There are 20 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2003 Subaru WRXin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
IN MY 2003 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX, ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, WHEN I HIT A SMALL BUMP IN THE ROAD (COULD BE AN EXPANSION JOINT IN A BRIDGE OR A CRACK IN THE ROAD SURFACE THAT HAS BEEN PATCHED) WHILE BRAKING, THE ABS KICKS IN AND DOES NOT ALLOW ME TO BRAKE. AFTER ABOUT ONE SECOND HAS PASSED, THE ABS TURNS OFF AND I GRIND TO A HALT. I HAVE LARGER-THAN-STOCK, HIGH PERFORMANCE TIRES, AND ON DRY PAVEMENT, THE STOCK BRAKES ARE NOT CAPABLE OF APPLYING ENOUGH PRESSURE TO LOCK UP THE BRAKES. BUT IF I HIT A SMALL HICCUP IN THE ROAD, THE ABS TURNS ON AND DOES NOT ALLOW ME TO APPLY ANY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF BRAKING POWER. AS SOON AS IT DISENGAGES, THE INCREASE IN BRAKING POWER IS QUITE SIGNIFICANT. I HAVE YET TO BE IN AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF THIS DEFECT, BUT I HAVE LEARNED TO LEAVE EXTRA DISTANCE BETWEEN MYSELF AND THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. SUBARU IS DOING A "VOLUNTARY RECALL" TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AFTER AN INVESTIGATION BY YOUR ORGANIZATION. I FIND IT ASTOUNDING THAT YOU WERE UNABLE TO REPLICATE THIS PROBLEM. IF THIS IS THE CASE, THEN I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO REVISE THE METHODS YOU USE TO DEVELOP AN EXPERIMENT. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM. IT IS RELATIVELY EASY TO REPLICATE. IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO REPLICATE IT, THEN YOU HAVE NOT DEVELOPED AN EXPERIMENT TO EFFECTIVELY TEST FOR THIS DEFECT. *JB
WHILE TAKING A RIGHT HAND UPHILL TURN OVER A BUMP, ABS APARENTLY ACTIVATED AND STOPPED BRAKING FUNCTIONS. I WAS UNABLE TO SLOW DOWN OR STOP AND HIT A CURB, CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE TO CAR. I HAD PREVIOUSLY HAD ISSUES WITH ABS ACTIVATING WHEN IT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO IN MODERALTY LIGHT RAIN, WHICH WAS WHAT THE WEATHER WAS LIKE DURING THIS INCIDENT.
VEHICLE ABS UNNECESSARILY ENGAGES AND INCREASES THE STOPPING DISTANCE WHEN TIRES ROLL OVER BUMPS, WAVY PAVEMENT OR HOLES. IT REQUIRES QUICK RELEASE OF BRAKE PEDAL AND REENGAGEMENT TO DEACTIVATE ABS AND BE ABLE TO STOP ADEQUATELY. POTENTIAL FOR ACCIDENT IF STOPPING DISTANCE IS LONGER THAN REQUIRED STOPPING DISTANCE. I CAN REPLICATE THE PROBLEM CONSISTENTLY WHEN DRIVING OVER RAIL CROSSINGS.
I OWN A 2003 SUBARU WRX 5 SPEED WAGON. I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING A DISTRESSING AND REPEATABLE LOSS OF BRAKING UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED MORE THAN ONCE SO THE PARTICULAR DATE DOESN'T SEEM THAT RELEVANT, BUT I WAS FORCED TO CHOSE ONE BELOW. THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE AS FOLLOWS: UNDER AGGRESSIVE BRAKING, A SMALL BUMP IN THE ROAD SEEMS TO CAUSE THE ABS SYSTEM TO ACTIVATE THEREBY DECREASING BRAKE SYSTEM PRESSURE AND BRAKING MOMENT. I AM CERTAIN THAT THIS IS NOT A NORMAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ABS SYSTEM AND AM CONCERNED THAT I MAY EXPERIENCE THIS IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. I HAVE DRIVEN MANY VEHICLES WITH AND WITHOUT ABS AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS SORT OF FAILURE OR PREMATURE ACTIVATION OF THE SYSTEM BEFORE. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN APRIL OF 2003 AND HAVE EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM MULTIPLE TIMES DURING THE YEAR I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE. I CANT BE CERTAIN, BUT IT MAY BE THE CASE THAT THIS ONLY HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS IN GEAR WITH THE CLUTCH ENGAGED AND OF COURSE NO PRESSURE ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION UNDER WAY REGARDING THIS ISSUE, AND I AM HOPEFUL THAT MY INFORMATION WILL HELPFUL IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. I AM AVAILABLE FOR FURTHER INPUT AND WOULD WELCOME ANY INFORMATION REGARDING PROGRESS RELATED TO THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS ISSUE. SINCERELY, MICHAEL PALLOTTA
I WAS DRIVING TO WORK THIS YESTERDAY (2/12/04) MORNING, AND WAS JUST CROSSING AN INTERSECTION. I WAS GOING ABOUT 15MPH, AND SAW THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME HIT THERE BREAKS. I PUSHED DOWN THE PEDAL, AND TO MY HORROR, IT SEEMED TO GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT MY CAR STOPPING AT ALL. NEXT THING I KNEW, I HAD REAR-ENDED A BUICK (WHICH AS AN ASIDE SUFFERED NOTHING WORSE THAN A SCRATCHED BUMPER, COMPARED TO MY FOLDED HOOD, RUINING FRONT BUMPER, AND OTHER TWISTED METAL).I HAVE ABOUT 15K MILES ON THE CAR, AND HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. THIS IS MY FIRST ACCIDENT IN ALMOST 15 YEARS OF DRIVING, AND DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO PROCEDE. I CALLED MY LOCAL SUBARU DEALER, WHO SAID HE HAD NO IDEA OF SUCH A PROBLEM. WHEN THE POLICE OFFICER WAS ASKING ME WHAT HAPPENED JUST AFTER THE ACCIDENT, I DESCRIBE THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR FOR HIM, AND HOPEFULLY HE'LL INCLUDE MY STATEMENT IN THE REPORT. *AK
I SEEM TO BE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM THAT IS BEING INVESTIGATED CURRENTLY BY YOU. THE NHTSA # IS: EA03024 I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH MY ABS BRAKES OF MY 2003 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX DID NOT ENGAGE. I APPLIED THE BRAKES JUST LIKE I NORMALLY DO AND THE BRAKE SANK VERY QUICKLY, AND THEN SUPPLIED VERY LITTLE BRAKING POWER. THE PERFORMANCE OF MY BRAKES WAS VERY VERY POOR COMPARED TO WHAT THEY USUALLY FELT LIKE. THIS HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT A SPEED OF APROXIMATELY 45MPH. THIS RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. I RAN INTO THE BACK OF ANOTHER PERSON. THIS WAS OF COURSE DEEMED MY FAULT. THIS ACCIDENT HAPPENED IN LATE JANUARY THIS YEAR (2004). THE CAR WAS REPAIRED, BUT I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM ON TWO OTHER OCCASIONS SINCE THEN. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO STEER AROUND THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME AND TRY APPLYING THE BRAKES AGAIN TO MAKE THEM WORK CORRECTLY.
BRAKE FAILURE. *CB
LOSS OF BRAKING AT LOW SPEEDS ON ROUGH SURFACES. WHEN BRAKING ON AN UNEVEN PATCH ON THE ROADWAY AT APPROX 15MPH ABS SEEMED TO BE ACTIVATED HENCE REDUCING BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS. ALSO NOTICED THE PROBLEM AFTER RUNNING OVER A GENTLE SPEED BUMP AT SIMILAR SPEED. THIS SECOND INSTANCE CAUSED WHAT FELT LIKE A TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING.*AK
EARLY ABS ACTIVATION ON ROUGH OR UNEVEN SURFACES (MAN HOLE COVERS, ETC.) AND FOLLOWING THIS A HUGE LOSS OF BRAKING FORCE. ALMOST LIKE THE BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED UNTIL THE PEDAL IS RELEASED AN REAPPLIED WHICH CAN TAKE SEVERAL SECONDS. THIS IS NOT GOOD WHEN THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME JUST STOPPED. *LA
THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES TO DATE. THIS IS THE TYPICAL SITUATION: I WAS DRIVING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED, AROUND 25, COMING UP TO A STOP SIGN. A SECOND OR SO AFTER I APPLIED THE BRAKES I WENT OVER SOME SMALL BUMPS ON DRY PAVEMENT AND IT FELT LIKE ABS WAS COMING ON, THE PEDAL DROPPED, BUT THEN IT WENT WAY DOWN AND IT WASN'T PULSING. NO MATTER HOW HARD I PRESSED, IT DIDN'T SEEM TO HELP. *LA
I JUST HAD THE CAR IN WITH 6600 MILES FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND THEY PERFORMED THE 7500 MILE CHECK UP AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THAT AFTERNOON I FIRST NOTICE THE BRAKES FEEL SOFT AND NOT SLOW THE CAR I SHOOK IT OFF THINKING I FELT IT WRONG. I NOTICED IT 2 DAYS LATER AGAIN AND DECIDED I SHOULD GET IT BACK TO THE DEALER BUT BEFORE I COULD I LOST THE BRAKES AS I WAS TURNING A CORNER AND WENT OVER A CURB THROUGH A SING BEFORE I GOT IN CONTROL AND TURNED OUT OF THE GRASS I WAS IN. I HAD BODY WORK DONE AND SOME FRONT SUSPENSION COMPONENTS REPLACED BUT NOTHING DONE TO BRAKES NO ONE FOUND ANYTHING WRONG. MY INSURANCE COMPANY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE IT INSPECTED AND I NEVER HEARD ANYTHING FROM THEM. THAT WAS OCTOBER OF 2003 AND THE PROBLEM IS HAPPENING AGAIN. I HAVEN'T HAD IT BACK TO DEALER YET I AM WAITING TIL I CAN CAUSE THE PROBLEM CONSISTENTLY SO THEY KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM. AFTER HEARING OTHERS PROBLEMS WITH DEALERS SAYING IT'S FINE FOR THEM I WANT TO MAKE SURE I CAN PROVE IT FOR THEM.*AK
SUBARU IMPREZA WRX SEDAN, 2003. ANTI-LOCK BRAKE ACTIVATION UNDER MINIMAL LIFT CONDITIONS (SUCH AS GOING OVER MINOR BUMPS IN ROADS, PARKING RAMPS, ETC.) HAVE HAD SEVERAL EPISODES OF ANTI-LOCK ACTIVATION LEADING TO LOSS OF BRAKING FORCE AND EXTENDED BRAKING DISTANCES. PROBLEM RESOLVED WITH REMOVAL OF ABS FUSE, BUT THEN I HAVE NO ABS EVER. *LA
COMING AROUND CORNER ON A HILL DRIVER WAS IN MIDDLE OF ROAD AVOIDING POTHOLE I SWERVED AND BRAKED THEN SWERVED BACK. WHEN I SWERVED BACK MY BRAKE PEDAL HIT THE FLOOR AND I PROCEDED TO DRIVE ONTO SOMEONES FRONT LAWN. THE ABS SHOULDNT HAVE DONE THAT.*AK
ABS FAILED. DRIVING ON ROAD, GOT CUT OFF, STEPPED ON BRAKE PEDAL. PEDAL DROPPED TO FLOOR, CALIPERS SEEMED TO RELEASE AFTER A SECOND CAUSING NO LOSS IN SPEED. REAR ENDED DRIVER IN FRONT OF ME. STOPPING DISTANCE MORE THAN DOUBLED. *NLM
2003 SUBARU WRX SEDAN - WHEN STOPPING ON SLIGHTLY BUMPY SURFACES THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM BECOMES INEFFECTIVE. THE DRIVER MUST LET OFF THE BRAKES AND REAPPLY IN ORDER TO GET ANY EFFECTIVE BRAKING. THIS IS DANGEROUS. I CAN REPEAT IT AT KNOWN PLACES ON MY DRIVE TO WORK EVERYDAY. I COMPENSATE. IF I HAD KNOWN I WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT THE CAR. THIS NEEDS TO BE "FIXED."*AK
OVERLY SENSITIVE ABS AND PROLONG ABS INTERVENTION. LOSS OF STOPPING POWER. SMALL BUMPS IN ROAD CAUSING ABS TO ACTIVATE AND STAY PULSING TOO LONG. *LA
ABS FAILED. BRAKE PEDAL WOULD SINK TO FLOOR WHEN ROAD IS BUMPY. TAKES A VERY LONG DISTANCE TO STOP THE CAR. 2 NEAR-MISS INCIDENTS ALREADY. CAR IS BRAND NEW 2003 WRX. IT HAS 500 MILES ON IT. *NLM
SUBARU WRX WAGON, 2003. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SLOW FOR A CORNER ON A WELL GROOMED, DRY, GRAVEL ROAD THE ABS SYSTEM OF THE CAR INITIATED A MODE THAT WOULD NOT ALLOW THE CARS BRAKES TO FUNCTION AT ALL. DURING THE EPISODE (WHICH HAS BEEN AND CAN BE RECREATED) PEDAL PRESSURE AND PEDAL HEIGHT WAS MAINTAINED AS DURING NORMAL BRAKING OPERATIONS. THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK DESPITE THE FACT THAT I WAS STANDING WITH BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF DISCONNECTING MY ABS AND SUBARU NA CLAIMS THAT I'M NUTS. *NLM
WHEN BRAKING OVER ROUGH SURFACES ON DRY PAVEMENT THE VEHICLE ENGAGED THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM CAUSING SUDDEN LOSS OF BRAKING THAT WAS NOT RESTORED UNTIL THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS RELEASED AND RE-APPLIED. THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT A LARGE AMOUNT OF BRAKING FORCE BEING CALLED FOR.*AK
THE BRAKING SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONS UNDER THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS CROSSING OVER A SHARP TRANSITION (BREAK IN PAVEMENT, TRAIN TRACKS OR CHOPPY ROUGH PAVEMENT) IN THE ROAD AND UNDERGOING LIGHT TO MODERATE BRAKING, THE VEHICLE STOPS DECELERATING FOR ABOUT 1/2 TO 1 SECOND AND THE BRAKE PEDAL DROPS VERY CLOSE TO THE FIREWALL. THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT TO REPRODUCE, BUT DOES HAPPEN ABOUT ONCE EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS. WHEN IT HAPPENS, IT SCARES THE HELL OUT OF THE DRIVER. THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT BRAKING FORCE GOES TO ZERO VARIES. ON ONE OCCASION, I CAME VERY CLOSE TO REAR ENDING A CAR IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. I ALSO DRIVE A NON ABS EQUIPPED VEHICLE (87 FORD MUSTANG) OVER THE SAME ROADS. THE WRX STOPPING DISTANCE OVER THIS PART OF ROADWAY, WHERE THE FAILURE OCCURS AT 25 MPH, IS AT LEAST ONE CAR LENGTH GREATER THAN THE MUSTANG OVER THE SAME PART OF ROAD. ON SMOOTH ROADS, THE WRX WILL EASILY STOP IN LESS DISTANCE THAN THE MUSTANG. THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT MAKE THIS BEHAVIOR SO DANGEROUS. 1) THAT IT SCARES THE DRIVER SO BADLY WHEN IT HAPPENS. 2) THAT THE BRAKING CAPABILITY OF THE CAR VARIES UNPREDICTABLY. APPARENTLY NHTSA HAS ALREADY CLOSED THEIR INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ISSUE. I FOUND IT ON YOUR WEBSITE UNDER EA03024. THERE IS ONLY A BRIEF DESCRIPTION ON YOUR WEBSITE OF THE OUTCOME, BUT BASICALLY IT LOOKS LIKE "NO PROBLEM FOUND". THIS PROBLEM MAY BE DIFFICULT TO REPRODUCE, BUT I ASSURE YOU THAT IT IS VERY REAL. DRIVERS ARE NOT IMAGINING THE PROBLEM. THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP AND SOA (SUBARU OF AMERICA) HAVE DENIED THAT THERE IS ANY PROBLEM. ONE OF THE MECHANICS AT THE DEALERSHIP COMMENTED TO ME THAT WRXS HAVE THIS PROBLEM, BUT SINCE THE DEALERSHIP DOESN'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THE ABS SYSTEM THEY ARE FORCED TO DENY THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. SINCE SUBARU WON'T ADMIT TO THE PROBLEM, THE ONLY SOLUTION TO IT HAS BEEN TO DISABLE THE ABS BY REMOVING ITS POWER FUSE IN THE CAR. AT LEAST NOW I KNOW WHAT THE CAR IS GOING TO DO. *JB
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026