2004 SUBARU IMPREZA Complaints

THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT HAS COME ON 7 TIMES SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW IN JANUARY 2004. THE FIRST TWO TIMES I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP (VALLEY DODGE, INC.) THAT IT WAS A FALSE CODE (#P0301) FOR A 1ST CYLINDER MISS FIRE. ON THE THIRD TIME THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON, THE DEALERSHIP REMOVED THE ECM AND SENT TO THE SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. FACTORY TO REPROGRAM. THE FOURTH TIME THE DEALERSHIP, PER SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. FACTORY, ADJUSTED THE #1 CYLINDER EXHAUST VALVE. THE FIFTH AND SIXTH TIME, THE DEALERSHIP PER SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. REPLACED THE INJECTION AND STILL HAVE THE CAR TO BETA TEST ON A 100-MILE 'TEST DRIVE' AS I WAS TOLD TO COMPARE THE READ-OUTS FROM THE ECM DURING THIS 'TEST-DRIVE.' I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT THE VEHICLE FOR 20 DAYS NON-CONSECUTIVE IN THE 6 MONTHS THAT I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE. *LA

WAS AT THE LOCAL TRACK ON RUN WHAT YOU BRUNG NIGHT. LINED UP AGAINST AN SRT-4. LIGHT TURNED GREEN. I ACCELERATED TRYING TO GET A HOLESHOT. I HEARD A LOUD BANGING NOISE. SOUNDED LIKE THE TRANSMISSION/CLUTCH GIVING UP. THE SRT-4 WAS WAY AHEAD OF ME. I SHIFTED THROUGH THE GEARS AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CATCH UP. THAT SRT-4 WAS FAST. THE LACK OF POWER IN MY STI REALLY DISHONORED MY FAMILY. IT FORCED ME TO BE HUMILIATED. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR WAS NORMAL AND TO EXPECT TO BE OUTMATCHED BY CARS LIKE THE DODGE SRT-4. THEY NEVER DID TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION/CLUTCH NOISE.*AK

THE SPEDOMETER READING IS NEARLY 10% HIGH ON MY CAR AND THAT OF MANY OTHERS THAT I HAVE CONTACTED. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK

I BOUGHT A 2004 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STI IN JULY 2003 FROM BOB BAKER SUBARU IN EL CAJON, CALIFORNIA AND EVER SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD ONE PROBLEM AFTER THE NEXT. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ALL SERVICING IS COMPLETED AT THE LANCASTER MAZDA-SUBARU LOCATION WHERE I LIVE. SEVERAL COSMETIC PARTS WERE DEFECTIVE WHEN THE CAR WAS PURCHASED SUCH AS: THE TRUNK LATCH DID NOT FUNCTION, THE BACK SEAT WAS UNHOOKED, THE SEAT LEVER THAT MOVES THE SEAT IN HALF, THE CUP HOLDER DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY, AND THE HEAD LIGHTS FOGGED UP. MECHANICAL FAILURE HAS ALSO OCCURRED. IT HAS HAD AN ODD NOISE IN THE ENGINE SINCE THE BEGINNING WHICH SUBARU CLAIMS IS NORMAL FOR THIS CAR BECAUSE IT IS A "RACECAR". THE STARTER SOMETIMES GRINDS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE CAR, SUBARU COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THIS PROBLEM. THE LEFT REAR CHASSIS MAKES AN ODD NOISE WHEN ROLLING THAT SUBARU COULD NOT DIAGNOSE. IT HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AND NOW WHEN YOU TURN THE VEHICLE IT MAKES A LOUD METAL AGAINST METAL SCREECH. AS OF 6/18/2004 THE ENGINE HAS BEGUN TO FAIL. WHEN THE RPMS REACH BETWEEN 4000-5000 THE CAR CUTS OUT PRIOR TO ACCELERATING AND A BURNING SMELL IS DETECTED. I SPOKE WITH THE ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WHEN THIS CAR IS DRIVEN A LITTLE BIT HARDER THAN NORMAL THEY ARE NOTICING THAT SEVERAL OF THE IMPREZA WRX STI'S ARE BEING BROUGHT BACK IN WITH ENGINE FAILURE. THEY HAVE NOTED SEVERAL PROBLEMS SUCH AS TURBO BOG, OVERHEATING, POOR PERFORMANCE, AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS BURNING UP. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A DISTINCT PROBLEM WITH THIS OVER $30,000 AND I THINK A COMPLAINT SHOULD BE FILED AGAINST SUBARU. WHEN IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND IT BREAKS, AS IT WILL, IT WILL JUST SIT IN A GARAGE BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD TO FIX A CAR THAT IS MANUFACTURED POORLY. SUBARU HAS ADVISED THAT THIS CAR IS A RACE CAR AND IT IS FAR FROM THAT. THEY SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL PROBLEMS ARISING FROM THIS CAR SINCE THEY OBVIOUSLY MANUFACTURED A POORLY MADE VEHICLE.*AK