Used car safety, rank #180 of 188
Subaru Impreza Safety Rating (2020-23)
Real IIHS driver death rates for the 2020-23 Subaru Impreza, a small car, compared with its class and with the current model.
IIHS 2026 edition Β· 2021β2024 crashes. Results apply only to the model years and drivetrain shown. Read the new release and its limits Β· Browse the older edition. Prices and reliability from older model years have not been carried forward.
The 2020-23 Subaru Impreza has an IIHS driver death rate of 83 per million registered vehicle years against a small cars average of 79, which is 5% above the class average. That places it #180 of 188 used vehicles with a safety score of 9.5/100.
What the Subaru Impreza death rate means
At 83 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, the Subaru Impreza is 5% worse than the small cars average of 79. The 95% confidence interval is 18 to 149, which overlaps the class average, so some of the gap may be chance.
The other-driver death rate of 39 measures the opposite risk: how many drivers of other vehicles died in crashes with a Subaru Impreza. Its 95% confidence interval is 0β79. It is no higher than the Subaru Impreza's own driver death rate. Remember that death rates describe vehicles and their drivers together: IIHS adjusts for driver age and gender, but not for where or how carefully people drive. Our score weights this model's own rate at 70% and its class at 30%; see how we rank used cars.
Compared with similar used cars
The safest small cars in the IIHS study, by our score, with the Subaru Impreza highlighted. It ranks 9 of the 9 shown; the class leader is the Honda Civic hatchback at a death rate of 28.
| Vehicle | Years | Death rate | Score | Reliability | Used price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda Civic hatchback | 2022-23 | 28 (3 to 52) | 36.5 | n/a | n/a |
| Mazda 3 2WD | 2020-23 | 46 (5 to 87) | 19.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Toyota Corolla hatchback | 2020-23 | 51 (9 to 93) | 17.4 | n/a | n/a |
| Subaru WRX | 2022-23 | 51 (25 to 76) | 17.4 | n/a | n/a |
| Toyota Corolla hybrid 2WD | 2020-23 | 51 (24 to 79) | 17.4 | n/a | n/a |
| Honda Civic | 2022-23 | 58 (33 to 83) | 14.0 | n/a | n/a |
| Toyota Corolla | 2020-23 | 71 (59 to 84) | 11.4 | n/a | n/a |
| Hyundai Elantra | 2021-23 | 80 (52 to 107) | 10.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Subaru Impreza (this page) | 2020-23 | 83 (18 to 149) | 9.5 | n/a | n/a |
Class average for small cars: 79 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years.
The new Subaru Impreza
Death rates lag the market by several years. For the current Subaru Impreza we score IIHS crash tests instead; here is how the latest model years rate on our new-car scale.
| Model year | Model | IIHS award | New-car score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Subaru Impreza | No award | 73.6 |
New-car scores use a different scale (crash tests, not death rates) and are not directly comparable with the 9.5 used-car score above.
Safety recalls for the Subaru Impreza
A recall is a defect the manufacturer must repair free of charge, however old the car and whoever owns it now. On a used car this matters more than on a new one: the work is only done if a previous owner took it in.
2 recall campaigns on the 2023 model year, covering power train, exterior lighting.
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Power train: driveline, driveshaft
Risk: Separation of the front end of the driveshaft increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will clean the bolt mounting surfaces of the center support brace and install new bolts, free of charge.
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Exterior lighting: brake lights, switch
Risk: An unintentional brake light illumination can fail to alert other motorists of actual brake application. A vehicle that shifts out of the park position unexpectedly can allow the vehicle to rollaway. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the gap between the brake light switch and stopper, adjusting the switch as necessary, free of charge.
Recall campaigns from the NHTSA recalls database, retrieved 2026-09-16. A campaign covers a range of build dates, not every car of the model year, and IIHS reports this nameplate across several years while these results are for 2023. Confirm against the VIN. Recalls do not affect the death rate on this page.
Subaru Impreza: Common Questions
Is the Subaru Impreza a safe car?
Not on this measure: its drivers died at a higher rate than its class average. IIHS recorded a driver death rate of 83 per million registered vehicle years for the 2020-23 Subaru Impreza, 5% above the class average (79 for small cars). That earns a used-car safety score of 9.5 out of 100 and rank #180 of 188 used vehicles.
What is the Subaru Impreza driver death rate?
83 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, with a 95% confidence interval of 18 to 149. Drivers of other vehicles that collided with a Subaru Impreza died at a rate of 39 per million. Source: IIHS driver death rates by make and model, covering 2020-23 models.
How does the Subaru Impreza compare with other small cars?
The small cars class averages 79 driver deaths per million; the Subaru Impreza sits at 83. Among the 9 small cars compared above it ranks 9 by safety score; the top of that group is the Honda Civic hatchback with a death rate of 28.