Used car safety, rank #142 of 181
Subaru Impreza sedan Safety Rating (2017-20)
Real IIHS driver death rates for the 2017-20 Subaru Impreza sedan, a small car, compared with its class and with the current model.
The 2017-20 Subaru Impreza sedan has an IIHS driver death rate of 46 per million registered vehicle years against a small cars average of 60.5, which is 24% below the class average. That places it #142 of 181 used vehicles with a safety score of 28.4/100.
What the Subaru Impreza sedan death rate means
At 46 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, the Subaru Impreza sedan beats the small cars average of 60.5 by 24%. The 95% confidence interval is 18 to 74, so the upper end of the range overlaps the class average and the advantage is not certain.
The other-driver death rate of 37 measures the opposite risk: how many drivers of other vehicles died in crashes with a Subaru Impreza sedan. It is no higher than the Subaru Impreza sedan'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 sedan highlighted. It ranks 5 of the 9 shown; the class leader is the Chevrolet Bolt at a death rate of 8.
| Vehicle | Years | Death rate | Score | Reliability | Used price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Bolt | 2017-20 | 8 (0 to 19) | 65.3 | n/a | n/a |
| Toyota Prius Prime | 2017-20 | 23 (0 to 45) | 52.5 | n/a | n/a |
| Subaru WRX | 2017-20 | 38 (19 to 58) | 34.2 | n/a | n/a |
| Toyota Prius | 2017-20 | 45 (23 to 67) | 29.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Subaru Impreza sedan (this page) | 2017-20 | 46 (18 to 74) | 28.4 | n/a | n/a |
| Honda Civic | 2019-20 | 49 (29 to 69) | 26.5 | n/a | n/a |
| Toyota Corolla | 2020 | 58 (31 to 86) | 19.5 | n/a | n/a |
| Honda Civic hatchback | 2019-20 | 78 (26 to 130) | 13.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Hyundai Elantra | 2020 | 103 (48 to 157) | 10.1 | n/a | n/a |
Class average for small cars: 60.5 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years.
The new Subaru Impreza sedan
Death rates lag the market by several years. For the current Subaru Impreza sedan 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 28.4 used-car score above.
Safety recalls for the Subaru Impreza sedan
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.
1 recall campaign on the 2020 model year, covering fuel system, gasoline.
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Fuel system, gasoline: delivery, fuel pump
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge.
Recall campaigns from the NHTSA recalls database, retrieved 2026-09-04. 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 2020. Confirm against the VIN. Recalls do not affect the death rate on this page.
Subaru Impreza sedan: Common Questions
Is the Subaru Impreza sedan a safe car?
Yes, by the measure that matters most. IIHS recorded a driver death rate of 46 per million registered vehicle years for the 2017-20 Subaru Impreza sedan, 24% below the class average (60.5 for small cars). That earns a used-car safety score of 28.4 out of 100 and rank #142 of 181 used vehicles.
What is the Subaru Impreza sedan driver death rate?
46 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, with a 95% confidence interval of 18 to 74. Drivers of other vehicles that collided with a Subaru Impreza sedan died at a rate of 37 per million. Source: IIHS driver death rates by make and model, covering 2017-20 models.
How does the Subaru Impreza sedan compare with other small cars?
The small cars class averages 60.5 driver deaths per million; the Subaru Impreza sedan sits at 46. Among the 9 small cars compared above it ranks 5 by safety score; the top of that group is the Chevrolet Bolt with a death rate of 8.