2017 Subaru WRX: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
53 NHTSA owner complaints · 1 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 53 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 5.89
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Experienced catastrophic engine failure with no known cause. The car had been inspected and had an oil change 3,000 miles prior to the incident. Thankfully, I had already exited the thruway and was on a quiet backroad but if this had happened 15 minutes earlier on the thruway this could have been a much different story.
Car all the sudden stall/ lock up tires at high way speeds due to sudden no warning engine failure causing a massive safety concern My car locked up during a normal drive up a slowly passing a semi when my car died no power steering no engine power transmission locking due engine failure Car was checked and maintenance at the dealer less then a week prior for a small misfire then was dismissed due to car all the…
Hit a deer. Airbags did not deploy, however I have reasonable suspicion to believe my head hit the A pillar during impact.
Recalls: 1 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 22V522000 | Exterior Lighting:Back Up Lights:Switch | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2021 WRX vehicles. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a sports car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 21 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,700
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Electrical System14 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Engine12 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train11 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Steering6 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Air Bags4 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Exterior Lighting4 complaints · typical job: Headlamp assembly or lighting-module replacement (1.5 h labour + parts)$360–$1,380
Other Subaru WRX years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2017 Subaru WRX?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (14 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2017 Subaru WRX a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 81/100, computed from 53 NHTSA complaints and 1 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2017 Subaru WRX's most common problem?
14 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2017 Subaru WRX sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $540–$1,310 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2017 Subaru WRX cost to run per year?
About $5,741 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $28,708 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2017 Subaru WRX have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for the 2017 Subaru WRX, 0 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 21/07/2022. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other sportss of about the same age.
What will a 2017 Subaru WRX really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 53 complaints, 1 recalls on record
- 53 NHTSA complaints on record (5.9/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (4.3/yr)
- 1 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems