The 2014 Subaru WRX has 9 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, with the potential for serious injury or death.
This airbag issue has been filed across multiple campaigns and jurisdictions, and prior repair attempts did not fully resolve it for all affected vehicles. There is also an ignition switch concern affecting vehicles where a replacement mechanical key switch was installed: an internal spring can break and cause the engine to shut off unexpectedly while driving, and if a crash follows, the airbags may not deploy.
On the brake side, brake lines can corrode and develop fluid leaks, which reduces hydraulic pressure and extends the distance needed to slow or stop. There is also a brake light switch issue where the brake lights may fail to illuminate when the pedal is pressed, leaving drivers behind without warning that the vehicle is slowing.