My Subaru Salesperson Should Have Informed Me, I Would Not Have Bought The Impreza RS After What I Found On The Post-Sale Walk Around

I would not have purchased the Subaru Impreza if I had known.

That's what Bob told me after he read one of my Subaru reports. Here is his story of why car salespeople must grasp the significance of full disclosure about a new car before customers commit. Here is Bob's intriguing story: He recently purchased a new 2024 Subaru Impreza RS, and when asked if he would buy the same car, he would say no. 

Bob wrote to me and told me he was unhappy about his Subaru salesperson's failure to inform him about the Impreza. He responded after he read my report on 5 Things My Subaru Salesperson Should Have Told Me About My New Vehicle But Didn't. 

Bob wrote, "You left something important out about what the Subaru salesman should have told me. I bought an Impreza that comes without a spare tire, and that Subaru won't even make one for you. Luckily, I saw it when I did a post-sale car walk around the car before leaving the dealership. I should have been informed of it before I bought the car, though, as it's a safety issue, and I would not have bought the car if I knew it beforehand."

I replied to Bob and told him his Subaru salesperson should have pointed it out before he decided to buy the new Impreza compact hatch. 

"Hi Denis, thanks for getting back to me. It really is a big deal, as people are walking out of dealerships with new cars (not just Subarus) without knowing they don't have a spare in their trunk. It's important to me because the last car I had got lots of flats, from city potholes to being on the freeway -- so I know it will cause a problem sooner or later. Alright, thanks for all you do!"

I asked Bob to give me more details of what happened to him so I could share it with readers.

Bob tells his story.

"Great, happy to provide the details. Here is what I learned from the Subaru dealer about Imprezas and the spare tire situation (I have a 2024 Subaru Impreza RS). I will detail my experience buying the car below, but these are the relevant things I only found out after I paid for my car. The Imprezas do not come with a spare." 

"The Impreza RS comes standard with a fix-a-flat kit in the trunk. Subaru does not make spare tires that would fit the Impreza line anymore. So you can't even buy an OEM-made spare as an add-on. Subaru does not recommend using any spare tire on the car as they said it will likely harm the all-wheel-drive due to wheels operating at varying rotation speeds (not sure what changed that they could provide a spare in previous models)." 

I checked Subaru's specifications section on the 2024 Impreza under the Wheels and Tires category, and the only thing Subaru mentions is that the Impreza comes with a "Tire repair kit." The Subaru of America website does not mention that the Impreza does not even come with a temporary spare tire designed to drive a distance of 50-70 miles and not over 50 miles per hour. 

Bob continues his story.

"There is still a wheel well in the trunk where a spare tire could go (they now put the fix-a-flat kit in that space). Here are some things I found out on the internet related not from the Subaru dealer. The foam insert that holds the spare tires on the Crosstreks fits into the Impreza wheel well (may need some minor modifications)." 

"There is at least one company that makes after-market spare tires (the company is called "Modern Spare") that they say will work with the Subaru Impreza and Impreza RS (but again, Subaru warns against using any spare tire on the car)." 

"As far as my sales experience, and what was so disturbing, was I was never informed that the car came without a spare tire and that there would be no option to buy a spare tire for the car even if I wanted one to address my safety concerns." 

"I only found out that the car had no spare after I purchased the car. I was given a tour of the car and all its systems and functionality, and I luckily asked the product specialist where the key for the wheel locks was. That's when he showed me the area with the fix-a-flat kit, and I was stunned not to see a spare tire." 

"Had I not asked, the first time I would have learned that the car did not have a spare tire would have been when I was on the side of the road needing to fix one." 

"The car industry has been moving in this direction for several years. However, I still don't believe it is right not to inform people about the lack of a spare tire. Also, this problem is not just related to Subaru vehicles; many manufacturers are doing the same thing. I posted about my experience on Facebook, and at least three people responded, "That same thing happened to me." 

Thank you, Bob, for sharing your Subaru Impreza story and explaining why it's important for salespersons to let customers know every detail about the new car before they buy it. 

Do you have an interesting Subaru story you'd like to share? We want to hear from you. If so, click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know.

Check out Warren's story: "My Weak Subaru Salesman Wouldn’t Sell Me A Bike Rack On Display, Someone Overheard, Took It Off, and I Put It On My New Crosstrek In The Parking Lot."

I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Writer since 2012. I’ve invested over 13 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role, working with every major car brand. I am an experienced Rocky Mountain Automotive Press member. You'll find my expert Subaru analysis here. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Denis Flierl via Tucson Subaru