2003 Subaru Impreza Problems, Recalls & Reliability
64 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2003 Subaru Impreza, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 5 defect investigations. It scores 28/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Fuel system leads the reports, typically around 101,800 miles.
Typical
Where 2003 sits among all Impreza years
What owners report
“I noticed fresh smell of gasoline everytime i start the car. I look at the fuel line and its sipping fuel.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Impreza
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 53 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 70,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 19,200 and 135,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
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,…
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…
SUBARU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2002 AND 2003 IMPREZA WRX VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF SOUTH DAKOTA, NEBRASKA, NORTH DAKOTA, MINNESOTA, IDAHO, IOWA, MONTANA, COLORADO, WISCONSIN, NEW YORK, WYOMING, MICHIGAN,…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL LINE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 31, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.
SUBARU IS RECALLING 36,791 MY 2002-2003 IMPREZA WAGONS. THE STUD BOLT(S) OF REAR GATE STAY MAY HAVE BEEN TIGHTENED WITH INSUFFICIENT TIGHTENING TORQUE AND A GAP MAY HAVE RESULTED BETWEEN THE REAR GATE PANEL AND STUD BOLT BASE. AFTER REPEATED REAR GATE…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT TO SEE IF THERE IS ANY GAP AT THE STUD BOLT OF THE REAR GATE STAY INSTALLATION. IF A GAP IS FOUND, THE STUD BOLT WILL BE REMOVED TO CHECK FOR DAMAGE TO THE WELDING NUT. IF THE…
ON CERTAIN SEDAN AND WAGON MODEL VEHICLES, THE LEFT FRONT BOLT THAT RETAINS THE FORWARD PART OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT TO THE SEAT SLIDE RAIL MAY LOOSEN. IF THE SEAT SLIDE RAIL BOLT LOOSENS, IT WILL EVENTUALLY FALL OUT, AND THE SEAT MAY SEPARATE FROM THE SEAT…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW LEFT HAND DRIVER'S SEAT RAIL MOUNTING BOLT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 20, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER SEDANS, WAGONS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE COULD COME OUT OF ITS TRACK ON THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVER AND LODGE ON THE CONTROL LEVER TAB WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS RELEASED. IF THIS CONDITION OCCURS, THE…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A CRUISE CONTROL CABLE RETAINING CLIP TO THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVER TAB ON THE THROTTLE SHAFT IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE FROM COMING OUT OF ITS TRACK. OWNER…
CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY AND PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS WERE PRODUCED WITH AN IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION PARKING ROD. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR LEVER IS PLACED IN THE "P" (PARK) POSITION, THE TRANSMISSION PARK…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PARKING ROD ASSEMBLY. OWNER NOTIFICATION JANUARY 8, 2003. AN INTERIM OWNER NOTIFICATION WILL BE SENT DURING NOVEMBER 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 13V172000.
Led to recall campaign 11V464000.
Led to recall campaign 09V468000.
Technical service bulletins
143 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2003 Subaru Impreza. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2003 Impreza TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2003 Subaru Impreza reliable?
The 2003 Subaru Impreza drew 64 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 28/100, scored against the model's worst year (2012).
What are the most common 2003 Subaru Impreza problems?
The top reported problems for the 2003 Subaru Impreza are fuel system (25 complaints), brakes & stability (14), and engine (5).
At what mileage do 2003 Subaru Impreza problems show up?
Owners most often report 2003 Subaru Impreza problems around 70,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 19,200 and 135,000 miles.
Does the 2003 Subaru Impreza have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2003 Subaru Impreza. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.