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2017 Impreza handling issues???

43K views 122 replies 42 participants last post by  MagikAram 
#1 ·
Hey I am new here and new to Subaru so please bare with me. I was wondering if anyone has had handling issues with their 2017 Impreza models. I have a 2017 Impreza and regardless of where or how I drive the car has a very soft floaty almost drifty feel to it, it never really seems planted on the road. It does handle better in snow and ice and I have had it in under warranty for it (they say its like every other new car however the Legacy loaner they gave me felt more planted). I have taken the car in and had it aligned and that did help some but it still doesn't feel right. Being new to Subaru, maybe its a Subaru thing but for comparison, I have driven and never felt as unsafe in a 2003 Wrangler, 99 Cherokee, 05 Ranger, 97 98 01 Saturn SC, 2018 Challenger, and many more. Does anyone maybe have suggestions to improve handling, honestly I am at the point where as soon as I can I will be getting another vehicle and either parking this one to try to improve it or just outright get rid of it. Thank you.
 
#3 ·
Not here to troll, and the Saturn was pretty low to, although not as low on the 97 the floor was completely rotted out allowing the body to flex. The 97 still handled better and got better mileage. I will post pics of the Subaru when I get a chance to take some. Also its not a matter of cornering or anything, its in a straight line the Impreza has sent me into the next lane as a result of the handling. Any suggestions or recommendations of things to look at or consider improving would be appreciated.
 
#6 ·
Not the AWD. Could be an alignment. The tires on the Premium to leave a lot to be desired.

My second 2017 Impreza Sport needed an alignment at under 1,000 miles, as it was too dirty. Zero dead center. The dealer (Subaru of Daytona - Florida) did a stellar job. Under warranty, totally fixed, super happy.

I'd complain to the dealer about the warranty and possibly ask for a little more toe in. The smallest increase they can do. If that doesn't solve it, a change to a performance oriented tire will likely help.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Does this happen all the time or have you noticed it only on rough and older paved roads? If only occasionally, you may be experiencing a phenomenon referred to as "tramlining". I had a set of Pirelli's that would almost rip the steering wheel out of your hands when they hit a groove in the pavement. Tires play a very major role in a car's handling and tracking, more than some people realize.

Edit: You posted in another thread that you are looking into coilovers to correct tracking. IMHO, they will not do anything to correct your issue. As long as the road is not rutted, the suspension doesn't even come into play.
 
#10 · (Edited)
" its in a straight line the Impreza has sent me into the next lane as a result of the handling"

Sounds like a seriously mechanical issue or user problems.

I am having a hard time believing that you can't keep a Subaru Impreza in a straight line.

I also have a hard time believing that if you took it into the dealer and told them the same thing you posted here that they didn't drive it. And if they kept it in a straight line then the problem is not the car.
 
#122 ·
I just bought a 2020 impreza on 1/11/24. This car also does the wandering. The slightest movement of the steering wheel and that's where the car is gonna go. There is absolutely zero play in the steering. I'm swaying side to side in my lane. I hit a manhole that's not road level and i feel like I don't have control. I've driven several different cars with no issue with driving straight. I had the alignment checked and it's exactly how it should be. Almost as if the steering wheel gets stuck to the right or left.
 
#12 ·
The coilovers I thought of to try to maybe stiffen the suspension a little for handling.
It happens regardless of new or old roads and only on dry roads not when wet or snow covered.
If I get a chance I can upload the service documentation to prove I took it in. It won't prove what's happening but I can say it does sway and seem a little off. I can keep ancar even with warn out suspension in a straight line. Or a truck with stiff suspension I can keep in a straight line. This car just doesn't want to go straight, it always wants to wander and although not all the time before the alignment it did send me into the other lane. The alignment has helped but I will be looking at those tires probably this week.
 
#14 ·
Yeah I noticed the twitchy feeling but I attibute that to the sensitivity of the steering. Another reason I kind of question the suspension is over the rumble strips on the expressway ( there was a comment I had to go over the strips at a crawl in stop and go traffic) the car felt like it was flexing, so my first guess was the suspension was maybe to soft
 
#15 ·
I very experienced driver. I bought '18 Impreza Sport 5-door as run around town / quick commute work car. Not bad for $. Few minor complaints but o.k. for the $. Well, that's until get up to highway speed or close to !!!!! Horrible. Unbearable twitchy. Truly horrible. Truly terrible. Impossible not to look like a toddler who stole for a joyride. Amazed do not hear more about it. Impossible to relax continue straight. I believe the steering ratio...13:1?? Truly horrible. Literally just keeping car now b/c have other cars and this one not very expensive (kinda) and just run around town and little more in winters. Truly horrible. Will take anywhere 50mph max and then dont care to touch and will take another car. Not tires or alignment...its platform and steering ratio - engineering disaster of some kind. Anyone from Subaru take a test drive at highway speed before launch production ?
 
#17 ·
I don't think it's a engineering issue. I just think something with my car atleast isn't right. This car just doesn't handle like any other car I have ever driven. Regardless of the manufacturer or the type. Maybe it's a combo of things but then again maybe it's just a result of mass production. It happens and I am not complaining however for me personally it is a issue where I would rather the car sit as opposed to feeling unsafe. If I could afford to I would either trade it for a different model or even another Impreza which absolutely drove different then mine, or I would get a 2nd vehicle while figuring this out. It wouldn't take much just the handling of dry pavement doesn't feel right.
 
#19 ·
Input much too toucy (no speed sensitive adjusted) and then rear of platform follows ("lags") behind oversensitive...then onto correcting that...and so on and so on. Horrible. Almost seems as does have speed adjusted power steering its just set the wrong way !!...combined with horrible platform setup. Save it for the snow storms...after lift and stock Yoko into trash.
 
#21 · (Edited)
I am having a similar experience. I picked up a 2018 Impreza Limited 5-door 3 weeks ago, coming out of a 2014 Mustang GT with Koni Yellows, springs, sway bars and rear LCAs. The Mustang was about to hit 93k miles, my daily commute is now 90 miles instead of 30, and it was time to do the responsible thing and get a nice, economical car and pay off some debt.

The Impreza is fairly comfortable but also pretty tossable, but there is a real disconnect between the very fast steering ratio and the soft rebound dampening. There is more high speed compression dampening than I think is necessary, which is why there is some impact harshness on frost heaves and potholes. However, there is not nearly enough rear rebound dampening and/or too much rear stiffness; presumably to try to tune out some of the AWD + nose heavy understeer. Over larger imperfections in the road at high speed I feel a second compression/rebound cycle in the rear of the car only. Over rough road, the whole car does feel very floaty. If the shocks were adjustable, I'd dial out a little bit of compression and make a big swing at rear rebound. The stock springs are pretty soft too, but I wouldn't change them as spring stiffness isn't really a problem and I don't think most people are going to be driving these to the edge of traction anyways.

The steering, while very quick and pretty fun to run through corners, feels artificially heavy, which I don't love but can live with. EPAS tuning is a bit of an art, and very few manufacturers have gotten it right, and even then not on all cars. It took me a few days to get used to the ratio on the highway, but it doesn't really bother me anymore.



As an aside, I am having a small issue with caster and/or toe. My car has 1500 miles and since day one, when I picked it up with 38 miles, my steering wheel has self centered a few degrees off to the left AND the car pulls to the right when centered. The steering is also heavier turning right than left. Granted, I am 290lbs and that may be part of the steering weight/centering issue, but the car shouldn't pull to the right with the steering dead straight either. I asked the dealership to look at it, they gave me the car back with absolutely no change. I'm going to have a shop put it on their rack to verify the alignment at the first oil change. I might ask for a little toe-in to even out the weighting issue. At 25k miles a year, I can't afford to burn up tires due to a wonky alignment.
 
#22 ·
I have put 20,000+ miles on my '17 sport in the last 15 months (including two 2,000+ mile road trips) and never experienced what I would describe as wandering.

That being said, when I bought my previous car which was an '06 Mazda 3 sedan it felt exactly how you described your Impreza. I loved driving that car but at high speeds it wandered all over the lane. I had that car for 8 years So maybe I am used to a wandering feeling? My car before the Mazda was a '94 Dodge Spirit which was a little tank! That thing pretty much ONLY went in a straight line.

TL;DR - I have not experienced what you have in the Impreza but have experienced it in another car and can appreciate the lack of confidence in the vehicle it inspires.
 
#24 · (Edited)
My 17 premium has had a bit of wandering. I specifically requested that the dealer add toe in because I was having trouble keeping the car on the road above 60mph and it helped quite a bit but still wanders some. I also must say on my recent road trip though with additional weight in the car it was far more stable, like german car stable. Don't know what the weight changed but it helped greatly. Hopefully someone can figure it out more for the benefit of everyone. I have the stock conti's.

1st edit, Car and Driver mentioned the wandering a little bit in their long term review as well.

2nd edit, I told the dealer too even if the car was within limits I wanted it toed in more. Most but not all of the wandering now is on grooved pavement and I can name a specific section of freeway where I have trouble instead. Changing the toe in will make it less aggressive in the corners losing some of the sporty/darty feel but to me control was more important.
 
#27 ·
Add me to the list that GHP1 and securityguy are on. Tracks straight as an arrow up to the most I've had it at which is about 65. I come out of my driveway at an angle which twists the unibodies on my other cars. They creak all over from the twist but the subie doesn't. I'm really surprised and confused by these comments. Maybe they used different manufacturers for bushings and/or ball joints and basically it was luck of the draw during build? We need Derrick to weigh in on this.
 
#28 ·
I am not at all complaining about the chassis stiffness. Float is all about shock tuning, and from what it appears, the shocks really can't keep up with major road imperfections at highway speeds. My commute is at 75-80mph, and at those speeds, a rough section of road will really upset the suspension. My wife's 15 Legacy soaks up the same section of road with absolutely without any hesitation. The Legacy is not as torsionally rigid, but the dampers are much better suited to highway speeds.
 
#29 ·
I can only speak for myself and my experience with my Impreza. As stated before even a Legacy loaner car was different. Excuse my ignorance for not being able to accurately read/interpret alignment specs but until I get a chance to upload the data sheet, looking at it, it shows
Front Right Toe was .27 deg, now -.01 deg
Rear Right Toe was .28 deg, now .12 deg
Total Front Toe was .31 deg, now -.02 deg
When I originally started this thread I had wondered if anyone else had the same problem or found a "fix" for it. I would suspect it isn't a really common issue but I had to ask. I could even handle the wandering if it was just a little wandering in one lane or predictable. And to be fair I should clarify it doesn't set me a full lane over but about 40 to 50% into the next lane on average and not all the time but it has happened a hand full of times, most often on smooth dry paved roads with calm winds and except for being about degrees out it was a nice day nearly every time. Overall I am satisfied with the car and honestly no vehicle is perfect and does need something to make it "ones own and set to their style" but the handling is something I would like to figure out before something happens. After reading the post here, and they have been helpful, I am inclined to take a closer look at the underbody to see if maybe everything is tight but maybe as mass produced things go maybe something slid through and is allowing flex, Definitely will look at tires although the continental do work excellent in snow and ice maybe they are a issue. the sport suspension I suspect wouldn't change much for me as it isn't a issue for all impreza owners. If I happen to figure it out I will update it but Thanks for the help and suggestions or input. I will say too before ending such a long post but I suspect it is reasonable to assume that being a 2017 model and the first of their new global platform, with many new parts that there would be bugs and growing pains as production ramps up, coming from a manufacturing environment myself I see everyday where bosses allow items slightly out of spec to pass, regardless of the customer or the tight specs the customer requires. I dont believe its anything major but I will start with one thing then work out from there.
 
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