The 2010 Subaru WRX has 11 recalls, the most serious being a Takata airbag inflator defect in the passenger-side frontal airbag that can explode and send metal fragments into the cabin, causing serious injury or death.
The airbag issue is the subject of multiple recall filings, some of which are scoped to vehicles registered in high-humidity states and territories where the risk is elevated. On the electrical side, certain vehicles fitted with a replacement mechanical key ignition switch have a spring inside the switch that can break, causing the engine to shut off unexpectedly while driving and potentially preventing the airbags from deploying in a crash. There is also a brake concern: corrosion in the brake lines can cause hydraulic fluid to leak, which extends stopping distances and raises the risk of a collision. A separate recall covers a brake light switch that can fail to illuminate the brake lights properly, leaving drivers behind with no warning that the vehicle is slowing.