2015 Subaru WRX
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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These records cover every 2015 Subaru WRX. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
3 recalls name the 2015 Subaru WRX. Newest first.
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk
Inoperative backup lights and an inoperative rearview camera can reduce vehicle visibility and driver awareness, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
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.
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk
An electrical short may damage the subwoofer amplifier, and may result in the subwoofer overheating, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy
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.
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk
An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
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.
Owner complaints
52 complaints2 involved a crash1 involved a fire1 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Engine
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
- Engine · Power train
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…
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
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.
- Engine
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.
- Engine · Power train
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…
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, 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
-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…
-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.
- Electrical system
* 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…
* 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 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).
- Engine
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.
- Electrical system
Car battery is constantly drained even when car is used every other day
- Power train
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.
- Air bags · Engine · Power train
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…
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, 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.
- Electrical system
Battery lasted only less than 2 year s
- Engine
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…
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 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.
- Structure › Body
Rust IS on the inside of the trunk.
- Steering
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.
- Structure › Body
Rust appearing on door(s) frame inside near weather strip, bubbling outwards and showing outside on b-pillar.
- Engine · Fuel/propulsion system · Unknown or other
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.
- Engine · Power train
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…
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
- Power train
Squeaky clutch pedal and whirring noise when clutch depressed
- Electrical system · Engine · Fuel/propulsion system
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…
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 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.
- Engine
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.
- Engine
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.
- Engine
Vehicle had a brand new short block with approximately 6,000 miles on it, and spun a bearing.
- Visibility/wiper
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…
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 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.
- Unknown or other
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…
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.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 11010925This annocement is to inform dealers to the Gen 3.1 Head Unit OTA will be available via Wi-Fi. The update will take place in multiple batches with the first beginneing November 15th and the last being Decemeber 3rd. This update is for approximatelt 714,000 VINs.
- 11009701This bulletin details an important regulation issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) which impacts the way some vehicles with accessories are sold. This regulation applies to any automobile retailer installing accessories on a vehicle prior to its first sale.
- 11009685This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models.
- 11008283This Service Information Bulletin announces the preferred practices to be used when handling vehicles equipped with Gen2 Telematics which are enrolled in the Subaru STARLINK Security Plus Service featuring Stolen Vehicle Recovery Plus with Immobilizer.
- 11008282This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models.
- 11008281This Service Information Bulletin announces the diagnostic procedures to be followed when diagnosing engine oil leakage on FA and FB type engines.
- 11008280This Service Information bulletin is being released as guidance for proper testing and charging of vehicle batteries.
- 11008279This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure.
- 11008276The CP1.5 RCs OTA is available for all mid and high grade CP1.5 head units.
- 11008267This bulletin announces availability of the NEW genuine Subaru engine oil filter.
- 11008259This bulletin outlines the judgment criteria to be used when inspecting front transverse link bushings to reduce unnecessary bushing replacement.
- 11006935This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure for 2025MY vehicles.
- 11006934The purpose of this bulletin is to provide replacement key and immobilizer information along with an overview of the Subaru Lock Information web-site.
- 11006932This Service Information Bulletin announces important diagnostic information to utilize when the Data Communication Module (DCM) is being tested as a dark current/standby current source.
- 11006931This Bulletin provides additional diagnostics to follow when addressing a Telematics-related DTC B2A16.
- 11005624This annoucement provides parts personnel information about remanufactured transmissions that will no longer be available.
- 11005617This 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 combustion chambers).
- 11005615This announcement provides information for retailers to install the latest infotainment system software for Denso CP 1.5.
- 11005614This bulletin announces important diagnostic information to utilize when testing the Data Communication Module (DCM) as a dark current/standby current source. All models equipped with Telematics except Solterra.
- 11005609This announcement provides information on Takata Recall Escalated Towing Program.
- 11005608This thermo control valve video contains information on the replacement of thermo control valve.
- 11005599This Bulletin provides SOA paint codes to help eliminate possible confusion for 2025 MY vehicles.
- 11005595This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models.
- 11005593This Bulletin provides guidance for diagnosing a leaking front or rear suspension strut.
- 11002730This information announces reprograming file availability for Gen 4.5 Denso CP1.5 Audio and Navigation systems. Inprovement for CarPlay concerns with hands-free calls when the receiving party is not able to hear the caller.
- 11002725This bulletin provides diagnosis and procedure information to be applied when diagnosing potential fluid leaks on front and rear brake calipers. This information has been developed to reduce unnecessary brake caliper replacement.
- 11000817This bulletin announces a design change to the CVT select lever (shifter) mechanism in response to isolated customer concerns of not being able to remove the key from the ignition switch when the vehicle is in Park.
- 10246143In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. is extending the New Car Basic Warranty coverage for the 12 Volt batteries used in the above listed models and model years beyond the original three (3) years or thirty six thousand miles (36,000), whichever comes first.
- 10241822This bulletin announces a design change to the CVT select lever (shifter) mechanism in response to isolated customer concerns of not being able to remove the key from the ignition switch when the vehicle is in Park.
- 10241801The purpose of this bulletin is to provide replacement key and immobilizer information along with an overview of the Subaru Lock Information web-site.
- 10240125In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. is extending the New Car Basic Warranty coverage for the 12 Volt batteries used in the above listed models and model years beyond the original three (3) years or thirty six thousand miles (36,000), whichever comes first.
- 10240113This Bulletin provides reference tables and photos to use for determining the infotainment head unit supplier and generation.
- 10240110This bulletin announces the recommended cleaning procedures to followed when encountering vehicles with long time exposure to pollen on painted surfaces on vehicles imported from Japan. This bulletin does not apply to SIA built vehicles.
- 10238471"In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is extending the New Car Limited Warranty coverage for the electronic connector lock tab for the Electric Parking Brake (EPB) assembly used in the listed models."
- 10238465The purpose of this Bulletin is to provide procedures for the diagnosis and repair of oil seepage which may be coming from the timing chain cover, front camshaft cap, camshaft carrier and / or upper oil pan.
- 10237271This bulletin announces a design change to the clutch release bearing.
- 10235948The 2015MY Dealer PDI Checklist Has Been Revised
- 10235903Rust Treatment Procedure for Heat Shield Retaining Bolt Heads
- 10235875Subaru Service and Technical Support Line Newsletter
- 10235863Exhaust Systems supplier has identified a quality concern during production testing.
Every Subaru WRX model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.