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2006 Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport repairs by problem area

Engine (48%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (14%)

Brakes and Traction Control (2%)

Suspension and Steering (15%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (14%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (4%)

Other (3%)

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Chart based on 155 repairs.

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2006 Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport repair cost distribution

$2500+ (6%)

$1000 - $2499 (12%)

$500 - $999 (12%)

$100 - $499 (35%)

< $100 (35%)

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Chart based on 139 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

See repairs for all Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport model years.

Subaru WRX STI in South Africa Oct 2007 - Feb 2010
Mar 2007 18600 mi	Replace clutch plate Replace motor sub-assembly Repairs covered by motorplan
Dec 2007 38440 mi	Replace motor sub-assembly (coverd by motorplan)
Sep 2008 57040 mi R 66000	overall motor (blown), replace turbo, replace clutch plate
Jan 2009 58900 mi R 33000	Overall motor
Sep 2009 62000 mi R 15000	Repair turbo, replace clutch kit
Nov 2009 63240 mi R 3000	Turbo broke down immediately after leaving the repair shop Repair turbo, repair waste gate, repair oil leak, replace radiator hoses, replace turbo hosing
Dec 2009 63860 mi R 8000	Radiator hose also perished.
Feb 2010 63860 mi R 15000	Car still breathing oil from vent. Vent routed to ground.

Subaru WRX STI in Texas, United States Oct 2008 - Jun 2022
Dec 2012 22000 mi	Threw a P0422 CEL. I couldn't find anything so I reset it but it kept coming back so it went to the dealer. They couldn't find anything either so they did a full diagnostic and reset it. Hasn't come on again.
Dec 2015 34000 mi US $1030	Both fuel cut valves in the gas tank cracked due to age and turned on P0442 CEL. It did not affect drivability. This is a labor intensive repair - 86% of the cost was labor.

Subaru WRX STI in Texas, United States Oct 2008 - Dec 2013
Mar 2013 90000 mi US $200	One of the o-rings had gone bad causing leaking of AC charge. Part was replaced and system was recharged.

Subaru WRX STI in New York, United States Apr 2010 - May 2011
May 2011 24000 mi US $75	Battery losing charge. Replaced. Died again when car left alone. Still unsure of cause of power drain.

Subaru WRX STI in Wisconsin, United States Feb 2011 - Jun 2013
Apr 2011 49000 mi	Three 8mm bolts on cam gear that secures on a plate came loose. The plate is part of the variable valve timing system which uses oil pressure to control the timing so as the bolts came loose oil was leaking past the plate.
Jun 2011 52000 mi US $300	Intake pipe developed a vaccum leak from a rip that went about halfway around it where it attaches 2 the turbo. Replaced the oem plastic pipe with an aftermarket metal one which was a mistake because the fitment was horrible.
Jul 2012 64700 mi	Turbocharger had an external oil leak on a non-serviceable seal and also a whine associated with the part failing internally. Replaced turbocharger to correct the concern.
Aug 2012 65700 mi US $400	Radiator started to develop a slow leak at the top. Also cooling hoses started leaking slightly where they attach to the thermostat housing and at the other end of the motor due to corrosion
Dec 2012 70000 mi US $10	Both license plate bulbs burnt out at about the same time. Replaced both bulbs and the lights now work again

Subaru WRX STI in Colorado, United States May 2012 - Nov 2016
Dec 2015 98000 mi US $200	Radiator blew at 103,000 miles. Could drive home but definitely needed a replacement.
Nov 2016 113000 mi US $108	Lower radiator return hose clamp got loose and started leaking coolant. Replaced both upper and lower radiator hoses. Should have replaced them when I replaced the radiator 10k miles ago.

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Subaru WRX in California, United States Jun 2016 - Jun 2017
May 2017 128000 mi US $1200	A/C compressor needed replacement and the condenser was damaged by a stone.

Subaru WRX in California, United States Dec 2016 - Jul 2019
Apr 2017 82000 mi US $700	new rear struts

Subaru WRX in New Jersey, United States Apr 2012 - Oct 2013
May 2012 85000 mi	Oxygen pump, an emissions related issue had 7 codes stored in the ECU. Diagnosed and correct parts are in order... The previous oxygen sensor issue was resolved with the correct parts
Nov 2012 94000 mi US $289	Alternator bracket cracked, replaced with parts I bought online from other subaru dealer Than one visited for repair and labor charged.

Subaru WRX in Alberta, Canada Feb 2010 - Nov 2013
Jun 2013 58280 mi C $50	Emissions air pump valve had failed from corrosion. Replaced with block-off plate, tune updated to ignore resulting emissions codes.

Subaru WRX in Maryland, United States Oct 2008 - Jun 2015
Jan 2009 42000 mi US $65	CEL at 42,856. Mechanic says OBD - fuel cap loose. Mechanic tightened fuel cap, problem went away.
Mar 2011 57000 mi US $147	Timing belt snapped from age. Battery dead.
Mar 2012 66000 mi US $400	Mechanic found transmission leak. Blown fuse caused the power mirrors to stop working.
Jan 2015 66700 mi US $1146	Replaced 2 IMR control valve. Repaired cose P2009. Intake Manifold Running control circuits low both banks.

Subaru WRX in Utah, United States Mar 2011 - Dec 2016
May 2014 75000 mi US $430	Front CV boots cracked and leaking. Replaced prior to CV failure.
Dec 2014 85000 mi	Air pump solenoid failed. System disabled, car passes emissions fine without it. Common WRX problem.
Sep 2015 100000 mi US $2000	Clutch and flywheel replacement. The lining wore out. Engagement was getting higher/harder to achieve smooth transitions, and was replaced prior to failing. Car gave plenty of warning to the end of life for the clutch.

Subaru WRX in California, United States Oct 2006 - Nov 2016
Sep 2012 56000 mi US $900	A valve in the air intake system failed.

Subaru WRX in Colorado, United States Jul 2011 - Dec 2014
Nov 2013 71000 mi US $75	Leaking steering pump seals replaced
Nov 2014 83000 mi US $1500	Timing chain, tensioner, water pump, thermostat, belts

Subaru WRX in North Carolina, United States Aug 2010 - Mar 2018
Feb 2015 122600 mi US $450	Replaced both (left & right) front axle boots.
Mar 2015 124000 mi US $100	Leaks in A/C system. Replaced seal & recharged. Power steering pump was whining. Replaced fluid eliminated whining. Right rear wheel bearing had to be replaced. Bolts holding in place were frozen and head snapped off -- had to be heated to break loosed. Heating up required replacing several bushings in additional to replacing bolt & wheel bearing.
Jul 2017 145000 mi US $700	Replaced radiator
Aug 2017 145000 mi US $75	Bearings in one of the idler arm pulley went and had to be replaced

Subaru WRX in Oregon, United States Jul 2006 - Jun 2022
Jun 2006 3300 mi	Replaced outside temperature sensor under warranty.
May 2010 29000 mi US $4	Water leaked into driver's foglight and misted lens. Replaced sealing gasket and realigned housing
Mar 2017 68000 mi US $85	Inner Right CV Boot cracked - due to turbo heat. Replaced BOTH axles to be safe.
Jun 2017 68500 mi US $1050	Clutch, pressure plate, engine rear oil seal (possibly seeping a little), throwout bearing, clutch fork and pivot.
Oct 2021 78500 mi US $150	Radiator had a pinhole leak in top plastic cap. Replaced radiator, refilled coolant.
Jan 2022 79700 mi US $175	Power Steering pump got noisy and unchanged PS fluid was probably part of the problem. Replaced PS pump, and fluid.

Subaru WRX in Colorado, United States Jun 2008 - Jan 2012
Oct 2010 97000 mi US $100	In for 90k service with clutch replace. Trans snout worn - tech installed "Speedy Sleeve" and new throw out bearing. In for 90k service with clutch replace. Found shift shaft seal leaking - replaced. In for 90k service with clutch replace. Found left/front inner CV boot leaking - replaced boot.
Jan 2011 100000 mi US $30	Replaced squeaking A/C idler pulley

Subaru WRX in Washington, United States Oct 2006 - May 2019
Aug 2012 41900 mi US $300	Turbo wastegate was not moving freely, boost was not being controlled properly. Sometimes overboosting and sometimes under boosting. Replaced turbo exhaust housing from a used turbo.
Jun 2015 55000 mi US $145	Noisy front left wheel bearing. Replaced wheel bearing. Front right inner axle boot leaking grease. Replaced grease, boot and clip.
Sep 2016 60000 mi US $100	CEL due to stuck air valve. Air pump also noisy. Replaced air pump and air valve with used parts. Old valve was badly corroded and full of water.
Mar 2018 69000 mi US $150	Crack in radiator causing coolant loss. Radiator replaced.

Subaru WRX in New York, United States Mar 2008 - Jun 2011
Apr 2008 55000 mi US $380	The driver's side secondary air combi valve failed in the open position. As a result exhaust was leaking via the air pump, and the CEL light came on. The part was $380 retail from Subaru. I did the troubleshooting, servicing and mechanical work myself.

Subaru WRX in Arizona, United States Nov 2006 - Sep 2014
Jul 2010 100000 mi US $95	Recharge AC and check for leaks
May 2012 146500 mi US $201	Leaky radiator hose led to coolant levels being too low to circulate.
Sep 2012 149000 mi US $470	Radiator leaking
Oct 2012 150000 mi US $120	Power steering pump seized Ac compressor clutch became unable to stay engaged. No need to fix given time of year.
Nov 2012 152400 mi US $1100	Replaced clutch, release bearing wore out. Then had to bring the car back the next week because they did not firmly attach the prop-shaft hangers (thus the 2 days). They did not charge for the second repair, as it was their fault.
Mar 2014	Head gasket went. Extracted engine myself, had heads rebuilt. Update: later discovered it was just a very hard to locate hose was spraying coolant. I took the opportunity to do a rebuild regardless. Replaced the AC compressor with one I bought for $100 from the junkyard myself.
Sep 2014 170000 mi US $6000	Cost 6k all in for labor to reassemble the drivetrain and replace the short block (cylinder walls were corroded by coolant from head gasket failure). Had I not tried to fix it myself it would've been more like $3,500.

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Subaru WRX in Oregon, United States Aug 2011 - Nov 2011
Sep 2011 56000 mi	Loud clock spring that dealer quoted $300 to replace. Forget it.
Nov 2011 58000 mi	Loud clock spring when sold.

Subaru WRX in British Columbia, Canada Nov 2006 - Mar 2010
Dec 2006 8060 mi	First and second gear teeth were damaged so that the transmission would not shift into either gear. Dealership said it was caused by abuse and therefore would not cover it under warranty. Subaru has an issue with their transimssions that they won't admit Driveshaft hanger bracket was installed incorrectly and is now hitting the exhaust.

Subaru WRX in Ohio, United States Oct 2006 - Jul 2018

Subaru WRX in California, United States Jun 2014 - Jul 2015
Sep 2014 110000 mi US $950	Throwout bearing seized. Had to replace clutch, throwout, pilot, and clutch master cylinder Crack in radiator necessitated replacement

Subaru WRX in Texas, United States Sep 2007 - Jun 2016
Feb 2013 95000 mi US $400	Leak in high pressure side of A/C. O-rings and high side hose replaced. System refilled with refrigerant and oil to OEM spec.
Nov 2015 132000 mi US $2000	Engine failure

Subaru WRX in Massachusetts, United States Oct 2009 - Jul 2011
Nov 2010 64000 mi US $425	Heard warbling noise (wom-wom-wom) at speed. Suspected wheel bearings. Shop replaced front wheel bearings, which did reduce some noise while turning, but did not fix the initial problem.
Jan 2011 66000 mi US $25	Had both front wheel bearings re-replaced, since original replacements failed during January. Now, a week later, noise is back. Suspect hubs. Will return to shop this month.
Apr 2011 68500 mi US $1000	Wheel bearings were still making noise. Brought car to different shop, replaced front bearings + hubs, problem solved. Front-right tie rod end was leaking grease, causing loose steering. Replaced part, steering tightness restored.

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Subaru WRX in Illinois, United States Apr 2010 - Jun 2013
Jun 2013 118000 mi US $3000	Cylinder #2 intake valve sleeve caused valve to be sticky in closing and thus causing damage to other valves in cylinder - bent one, caused valve seat insert to be dislodged slightly. Misfire CEL, low compression and leak-down.

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Subaru Impreza in New Brunswick, Canada Feb 2015 - Sep 2017
Apr 2015 63240 mi C $1000	Replace front calipers. Exhaust replacement.

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Subaru Impreza in Virginia, United States Oct 2006 - Jan 2015
Feb 2011 67000 mi US $235	Replace leaking valve cover gaskets.
Aug 2011 72000 mi US $40	Check engine light came on, then cleared itself after 1 day. Shop determined error code was "no start condition". Problem has not reappeared.
Feb 2013 85700 mi US $140	belt was slipping, was replaces
Jun 2014 96000 mi US $140	Idler pulley squealing
Jan 2015 84000 mi	Intermittent code for converter low efficiency

Subaru Impreza in Maryland, United States Sep 2007 - Sep 2013
Jun 2007 40000 mi US $150	Front Windshield Crack replaced

Subaru Impreza in Arkansas, United States May 2016 - Nov 2019
Sep 2017 131000 mi US $10	Clip holding the throw-out bearing snapped and cause bearing to rub on pressure plate in clutch. Full clutch failure in 4 days. Had to purchase a new clutch kit, throw-out bearing clips and gasket for exhaust. Took about 8 hours to replace. Replaced driver side headlight.
Feb 2018 138000 mi US $500	Cylinders random misfire due to old and corroding parts. Changed spark plugs, wiring, and coil packs.

Subaru Impreza in Pennsylvania, United States Apr 2008 - Jun 2018
Jan 2015 46200 mi US $100	Alternator replaced.

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Subaru Impreza in Illinois, United States Apr 2012 - Mar 2017
Jun 2012 100000 mi US $1700	Right around 100,000 miles I needed the head gaskets replaced and went ahead and changed out the whole lower end at the same time. Water Pump, timing chain ect... Cost $1700
Jul 2014 125000 mi US $250	Around 125,000 miles I needed the front left Wheel bearing replaced. No big deal. Cost $250
Nov 2016 186100 mi US $240	Miss fire in Cylinder 1. New plugs and wires as well as a new Main Drive Belt to stop the squealing.

Subaru Impreza in Barbados Feb 2008 - Mar 2009
Feb 2008	Replacement of Driver side power window motor.

Subaru Impreza in Tennessee, United States Aug 2016 - Jun 2018
Oct 2017 148780 mi	Cleaned throttle body. The car wasn't idling correctly and kept setting off the check engine light with low idle codes, and cleaning that fixed it.
Feb 2018 156000 mi US $350	Passenger side Wheel bearing was making a rumbling noise. I had the wheel bearing and all of the seals replaced.
Jun 2018 159500 mi US $40	Replaced both power steering reservoir hoses, they had become old and hardened.

Subaru Impreza in Ontario, Canada Mar 2008 - Mar 2010
Oct 2008 44640 mi	Blinking check engine light. They could never replicate it nor found it from ECU. It goes on usually after cold start; then went away after 5 to 10 mins of slow driving.

Subaru Impreza in Ontario, Canada Sep 2014 - Nov 2014
Sep 2014 186000 mi C $900	Replaced all the wiring. Car kept stalling and wires were brittle. Oil pan rusted through. Replaced pan.

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Subaru WRX in Vermont, United States Mar 2010 - Jun 2011
Apr 2010 23000 mi	valve timing sensor replaced.

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Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport in Washington, United States Sep 2010 - Jun 2022
Jan 2012	Adjust frameless windows to reduce wind noise. Used subaru forums to get basic understanding of adjustment. Partially successful, but not entirely.
Aug 2013 67000 mi	Compass in mirror backlight failure, no longer can be read in daylight
Mar 2014 71000 mi	Slight seepage around head gaskets. Not fixed yet. Left inner axle boot seeping at outer clamp. Not fixed yet.
Aug 2014 76000 mi US $50	Broken wheel stud on right rear corner, replaced. Wheel felt funny, found they were all loose, one snapped off when tightened.
Jul 2015 79700 mi US $2800	Replace head gaskets, resurface heads Clutch shudder, flywheel surface worn prematurely. clutch still had 50% life. Clutch and flywheel replaced.
Oct 2016 87300 mi US $270	Muffler whistles, rear muffler replaced (broken baffles)
Mar 2017 90000 mi US $63	Overheat at sustained high speed, cooling escaping. Replaced Radiator, thermostat, and cap. Broken Wheel Stud replaced.

Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport in Ohio, United States Oct 2014 - Oct 2021
May 2017 113000 mi US $1000	Battery and lead replacement

Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport in Ohio, United States Aug 2006 - Sep 2016
Oct 2006 12000 mi	Minor hesitation off idle solved with ECU (engine computer) software update.
Dec 2010 68000 mi US $150	Shifter was extremely stiff/slow when cold (manual transmission). Difficult to shift into reverse. Lubed and adjusted shift linkage, replaced transmission oil with synthetic. Problem resolved.
Mar 2012 86000 mi	Diagnose rattle/resonance from rear of car at 65 mph. Noise traced to very rusty, loose exhaust system. Driveability/reliability not affected. Elected to replace at later date. Was not charged for diagnosis.
Jul 2013 102300 mi	Attempt to locate rattle under car. Unable to locate and not charged.
Aug 2013 102900 mi US $50	Diagnose exhaust rattle. Located broken weld. Referred to other shop with welding capability. Welded exhaust to fix rattle. Was diagnosed but not repaired by dealership.
Oct 2013 104200 mi US $200	Shifter became immobile and engine would stall whenever clutch was released. Flatbed towed to dealership. Problem could not be duplicated once the car was at the dealer. Still unresolved.
Aug 2014 110400 mi US $600	Replace both front inner CV boots. Diagnose multiple odd noises. Whistling/squealing diagnosed as pinhole exhaust leak. Noise from bell housing diagnosed as failing throwout bearing.
Sep 2014 112000 mi	Follow up from previous visit (noise from throwout bearing). Removed transmission and installed clutch kit. Also discovered leaking transmission seal inside bell housing. Approximately one week after previous repair, car began shaking violently upon clutch engagement. Returned to dealer, problem diagnosed as defective replacement clutch. Repaired free of charge.
Oct 2014 113000 mi	Noticed extensive transmission oil leakage. Returned to dealer. Axle seal improperly installed during previous repair trip. Fixed free of charge
Apr 2015 117300 mi US $132	Tailgate latch failed. Unable to open tailgate. Replaced exterior handle.
Jul 2015 121500 mi US $250	Replace muffler and other exhaust components to address previously diagnosed exhaust leak.
Jan 2016 125000 mi	Little to no assist from power steering immediately after cold start on days below freezing. Also noticed excessive whine from power steering pump. Shop unable to duplicate problem (warmer day). Elected not to pay for further teardown.
Aug 2016 127000 mi US $200	ABS light on. Multiple whees speed sensor codes. Tried cleaning sensors and connections. Unable to resolve problem.

Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport in Alberta, Canada Sep 2014 - Oct 2015
Oct 2015 77500 mi C $450	Blower motor failed. Cannot just swap out the motor so I had to replace the entire Blower assembly.

Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport in Massachusetts, United States Mar 2014 - May 2015
Jul 2014 67300 mi	One rear strut leaking; recommend replacing both and rebalance. Not addressing right now; may replace this car in early 2015.
May 2015 72000 mi	Car used oil between oil change intervals from the beginning. Sometimes the oil got lower than it should have before owner added oil. Piston rod bearing eventually deteriorated and a new short block was recommended.

Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport in Pennsylvania, United States Jun 2011 - Jul 2018
Apr 2012 107800 mi US $600	Ignition coil cracked at wire connections. Replaced coil wires and plugs.
Dec 2013 141000 mi	The car needed two quarts of oil on our trip to South Carolina- approximately 1400 miles round trip. We thought we saw an oil leakage. The shop couldn't determine the cause, saw no evidence either. Was told the headgasket was leaking oil.
May 2014 149400 mi	Headlight bulb. Very difficult to access, but at least it wasn't the headlamp on the driver's side which requires one to take out the battery.
Jun 2014 151000 mi US $673	left front ball joint loose; tech replaced it right front corner marker bulb out; tech replaced the bulb
Nov 2014 155000 mi US $1200	I had a leaking head gasket on the passenger side. Had both replaced. They also replaced the timing belt and kit (?). Radiator hoses replaced. Also, o -rings on oil dipstick (?). Had to take it back for this a week later. No charge.
May 2015 165000 mi US $800	The front catalytic converter was replaced. My check engine light had been going on and off for well over two years. I finally decided to get the repairs done.
Jul 2018 221000 mi US $500	One rear strut was leaking. Both struts were replaced. I noticed a noise in the rear. It was the heat shield above the muffler rattling around. The mechanic removed it and said I could replace it if I wanted to at a later time. He also found a rusted hole in the center pipe, so the pipe and the muffler were replaced with aftermarket parts.

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Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport in Nova Scotia, Canada Apr 2018 - May 2019
May 2018 76880 mi C $300	Replaced all 4 wheels brake pads and front rotors Wheel bearing noise from rear of car, Replaced both rear wheel bearings and seals. CEL was On and fault code indicated O2 sensor before cat., replaced sensor and checked connections and took voltage readings. All checked out ok but CEL came back, am stumped.
Apr 2019	CEL turned out to be a bad pin connection in the main engine harness.

Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport in Massachusetts, United States Sep 2011 - Oct 2012
Oct 2012 130000 mi US $400	Needed new throttle body. Transmission gasket failure, leaking fluid.

Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport in British Columbia, Canada Mar 2008 - Aug 2011
Jan 2010 68820 mi C $420	Left rear wheel bearing worn/failed - replaced.

Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport in North Dakota, United States Feb 2012 - Apr 2013
Dec 2012 85000 mi US $289	electric window failed to work properly

Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport in Ohio, United States May 2012 - Jun 2012
Jun 2012 110000 mi US $800	Alternator replaced Fuel injectors cleaned Oil change

Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport in Tennessee, United States Apr 2013 - Jul 2013
May 2013 91000 mi US $300	Bad wheel bearings
Jul 2013 91000 mi US $200	Bad rear end bearing. Rebuilt the rear-end. Throttle body dirty, causing check engine light to engage. $115 to diagnose and $85 to spend 15 min. cleaning the part.

Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport in Connecticut, United States Jan 2014 - Mar 2017
Aug 2014 88100 mi US $300	wheel bearing needed replaced
Dec 2014 91000 mi US $2000	Head gaskets needed replacing. oil and antifreeze leaking everywhere

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2006 Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport repairs by problem area

2006 Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport repair cost distribution

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2006 Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport Repair Histories