
Which one, and which years, drew fewer problems per car sold
The short answer
Across the 2012 to 2022 model years the two are close, at 181 and 167 owner complaints per 100,000 sold. For the newer 2019 to 2022 cars the two are about even. The best years to target are 2015 and 2021 for the Impreza and 2020 and 2021 for the Civic.

Subaru Impreza

Honda Civic
By age group
| Model years | Impreza | Civic | Fewer problems |
|---|---|---|---|
| Older (2012 to 2015) | 199 | 114 | Civic |
| Middle (2016 to 2018) | 160 | 214 | Impreza |
| Newer (2019 to 2022) | 175 | 186 | About even |
Owner complaints per 100,000 cars sold, pooled across the years in each group. Lower is better. A model counts as ahead only when it is at least 10% lower.
Year by year
| Year | Impreza | Civic |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 297 | 149 |
| 2013 | 327 | 98 |
| 2014 | 129 | 91 |
| 2015 | 79 | 117 |
| 2016 | 130 | 295 |
| 2017 | 145 | 162 |
| 2018 | 199 | 185 |
| 2019 | 292 | 142 |
| 2020 | 195 | 92 |
| 2021 | 40 | 62 |
| 2022 | 45 | 718 |
| 2023 | Too new | Too new |
| 2024 | Too new | Too new |
Complaints per 100,000 sold for each model year. Green is a good year for that model, amber average, red a year to watch out for.
Most reported problems
Questions
Is the Impreza or Civic more reliable?
Across the 2012 to 2022 model years the two are close, at 181 and 167 owner complaints per 100,000 sold. For the newer 2019 to 2022 cars the two are about even. The best years to target are 2015 and 2021 for the Impreza and 2020 and 2021 for the Civic.
Which Impreza and Civic years should I avoid?
For the Impreza: 2012, 2013. For the Civic: 2016, 2022.