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2006 Subaru Impreza
The 2006 Subaru Impreza appears in 10 NHTSA recall campaigns (air bags and suspension) and in 49 consumer complaints filed with the agency.
The component named most often is air bags: 305.1 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 108.7 per 1,000 across all 2006 model-year vehicles and against 186.5 per 1,000 for the Subaru Impreza line as a whole.
That is about the same as the average of 49.2 complaints per model year across the 33 Subaru Impreza model years on this register; 3 complaints reported a crash and 0 a fire.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 2016 (8); the most recent in the file is dated 4 Dec 2018.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened 1 investigation naming this model year.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 29 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Defect, as filed: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-20.
Filed by Subaru of America, Inc. (manufacturer campaign TKB-20).
Defect, as filed: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-20.
Filed by Subaru of America, Inc. (manufacturer campaign TKC-20).
Defect, as filed: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-20.
Filed by Subaru of America, Inc. (manufacturer campaign TKA-20).
Defect, as filed: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Baja, 2009 Forester, Legacy and Outback and 2006-2009 Impreza (including WRX and STI models) and Tribeca vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger front air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2017. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-17.
Filed by Subaru of America, Inc. (manufacturer campaign TKB-17).
Defect, as filed: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Subaru Baja, 2006-2011 Impreza (including WRX and STI models), 2006-2012 Tribeca, 2009-2012 Forester, Legacy, Outback, and 2012 WRX vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2017. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-17.
Filed by Subaru of America, Inc. (manufacturer campaign TKA-17).
Defect, as filed: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Baja, 2006-2008 Impreza (including WRX and STI models), Tribeca, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 8, 2017. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-17.
Filed by Subaru of America, Inc. (manufacturer campaign TKC-17).
Defect, as filed: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2009-2011 Legacy, Outback, Forester, 2006-2011 Impreza, Tribeca, 2003-2006 Baja, and 2006 Saab 9-2x vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." These vehicles may be equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 26, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500. Saab owners may contact GM at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-16.
Filed by Subaru of America, Inc. (manufacturer campaign TKA-16).
Defect, as filed: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2006-2008 Impreza, Tribeca, 2006 Saab 9-2x, and 2003-2006 Baja vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." These vehicles may be equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 24, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-16. Note: This notice is only for vehicles that were not covered by 16V-358 for Zone A.
Filed by Subaru of America, Inc. (manufacturer campaign TKB-16).
Defect, as filed: Subaru is recalling certain model year 2002-2007 impreza, model year 2003-2008 forester, and model year 2005-2006 saab 9-2x vehicles manufactured from september 5, 2000 through november 26, 2007 originally sold, or currently registered in, massachusetts, maryland, michigan, new hampshire, new york, pennsylvania, vermont, wisconsin, connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, maine, minnesota, missouri, new jersey, ohio, rhode island, west virginia and the district of columbia. The front lower control arms may break at the hanger brackets due to corrosion if the hanger bracket is exposed to salty and humid environments such as roads containing snow melting agent.
Consequence: A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will handle their vehicles and saab will handle theirs. Dealers will inspect the degree of corrosion of the front lower control arms, and will either rustproof or replace them. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during december 2011. Owners may contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Owners may contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.
Filed by SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. (manufacturer campaign WVX-34).
Defect, as filed: On certain vehicles, the wiring harness for the air bag occupant detection system in the front passenger seat may have been pinched during production. Pinching of the wiring harness between the floor crossmember and the seat mounting bracket could result in a short circuit.
Consequence: The passenger's front air bag could become disabled and may not deploy in the event of a crash increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant. Also an electrical short circuit could cause a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect to see if the wiring had been incorrectly routed under the seat bracket. If so, the dealer will repair any damaged wiring, reroute and secure the wiring harness in the correct location, and re-calibrate the occupant detection system as necessary. The recall began on march 9, 2007. Owners may contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783.
Filed by SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. (manufacturer campaign WVC-13).
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 2006 Subaru Impreza (black) against all 2006 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 2006 | Impreza line | All 2006 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 305.1 | 186.5 | 108.7 |
| Power Train | 118.6 | 107.1 | 96.1 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 118.6 | 45.1 | 51.5 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 67.8 | 57.8 | 28 |
| Engine | 67.8 | 69.5 | 57.3 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 50.8 | 70.9 | 52 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 18 | 305.1 | 186.5 | 108.7 |
| Power Train | 7 | 118.6 | 107.1 | 96.1 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 118.6 | 45.1 | 51.5 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 67.8 | 57.8 | 28 |
| Engine | 4 | 67.8 | 69.5 | 57.3 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 50.8 | 70.9 | 52 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 3 | 50.8 | 34.3 | 35.1 |
| Visibility | 2 | 33.9 | 45.6 | 31.1 |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 33.9 | 12.7 | 44.1 |
| Tires | 2 | 33.9 | 11.7 | 15.1 |
| Structure | 2 | 33.9 | 45.6 | 48.5 |
| Wheels | 2 | 33.9 | 18.3 | 9.2 |
| Suspension | 1 | 16.9 | 61.1 | 37.4 |
| Seats | 1 | 16.9 | 17.8 | 13.8 |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 16.9 | 31.9 | 24.2 |
49 unique complaints, 59 component mentions; 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
| Action | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PE11011 | Preliminary evaluation | Front suspension control arm failure | suspension:front:control arm | 7 Apr 2011 | 23 Sep 2011 | 11V464000 |
Other Subaru Impreza model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 NHTSA | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1993 | 1 | 33 | 3,351 |
| 1994 NHTSA | 1 | 8 | 95,673 |
| 1995 | 1 | 46 | 95,673 |
| 1996 NHTSA | 0 | 20 | — |
| 1997 | 0 | 30 | — |
| 1998 | 0 | 30 | — |
| 1999 NHTSA | 0 | 22 | — |
| 2000 | 0 | 41 | — |
| 2001 NHTSA | 0 | 11 | — |
| 2002 | 6 | 284 | 745,448 |
| 2003 | 6 | 57 | 745,448 |
| 2004 | 8 | 85 | 1,375,889 |
| 2005 | 6 | 66 | 1,248,283 |
| 2006 | 10 | 49 | 1,457,051 |
| 2007 | 9 | 63 | 1,450,047 |
| 2008 | 14 | 166 | 3,214,117 |
| 2009 | 14 | 81 | 3,218,166 |
| 2010 | 15 | 34 | 3,902,631 |
| 2011 | 14 | 48 | 3,809,422 |
| 2012 | 6 | 171 | 1,679,643 |
| 2013 | 4 | 127 | 1,616,610 |
| 2014 | 3 | 46 | 1,569,191 |
| 2015 | 2 | 30 | 1,375,240 |
| 2016 NHTSA | 1 | 23 | 1,303,530 |
| 2017 | 7 | 36 | 1,384,756 |
| 2018 | 5 | 13 | 1,501,775 |
| 2019 | 5 | 3 | 1,484,982 |
| 2020 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 175,968 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 1,185 |
| 2022 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 42 |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 8,341 |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 40,058 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All Subaru Impreza model years · Subaru: 29 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 2006 Subaru Impreza have?
10 NHTSA recall campaigns name this model year; the most recent, 20V002000, was reported to NHTSA on 2 Jan 2020 and concerns air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module. Across all model years the Subaru Impreza line has 53 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 2006 Subaru Impreza?
NHTSA's investigation file lists 1 action naming this model year; the table above shows each action's opening and closing dates. An action with no closing date was still open when the file was produced.
What component do owners of the 2006 Subaru Impreza complain about most?
Air Bags: 18 of 59 component mentions (305.1 per 1,000). Next is power train with 7. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 29 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 29 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.