AutoUtility currently tracks 34 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2016 Subaru WRX. Electrical System issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 10 complaints (29.4% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 1 filing cites a crash, 2 cite a fire.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
10 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
8 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
4 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
3 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"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."
"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."
"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..."
"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..."
"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/"
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Subaru WRX | 55 | 2 | 3 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Subaru WRX Current Page | 34 | 1 | 3 | Current |
| 2017 Subaru WRX | 53 | 8 | 1 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Subaru WRX | 44 | 6 | 2 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Subaru WRX | 30 | 0 | 2 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Subaru WRX | 17 | 1 | 1 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Subaru WRX | 13 | 0 | 1 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 Subaru WRX | 25 | 3 | 1 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Subaru WRX | 7 | 2 | 1 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Subaru WRX | 13 | 0 | 0 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 Subaru WRX | 2 | 0 | 0 | View 2025 Problems → |
| 2026 Subaru WRX | 0 | 0 | 0 | View 2026 Problems → |
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 12 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TIRES,EQUIPMENT,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,TETHER, LOWER ANCHOR (ON CAR SEAT OR VEHICLE),I SUSPECT THE CAR SEAT IS COUNTERFEIT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year
Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.
Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.
NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.
EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2016 Subaru WRX
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2016 Subaru WRX is Electrical System, appearing in 10 records (29.4% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Engine & Cooling (8) and Powertrain & Transmission (4).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 34 consumer defect complaints and 3 safety recall campaigns for the 2016 Subaru WRX.
Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.
Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Subaru WRX, 1 filing cites a crash, 2 cite smoke or fire, and 0 report one or more injuries.
Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.