were ok

Filed Incident Exterior lightingNHTSA 11102221
Engine & cooling

I was driving down the highway and the car lost a little power start to slow down till it eventually stalled out and now it starts but does not stay running.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11099429
Engine & cooling

After leaving work and driving less than one mile, the vehicle's engine stalled while approaching a controlled intersection. The vehicle had to be placed into park and restarted. The ambient temperature was 80 degrees; most auxiliary systems were not in use at the time the incident occurred except for the radio. The vehicle was not being operated in its optional "paddle shifter" mode--it was in the standard automatic transmission setting. The vehicle is currently being assessed at a dealership, although...

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preliminary diagnosis from a dealership representative indicates there is "nothing wrong." However, a simple google search of "2015+ subaru wrx cvt stalling" yields a number of other vehicles that have experienced the same issue--the vehicle stalling while at low speeds. Some of the other owners have indicated they have paid for the replacement of oil control valves from their own pocket to resolve the issue. Since the vehicle is prone to stalling, this creates a significant safety issue for wrx operates as well as other motorists.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11098135

Subaru WRX: every year compared

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
202018110Electrical systemC
201930200Electrical systemC
201843251Engine & coolingD
201753182Electrical systemF
201634312Electrical systemC
201552321Engine & coolingD
201461000BrakesC
201371110Transmission & drivetrainC
201221200Engine & coolingC
All WRX years

2016 Subaru WRX vs rivals

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.

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Questions about the 2016 Subaru WRX

Does the 2016 Subaru WRX have any recalls?

Yes - NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2016 Subaru WRX: switch (July 2022); turbo / supercharger (March 2016); crash imminent braking (June 2015). 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 2016 Subaru WRX?

By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the electrical system (10), engine & cooling (9), transmission & drivetrain (4).

How many complaints has the 2016 Subaru WRX had?

34 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on December 9, 2015 and the latest on August 27, 2024. Of these, 1 describe a crash and 2 a fire, and together they report 0 injuries and 0 deaths.

Is the 2016 Subaru WRX a reliable vehicle?

Its Safety Index is 44 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as 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?
What should I do if my 2016 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

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