The 2021 Subaru WRX has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 59,934 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 21 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the power train. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015-2021 WRX vehicles. The backup light switch may corrode and become inoperative, which can result in the backup lights not illuminating and the rearview camera image not displaying when the vehicle is in reverse.
Consequence
Inoperative backup lights and an inoperative rearview camera can reduce vehicle visibility and driver awareness, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the backup light switch, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE-22.
Complaints by component
POWER TRAIN
6
ENGINE
5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2
VISIBILITY/WIPER
2
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1
SEATS
1
STEERING
1
SUSPENSION
1
Total complaints21
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Car battery keeps dying and is inadequately charged resulting in loss of electronics. The problem is a faulty dcm system.”
“Manual (not power) driver seat is loose-rocking car only has 47000 miles but this hardware failure will get worse over time definitely a safety concern if bolt breaks it appears that the plastic washer is wearing most likely poor material should be polyurethane or something like the form of a…”
“I am filing this complaint to report a serious safety concern involving my 2021 subaru wrx, which is currently covered under the manufacturer’s powertrain warranty as well as an extended warranty. Subaru of ontario, an authorized subaru dealership, failed to properly diagnose or repair ongoing…”
“I am filing this complaint to report a serious safety concern involving my 2021 subaru wrx, which is currently covered under the manufacturer’s powertrain warranty as well as an extended warranty. Subaru of ontario, an authorized subaru dealership, failed to properly diagnose or repair ongoing…”
“Excessive blow by contaminating map sensors & creating lean/rich conditions. This causes loss of power, stalling and will lead to catastrophic engine failure. Egr system is faulty”
“Excessive blow by contaminating map sensors & creating lean/rich conditions. This causes loss of power, stalling and will lead to catastrophic engine failure. Egr system is faulty”
“In october 2024, my vehicle, a 2021 subaru wrx sti, was purchased from a toyota dealership (fort bend sterling mccall toyota). The dealership sold the vehicle with an oil issue and a modified ecm. This issue caused catastrophic engine failure while driving. The vehicle stalled and could not be…”
“Severe engine failure! Was driving steady speed on highway, then I let off the throttle and heard a bad knocking noise on deceleration. The engine oil temp increased to around 230f. I slowed down to limp it to the next exit and it started jerking. I made it to an exit and the engine stalled at the…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2021 Subaru WRX as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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