Is the Mazda 5 more reliable than the Subaru Impreza?

Yes, but only slightly. The Mazda 5 has a lower yearly repair cost and a lower chance that a repair is major. The Impreza has fewer recalls and fewer shop visits. The Mazda's cracked cylinder heads are the main reason the lead is small.

Which has more recalls, the Mazda 5 or the Subaru Impreza?

The Mazda 5 has more. Federal recall records show 44 recalls across nine model years for the Mazda, against 18 for the Impreza. Recall counts grow with time on the road, so check that each recall on a specific car was completed.

Which costs less to repair?

The Mazda 5 costs less. Independent repair-cost data estimates $581 a year against $653 for the Impreza, which is about $360 over five years. The Impreza makes fewer shop visits, but its repairs are more likely to be major.

What is the main problem with the Mazda 5?

Cracked cylinder heads. Owners report oil leaking onto the exhaust area, a burning smell in the cabin and smoke from under the hood, often with no warning light. Failures were reported from about 31,000 to 75,000 miles, and bills reached almost $6,000.

Why do Subaru Impreza windshields crack?

Owners could not find a cause. Complaints describe cracks with no impact point, often after the car sat parked overnight or during cold weather and defroster use. Some owners replaced the windshield two or three times at about $1000 each, because warranty and insurance did not cover it.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Mazda 5 vs Subaru Impreza: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Mazda 5

Good

Subaru Impreza

Good

Reliability favors the Mazda 5 slightly over the Subaru Impreza. It costs less to repair, but cracked cylinder heads are a costly risk. The Impreza has fewer recalls and fewer shop visits, though a repair on it is more likely to be major.

How Do the Mazda 5 and Subaru Impreza Generations Compare?

Two Impreza generations fall inside the 2018 to 2026 range. The fifth generation ran from 2017 through 2023 and received a facelift for 2020. The sixth generation (GU) began with the 2024 model year. The weakest years, 2018 and 2019, were fifth-generation cars built before that facelift. The strongest years, 2025 and 2026, are sixth-generation cars. They are recent, so their short complaint history says little yet. For a used purchase, a 2020 to 2023 car came after the facelift and has had time to show its problems.

Verdict

The Mazda 5 is more reliable than the Subaru Impreza, scoring 77/100 vs 74/100.

The slight edge goes to the Mazda 5. Independent repair-cost data shows a lower yearly repair bill and a lower chance that a repair turns out major, 10% against 17%. The Impreza has far fewer recalls and fewer unscheduled shop visits, and most of its complaints are cracked windshields and stuck recall parts rather than mechanical failures. The gap stays small because the Mazda's cracked cylinder heads can mean a bill near $6,000, and that failure often comes with no warning light.

Key Differences

1Mazda 5 costs $72 less per year to repair
2Subaru Impreza has 26 fewer total recalls
3Mazda 5 has 7% lower major repair risk

Category Scoreboard

3Mazda 5

—

2Subaru Impreza

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair Risk

Mazda 5 vs Subaru Impreza: Which Is More Reliable?

Mazda 5 vs Subaru Impreza at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Mazda 5	Subaru Impreza
Reliability Score	77/100	74/100
Years Tracked	9	9
Total Recalls	44	18
Total ComplaintsRaw count — varies with sales volume	1314	470
Annual Repair Cost	$581/yr	$653/yr
Repair Frequency	0.4/yr	0.3/yr
Major Repair Risk	10%	17%
Year Wins	8	1

What Are the Common Problems With the Mazda 5 and Subaru Impreza?

Mechanical and safety hardware dominate the Mazda's complaints. Cracked cylinder heads leak oil, which brings a burning smell and smoke, usually with no warning light. Rear brake calipers seize, and the touchscreen makes phantom inputs. Air bag complaints include unexpected deployments. Brakes and air bags are both crash-linked areas for the Mazda, and the Impreza's main problem areas show no crash-linked reports in either. Impreza complaints are mostly windshields that crack with no impact, headlight recall parts that were unavailable for months, and batteries that die repeatedly. Its crash-linked reports are limited to lighting and electrical, two each.

Mazda 5 vs Subaru Impreza common problem areas comparison
Component	Mazda 5	Subaru Impreza
ENGINE	299	14
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	178	31
VISIBILITY/WIPER	32	136
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	107	53
POWER TRAIN	141	6
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	17	126
SERVICE BRAKES	69	14
AIR BAGS	50	7
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	45	—
STEERING	28	15
STRUCTURE	35	4
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	29	4
FUEL SYSTEM	22	—
VISIBILITY	—	18
SUSPENSION	10	—
TIRES	2	6
SEATS	7	—
LANE DEPARTURE	4	—

Raw complaint counts aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports. Counts vary with sales volume.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Mazda 5 or Subaru Impreza?

Repair costs favor the Mazda 5 by a modest amount: an estimated $581 a year, against $653 for the Impreza. That is $72 a year, or about $360 over five years. The Impreza makes fewer unscheduled shop visits, 0.3 a year against 0.4. The bigger difference is repair severity. A repair on the Impreza has a 17% chance of being major, against 10% for the Mazda. A cracked cylinder head can still wipe out the Mazda's savings.

How Does Mazda 5 vs Subaru Impreza Reliability Compare by Year?

Mazda 5 vs Subaru Impreza year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Mazda 5	Subaru Impreza	Edge
2026	88/1000R / 0C	81/1000R / 0C	Mazda 5
2025	75/1005R / 42C	77/1000R / 2C	Subaru Impreza
2024	75/1005R / 70C	74/1002R / 23C	Mazda 5
2023	78/1003R / 68C	74/1002R / 4C	Mazda 5
2022	83/1001R / 79C	76/1001R / 11C	Mazda 5
2021	78/1003R / 180C	71/1002R / 14C	Mazda 5
2020	75/1005R / 127C	74/1001R / 83C	Mazda 5
2019	72/10012R / 325C	66/1005R / 185C	Mazda 5
2018	72/10010R / 423C	69/1005R / 148C	Mazda 5

Best years to cross-shop: The 2022 Mazda 5 scored 83/100 and the 2022 Subaru Impreza scored 76/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Mazda 5 vs the Subaru Impreza?

Pick the Mazda 5 if you want the lower yearly repair bill and the lower chance of a major repair. Target 2022, which ranks among its strongest years, and avoid 2018 and 2019, its weakest. Before you buy, ask for proof that the cylinder head was inspected or replaced, since failures were reported from about 31,000 to 75,000 miles. Test the touchscreen and backup camera, and check the rear brakes for uneven wear. Pick the Impreza if you want fewer recalls and fewer shop visits, and you can live with a higher chance that a repair is major. Its common problems are mostly cracked windshields and open headlight recall work, so check the glass and confirm every recall is closed. Skip 2018 and 2019, its weakest years. The 2025 and 2026 years rank strongest, but they have had little time to collect complaints, so treat that as a partial picture. Ask the seller about repeat battery replacements.

Mazda 5 vs Subaru Impreza: Common Questions

Is the Mazda 5 more reliable than the Subaru Impreza?: Yes, but only slightly. The Mazda 5 has a lower yearly repair cost and a lower chance that a repair is major. The Impreza has fewer recalls and fewer shop visits. The Mazda's cracked cylinder heads are the main reason the lead is small.
Which has more recalls, the Mazda 5 or the Subaru Impreza?: The Mazda 5 has more. Federal recall records show 44 recalls across nine model years for the Mazda, against 18 for the Impreza. Recall counts grow with time on the road, so check that each recall on a specific car was completed.
Which costs less to repair?: The Mazda 5 costs less. Independent repair-cost data estimates $581 a year against $653 for the Impreza, which is about $360 over five years. The Impreza makes fewer shop visits, but its repairs are more likely to be major.
What is the main problem with the Mazda 5?: Cracked cylinder heads. Owners report oil leaking onto the exhaust area, a burning smell in the cabin and smoke from under the hood, often with no warning light. Failures were reported from about 31,000 to 75,000 miles, and bills reached almost $6,000.
Why do Subaru Impreza windshields crack?: Owners could not find a cause. Complaints describe cracks with no impact point, often after the car sat parked overnight or during cold weather and defroster use. Some owners replaced the windshield two or three times at about $1000 each, because warranty and insurance did not cover it.

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How we score the Mazda 5 and Subaru Impreza

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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