2016 SUBARU WRX Owners Manual

. The SRS airbags deploy with
considerable speed and force.
Occupants who are out of proper
position when the SRS airbag
deploys could suffer very serious
injuries. Because the SRS airbag
needs enough space for deploy-
ment, the driver should always
sit upright and well back in the
seat as far from the steering
wheel as practical while still
maintaining full vehicle control
and the front passenger should
move the seat as far back as
possible and sit upright and well
back in the seat.
For instructions and precautions, carefully
read the following sections.
. For the seatbelt system, refer to “ Seat-
belts ” F 1-11.
. For the SRS airbag system, refer to
“ *SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint
System airbag) ” F 1-33. & Child safety WARNING. Never hold a child on your lap or
in your arms while the vehicle is
moving. The passenger cannot
protect the child from injury in a
collision, because the child will
be caught between the passen-
ger and objects inside the vehi-
cle.
. While riding in the vehicle, in-
fants and small children should
always be placed in the REAR
seat in an infant or child restraint
system which is appropriate for
the child ’ s age, height and
weight. If a child is too big for a
child restraint system, the child
should sit in the REAR seat and
be restrained using the seatbelts.
According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seating
positions than in the front seat-
ing positions. Never allow a child
to stand up or kneel on the seat.
. Put children in the REAR seat
properly restrained at all times in
a child restraint device or in a
seatbelt. The SRS airbag deploys with considerable speed and
force and can injure or even kill
children, especially if they are
not restrained or improperly re-
strained. Because children are
lighter and weaker than adults,
their risk of being injured from
deployment is greater.
. NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD
FACING CHILD SEAT IN THE
FRONT SEAT. DOING SO RISKS
SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO
THE CHILD BY PLACING THE
CHILD ’ S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO
THE SRS AIRBAG.
. Always turn the child safety locks
to the “ LOCK ” position when
children sit in the rear seat.
Serious injury could result if a
child accidentally opens the door
and falls out. Refer to “ Child
safety locks ” F 2-32.
. Always lock the passenger ’ s win-
dows using the lock switch when
children are riding in the vehicle.
Failure to follow this procedure
could result in injury to a child
operating the power window. Re-
fer to “ Windows ” F 2-32.
. Never leave unattended children,
adults or animals in the vehicle.4

They could accidentally injure
themselves or others through
inadvertent operation of the ve-
hicle. Also, on hot or sunny days,
the temperature in a closed ve-
hicle could quickly become high
enough to cause severe or pos-
sibly fatal injuries.
. Help prevent children, adults or
animals from locking themselves
in the trunk. On hot or sunny
days, the temperature in the
trunk could quickly become high
enough to cause death or serious
heat-related injuries including
brain damage to anyone locked
inside, particularly for small chil-
dren.
. When leaving the vehicle, close
all windows and lock all doors.
Also make certain that the trunk
is closed.
For instructions and precautions, carefully
read the following sections.
. For the seatbelt system, refer to “ Seat-
belts ” F 1-11.
. For the child restraint system, refer to
“ Child restraint systems ” F 1-21.
. For the SRS airbag system, refer to
“ *SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag) ” F 1-33.
& Engine exhaust gas (carbon
monoxide) WARNING. Never inhale engine exhaust gas.
Engine exhaust gas contains
carbon monoxide, a colorless
and odorless gas which is dan-
gerous, or even lethal, if inhaled.
. Always properly maintain the en-
gine exhaust system to prevent
engine exhaust gas from enter-
ing the vehicle.
. Never run the engine in a closed
space, such as a garage, except
for the brief time needed to drive
the vehicle in or out of it.
. Avoid remaining in a parked
vehicle for a lengthy time while
the engine is running. If that is
unavoidable, then use the venti-
lation fan to force fresh air into
the vehicle.
. Always keep the front ventilator
inlet grille free from snow, leaves
or other obstructions to ensure
that the ventilation system al-
ways works properly. . If at any time you suspect that
exhaust fumes are entering the
vehicle, have the problem
checked and corrected as soon
as possible. If you must drive
under these conditions, drive
only with all windows fully open.
. Keep the trunk lid closed while
driving to prevent exhaust gas
from entering the vehicle.
& Drinking and driving
WARNINGDrinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Alcohol in the blood-
stream delays your reaction time
and impairs your perception, judg-
ment and attentiveness. If you drive
after drinking – even if you drink just
a little – it will increase the risk of
being involved in a serious or fatal
accident, injuring or killing yourself,
your passengers and others. In
addition, if you are injured in the
accident, alcohol may increase the
severity of that injury.
Please don ’ t drink and drive.
Drunken driving is one of the most
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frequent causes of accidents. Since alco-
hol affects all people differently, you may
have consumed too much alcohol to drive
safely even if the level of alcohol in your
blood is below the legal limit. The safest
thing you can do is never drink and drive.
However if you have no choice but to
drive, stop drinking and sober up comple-
tely before getting behind the wheel.
& Drugs and driving WARNINGThere are some drugs (over the
counter and prescription) that can
delay your reaction time and impair
your perception, judgment and at-
tentiveness. If you drive after taking
them, it may increase your, your
passengers ’ and other persons ’ risk
of being involved in a serious or
fatal accident.
If you are taking any drugs, check with
your doctor or pharmacist or read the
literature that accompanies the medication
to determine if the drug you are taking can
impair your driving ability. Do not drive
after taking any medications that can
make you drowsy or otherwise affect your
ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. If
you have a medical condition that requires you to take drugs, please consult with
your doctor.
Never drive if you are under the influence
of any illicit mind-altering drugs. For your
own health and well-being, we urge you
not to take illegal drugs in the first place
and to seek treatment if you are addicted
to those drugs.
& Driving when tired or sleepy WARNINGWhen you are tired or sleepy, your
reaction time will be delayed and
your perception, judgment and at-
tentiveness will be impaired. If you
drive when tired or sleepy, your,
your passengers ’ and other per-
sons ’ chances of being involved in
a serious accident may increase.
Please do not continue to drive but
instead find a safe place to rest if you
are tired or sleepy. On long trips, you
should make periodic rest stops to refresh
yourself before continuing on your journey.
When possible, you should share the
driving with others. & Modification of your vehicle CAUTIONYour vehicle should not be modified
other than with genuine SUBARU
parts and accessories. Other types
of modifications could affect its
performance, safety or durability,
and may even violate governmental
regulations. In addition, damage or
performance problems resulting
from modification may not be cov-
ered under warranties.
NOTE This vehicle is equipped with a function
that will record certain vehicle data in
the event the vehicle is operated or
maintained in a manner that exceeds or
varies from routine normal use.
That data may be used as a means of
determining whether or not a vehicle
condition is eligible for repair under
warranty.6

& Car phone/cell phone and
driving CAUTIONDo not use a car phone/cell phone
while driving; it may distract your
attention from driving and can lead
to an accident. If you use a car
phone/cell phone, pull off the road
and park in a safe place before
using your phone. In some States/
Provinces, only hands-free phones
may legally be used while driving.
& Driving vehicles equipped
with navigation system
WARNING
Do not allow the monitor to distract
your attention from driving. Also, do
not operate the controls of the
navigation system while driving.
The loss of attention to driving
could lead to an accident. If you
wish to operate the controls of the
navigation system, first take the
vehicle off the road and stop it in a
safe place. & Driving with pets Unrestrained pets can interfere with your
driving and distract your attention from
driving. In a collision or sudden stop,
unrestrained pets or cages can be thrown
around inside the vehicle and hurt you or
your passengers. Besides, the pets can
be hurt under these situations. It is also for
their own safety that pets should be
properly restrained in your vehicle. Re-
strain a pet with a special traveling
harness which can be secured to the rear
seat with a seatbelt or use a pet carrier
which can be secured to the rear seat by
routing a seatbelt through the carrier ’ s
handle. Never restrain pets or pet carriers
in the front passenger ’ s seat. For further
information, consult your veterinarian,
local animal protection society or pet
shop.
& Tire pressures Check and, if necessary, adjust the
pressure of each tire (including the spare)
at least once a month and before any long
journey.
Check the tire pressure when the tires are
cold. Use a pressure gauge to adjust the
tire pressures to the values shown on the
tire placard. For detailed information, refer
to “ Tires and wheels ” F 11-31. WARNINGDriving at high speeds with exces-
sively low tire pressures can cause
the tires to deform severely and to
rapidly become hot. A sharp in-
crease in temperature could cause
tread separation, and destruction of
the tires. The resulting loss of
vehicle control could lead to an
accident.7

General information & California proposition 65
warning WARNINGEngine exhaust, some of its consti-
tuents, and certain vehicle compo-
nents contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. In addi-
tion, certain fluids in vehicles and
certain components of product wear
contain or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
& California Perchlorate Advi-
soryCertain vehicle components such as air-
bag modules, seatbelt pretensioners and
keyless entry transmitter batteries may
contain perchlorate material. Special
handling may apply for service or vehicle
end of life disposal. See www.dtsc.ca.gov/
hazardouswaste/perchlorate. & Noise from under the vehicle
NOTE You may hear a noise from under the
vehicle approximately 5 to 10 hours
after the engine is turned off. However,
this does not indicate a malfunction.
This noise is caused by the operation
of the fuel evaporation leakage check-
ing system and the operation is normal.
The noise will stop after approximately
15 minutes.
& Event data recorder This vehicle is equipped with an event
data recorder (EDR). The main purpose of
an EDR is to record, in certain crash or
near crash-like situations, such as an air
bag deployment or hitting a road obstacle,
data that will assist in understanding how
a vehicle ’ s systems performed. The EDR
is designed to record data related to
vehicle dynamics and safety systems for
a short period of time, typically 30 seconds
or less. The EDR in this vehicle is
designed to record such data as:
. How various systems in your vehicle
were operating;
. Whether or not the driver and passen-
ger safety belts were buckled/fastened;
. How far (if at all) the driver was
depressing the accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
. How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better
understanding of the circumstances in
which crashes and injuries occur. NOTE:
EDR data are recorded by your vehicle
only if a non-trivial crash situation occurs;
no data are recorded by the EDR under
normal driving conditions and no personal
data (e.g., name, gender, age, and crash
location) are recorded. However, other
parties, such as law enforcement, could
combine the EDR data with the type of
personally identifying data routinely ac-
quired during a crash investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special
equipment is required, and access to the
vehicle or the EDR is needed. In addition
to the vehicle manufacturer, other parties,
such as law enforcement, that have the
special equipment, can read the informa-
tion if they have access to the vehicle or
the EDR.8

Table of contents Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1Keys and doors
2Instruments and controls
Climate control
4Audio
5
Interior equipment
6
Starting and operating
7
Driving tips
8
In case of emergency
9
Appearance care
10
Maintenance and service
11
Specifications
12
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
13
Index
14 3

Illustrated index & Exterior 1) Engine hood (page 11-9)
2) Front wiper (page 3-101)
3) Headlight (page 3-95)
4) Replacing bulbs (page 11-44)
5) Moonroof (page 2-38)
6) Door locks (page 2-5)
7) Outside mirrors (page 3-111)
8) Tire pressure (page 11-33)
9) Flat tires (page 9-4)
10) Snow tires (page 8-9)
11) Fog light (page 3-99)
12) Tie-down hooks (page 9-12)
13) Towing hook (page 9-12)10

1) Rear window defogger (page 3-112)
2) Fuel filler lid and cap (page 7-5)
3) Child safety locks (page 2-32)
4) Tie-down hole (page 9-12)
5) Trunk lid (page 2-36)
6) Towing hook (page 9-12)
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