2003 Subaru Impreza problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Fuel/Propulsion System (12) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip (9) · Fuel System, Gasoline (7)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Subaru Impreza model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
52 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (1)
Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm 2011-09-06 · campaign 11V464000 · 318,215 vehicles
Defect: SUBARU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2002-2007 IMPREZA, MODEL YEAR 2003-2008 FORESTER, AND MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 SAAB 9-2X VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 5, 2000 THROUGH NOVEMBER 26, 2007 ORIGINALLY SOLD, OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN, MASSACHUSETTS, MARYLAND, MICHIGAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, VERMONT, WISCONSIN, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IOWA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MAINE, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW JERSEY, OHIO, RHODE ISLAND, WEST VIRGINIA AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THE FRONT L
Risk: A BROKEN CONTROL ARM CAN RESULT IN THE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Fix: SUBARU WILL HANDLE THEIR VEHICLES AND SAAB WILL HANDLE THEIRS. DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DEGREE OF CORROSION OF THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS, AND WILL EITHER RUSTPROOF OR REPLACE THEM. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING DECEMBER 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SAAB AT 1-800-955-9007.
Service bulletins (152)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-10-05 · SubaruNet Announcement (M · Other
this announcement provides information on a new software update for the midtronics dss and dca machines.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-18 · 13-109-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-15 · SubaruNet Announcement (C · Other
this announcement provides an update to all 2027 model year subaru warranty coverages for wear items and adjustments.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-14 · 15-333-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. this is an revised version of the original bulletin.
Electrical System 2026-09-14 · 15-304-22R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of infotainment concerns. this is an revised version of the original bulletin.
Electrical System 2026-08-20 · 15-308-23R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this service information bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experiencing battery drain when the ignition is off, leading to no-start conditions or frequent jump-starts.this is an revised version of the original bulletin.
Showing the 6 most recent of 152 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2022-01-25 · Fuel/Propulsion System“my 2003 subaru impreza wrx has a very strong fuel odor that is coming into the cabin when i start my car up on cold days. it's been unusually cold here in washington state this winter with temperatures in seattle dipping well below freezing. i see that there is a recall for this exact problem for my exact car (https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2009/…”
2021-03-26 · Fuel/Propulsion System · 130,000 mi“i noticed fresh smell of gasoline everytime i start the car. i look at the fuel line and its sipping fuel.…”
2021-03-08 · Fuel/Propulsion System · 180,000 mi“subaru of america recall wvk-21 occured while driving at operating temperature, causing smoke to rise from engine bay. subaru of america refused to fix the issue as my vin did not come up in their system with the recall.…”
2020-12-10 · Suspension · 205,000 mi“on the night of 12/6/2020 i was backing out of a friends driveway to drive home, when i reached the street, i heard a loud clunk and a grinding noise. i got out of my car to investigate what had just happened and the front portion of my passenger side front lower control arm had completely lost all structural integrity. fortunately my car was at …”
2020-03-18 · Engine · 170,000 mi“head gasket issue. weeping oil between the heads and the block. no longer own vehicle.…”
2019-02-20 · Fuel/Propulsion System · 159,800 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2003 subaru impreza. the contact smelled fuel inside and outside the engine bay. the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 09v468000 (fuel system, gasoline). kearny mesa subaru (4797 convoy st, san diego, ca 92111, (858) 278-7100) was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in a recall. the vehicle…”
2018-12-11 · Suspension · 115,000 mi“lower passenger control arm tore off. as a result, loss control of vehicle at high speed on the highway.…”
2016-12-06 · Fuel/Propulsion System · 148,000 mi“fuel line leaking gas in cold weather. i really don't think it's safe to drive with quite a bit of gas leaking all over the right side of the engine that gets very hot and could cause a fire.…”
2016-10-13 · Structure:body · 140,000 mi · 💥 crash“takata air bag did not deploy. side impact sensor did not work. the car traveled sideways into a large oak tree in excess of 35 mph . the point of impact was where the side impact sensor was located . none of the airbags deployed . subaru has been very uncooperative with answers as to why the airbags did not deploy . this happened upon …”
2016-09-14 · Structure:body · 160,000 mi · 💥 crash“https://services.neframework.com/imageretrieval.aspx?id=974f272d-0461-4ff2-97a8-b175c14ec539 that describes how the crash happened. airbags did not deploy. i suffered broken left elbow, fracture in my skull,ribs and shoulder. also severe brain trauma. i have a lot of pictures, but it will only let me attach one. there is frontal damage from a sm…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.