2003 Subaru Impreza Complaint Log

KAREN QUINN OF SUBARU OF AMERICA ASSURED ME THAT I CAN DRIVE MY 2003 SUBARU IMPREZA WITH "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT ON FOR A PERIOD OF TWO WEEKS WITHOUT ANY CONCERN. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE STALLED THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WAS BLINKING AND I WAS IN DANGER. AT A LATER TIME SHE FALSIFIED THE RECORDS AND HAD NO RECOLLECTION OF SUCH CONVERSATION. *LA

AFTER BEING INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION A RECALL NOTICE WAS RECEIVED STATING THAT THE BOLT ON DRIVER'S SEAT WAS DEFECTIVE AND INJURY WAS IMMINENT. DURING THE COLLISION DRIVER'S SEAT BOLT BROKE, AND CONSUMER WAS THROWN UNDER THE DASHBOARD, AND SUSTAINED INJURIES. *AK *NM

ON MY 2003 SUBARU IMPREZA OUTBACK SPORT, THE ANTILOCK BRAKES ARE DANGEROUS. IF YOU HIT A BUMP WHILE BRAKING IT WILL TRIGGER THE ABS - AND RESULT IN AN ALMOST COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY. I NOTICE A BULLETIN IS LISTED FOR THE WRX ONLY, BUT THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM IN MY CAR AS WELL. *LA

ABS ON 2003 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX "FREAKS OUT" WHEN YOU STOP ON A BUMPY PIECE OF PAVEMENT. IT TAKES LONGER TO BRAKE WHEN THIS HAPPENS. I LEAVE ENOUGH ROOM BETWEEN ME AND THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME, AND HAVE NOT HAD ANYTHING BAD HAPPEN YET. BUT I SAW THAT IT WAS UNDER INVESTIGATION AND WANTED TO CONTRIBUTE. IF YOU DO NOT LEAVE ENOUGH BRAKING ROOM, THIS COULD BE A REAL PROBLEM. *AK

THE ABS PROGRAM INSTALLED ON THIS CAR (WRX) IS EXTREMELY SENSITIVE. SNOW COVERED ROADS REQUIRE EXTREME CARE BECAUSE THE ABS ENGAGES AY TOO EASILY, RESULTING IN VERY LITTLE STOPPING POWER. ONE TIME I WAS MAKING A 90 DEGREE LEFT TURN ON WET ASPHALT; I HAD TO BRAKE SUDDENLY. THE ABS DIDN'T UNDERSTAND AND THE RIGHT SIDE LOCKED FOR ONE SEC AND I DRIFTED OFF LINE, BARELY MISSING A MEDIAN. FORGET ABOUT RECEIVING MAXIMUM BRAKING POWER OVER ANY UNDULATING SURFACE (EVEN ON A STRAIGHT ROADWAY), ABS INTRUDES AND STOPPING DISTANCE IS SEVERELY COMPROMISED. NOTHING HAS RESULTED AS OF TODAY, BUT WHO KNOWS WHAT THE FUTURE WILL BRING. MOST DRIVERS WILL BE THROWN OUT BY THE INTRUSIVENESS OF THE ABS PROGRAM. CONVERSELY, A BETTER THAN AVERAGE DRIVER WILL ALMOST BE ABLE TO AVOID THIS SCENARIO ENTIRELY. I DISCUSSED THE DEAL WITH A DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS ALL NORMAL. I AGREE, BUT THE ABS IS STILL WAY TOO SENSITIVE, AND I HAVE PROOF. I HAD A WHEEL SPEED SENSOR GO OUT ON MY RIGHT REAR SIDE WHICH DISABLED MY ABS. I DROVE THE CAR FOR A FEW MONTHS AFTERWARD AND THE BRAKES WERE MUCH MORE PREDICTABLE AND TWICE AS EASY TO MODULATE. I WAS ENJOYING A NON-ABS CAR SO MUCH THAT I ACTUALLY TOLD THE DEALER IT WAS NO BIG DEAL AND I WOULD GET IT FIXED ONCE I FULLY UNDERSTOOD THE SYSTEM. I EVENTUALLY GOT THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR REPLACED AND ALL IS WELL, EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT ABS IS STILL EXTREMELY INTUSIVE. I NOW HAVE PERFORMANCE TIRES ON THE CAR AND I STILL CAN'T MAXIMIZE THEIR ABILITY! *LA

WHILE DRIVING, THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. *JB

2003 SUBARU IMPREZA, 56,000K WITH LEAKING HEAD GASKET (BOTH SIDES) AND ROD KNOCK. WELL MAINTAINED CAR WITH WELL-DOCUMENTED SERVICE HISTORY. RECOMMEND REPLACEMENT OF SHORT BLOCK/HEAD GASKETS. SAME ISSUE AND SAME ENGINE AS ADDRESSED IN PHASE II EJ25 HEAD GASKET LEAK / WWP-99 SERVICE CAMPAIGN - COOLING SYSTEM CONDITIONER. EXTENSIVE DOCUMENTATION OF SIMILAR ISSUES WITH 2003 2.5L ENGINES (EXAMPLE: HTTP://ALLWHEELDRIVEAUTO.COM/SUBARU-HEAD-GASKET-PROBLEMS-EXPLAINED/). CLAIM FILED WITH SUBARU OF AMERICA (FILE # [XXX]) WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHEN TRAVELING OVER ROUGH OR WET ROADWAY AND BRAKES ARE APPLIED ABS KICKS IN AND VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP, OR SLOW DOWN AT ALL. YOU THEN HAVE TO RELEASE THE BRAKES AND THEN PRESS THE PEDAL AGAIN TO GET ANY BRAKING ACTION. THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS (APROX 10 OR SO) TIMES SINCE I HAVE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN FEB 2003. I HAVE DRIVEN NUMEROUS OTHER VEHICLES WITH ABS AND NONE OF THEM HAVE RESPONDED IN THE SAME MANNER.*AK

WINDSHIELD WAS CHIPPED AFTER A SMALL PEBBLE HIT IT ON THE HIGHWAY DOING 55 MPH. DT

THIS FAILURE HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. WHEN STOPPING USING A MODERATE BRAKING FORCE FROM AVERAGE ROAD SPEEDS (25-45MPH) I HAVE EXPERIENCED TOTAL INABILITY TO STOP DUE TO PREMATURE AND PROLONGED ENGAGEMENT OF MY ABS (ANTI-LOCK BRAKE) SYSTEM. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON SOMEWHAT BUMPY ROADS, DURING RAIN, OVER SMALL AMOUNTS OF LOOSE GRAVEL ON ROADWAYS, AND EVEN ON SMOOTH DRY ROADS DURING HARDER BRAKING. I HAVE NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS, BUT I HAVE FOUND MYSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF INTERSECTIONS MULTIPLE TIMES. I HAVE SINCE DISABLED MY ABS SYSTEM IN ORDER TO FEEL SAFE WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE THE NUMBER OF FAILURES LISTED AT 5, DATING FROM THE TIME I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE. THERE HAVE EASILY BEEN MORE INCIDENTS THAN 5 THOUGH, BUT I CAN CLEARLY REMEMBER AT LEAST 5 OF THEM WHEN I FEARED AN ACCIDENT.*AK

VEHICLE ACCELERATED IN FULL THROTTLE WHILE DRIVER'S FEET WAS DEPRESSED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL.

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT AN ABS BRAKE PROBLEM. BRAKES ACTIVATE WHEN VEHICLE IS RIDING OVER BUMPS. THE ABS IS OVERLY SENSITIVE. *AK