2004 SUBARU IMPREZA Complaints

STARTED AS AN UNUSUALLY HIGH IDLE WHILE IN PARK (AS SOON AS THE CAR WAS TURNED ON). AFTER A FEW HOURS OF RUNNING IT (DRIVING 48 MI TO WORK AND ERRANDS), I WOULD PUT THE CAR INTO DRIVE & AS SOON AS I WOULD REMOVE MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE (ALREADY HAVING A HIGH IDLE) IT WOULD ACCELERATE ON IT'S OWN TO 15-20 MPH. WHEN I WOULD BRAKE AND BRING THE CAR TO A FULL STOP, IT WOULD "JUMP" SLIGHTLY AGAINST THE BRAKE. FINALLY I NOTICED THE GAS PEDAL FELT AS IF IT WAS NOT MOVING SMOOTHLY. AS I TOOK THE CAR OFF OF CRUISE CONTROL (AT 65 MPH) BY TURNING IT OFF AT THE CC CONTROLS ON THE WHEEL (MY FEET NOT NEAR THE PEDALS) IT BEGAN TO ACCELERATE RATHER THAN SLOW DOWN. AT THIS POINT I PARKED THE CAR & CALLED FOR A TOW TO THE SUBARU SERVICE CENTER. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD AT ABOUT 50-55MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON IN 5TH GEAR. WHEN I CAME TO A STEEP HILL THE CRUISE CONTROL OPENED THE THROTTLE WIDE OPEN TO MAINTAIN THE SET SPEED, WHEN THE CAR STARTED TO BOG DOWN I DECIDED TO SHIFT INTO 4TH GEAR. WHEN I PUSHED THE CLUTCH IN, THE CRUISE CONTROL SHUT OFF BUT THE ENGINE REVVED TO 7000RPM AND STAYED THERE. I LET THE CLUTCH OUT TO PREVENT THE ENGINE FROM BEING DAMAGED AND USED MY BRAKED TO KEEP THE CAR AT ABOUT 55MPH UNTIL I CAME TO A STRAIGHT STRETCH OF ROAD THEN I PUSHED THE CLUTCH IN AND SHUT OFF THE IGNITION UNTIL THE ENGINE STOPPED. THIS WAS AT NIGHT SO WHEN THE IGNITION WAS SHUT OFF THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OFF TOO. FORTUNATELY THE ROAD WAS LIT UP ENOUGH TO SEE AND LITTLE TRAFFIC. A TOW TRUCK WAS CALLED OUT AND UPON INSPECTION THE DRIVER NOTICED A SILVER CLIP STUCK IN THE THROTTLE LINKAGE ASSEMBLY. HE REMOVED THE CLIP AND THE CAR WAS BACK TO NORMAL. THE CLIP THAT WAS STUCK IN THE THROTTLE LINKAGE WAS PART OF A SERVICE BULLETIN/RECALL THAT SUBARU HAD PERFORMED ON MY 2004 IMPREZA WRX. IT WAS SUPPOSE TO PREVENT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE FROM COMING OUT OF ITS TRACK AND POSSIBLE BECOMING WEDGED IN THE THROTTLE LINKAGE CAUSING THE THROTTLE TO BE STUCK SOMEWHERE IN THE OPEN POSITION. THE CLIP THAT WAS TO PREVENT THIS CONDITION ACTUALLY BECAME THE PROBLEM. THIS HAS ONLY HAPPENED TO ME THE ONE TIME ON 5/15/2010. WHEN I GOT BACK HOME I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL SUBARU DEALER AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED, THEY DIDN'T SEEM TOO CONCERNED. THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE CLIP SINCE THEY HAD DONE IT UNDER WARRANTY BACK IN 2005. THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE PARTS. NOT A REAL BIG DEAL TO ME SINCE THE CLIP WAS ONLY $1.67. THE REAL PROBLEM I HAD WAS THEY DIDN'T SEEM TOO CONCERNED THAT THE RECALL FIX BECAME THE PROBLEM THAT IT WAS SUPPOSE TO PREVENT. I STILL HAVE THE OLD CLIP THAT POPPED OFF AND BECAME WEDGED IN THE THROTTLE LINKAGE. THIS IS THE RECALL INFO I FOUND. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V128000. *TR

1.AT ABOUT 12000 MILES,THE RIGHT REAR OF VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE A KNOCKING NOISE WHILE GOING OVER BUMPS,BRAKING OR ACCELERATING IS MORE EVIDENT AT LOW SPEEDS BUT IS STILL PRESENT AT HIGHER VELOCITIES. 2.THE FAILURE IS CURRENTLY STILL EXISTENT,THE RIGHT REAR OF VEHICLE HAS ABOUT 1/4 IN LOOSE PLAY BEFORE THE REAR STRUT BINDS. THIS AFFECTS HANDLING OF VEHICLE DURING TURNS OR EMERGENCY MANEUVERS AS THE SUSPENSION IS NOT WELL CONTROLLED BY STRUT BINDING. WHEN COMING TO A STOP,ONE CAN FEEL THE RIGHT REAR CORNER OF VEHICLE SETTLE AND HEAR A KNOCKING SOUND. THIS ISSUE TWICE SENT THE VEHICLE OUT OF CONTROL WHILE TURNING TO THE LEFT ON BUMPY ROADS AND FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS INJURED AND NO DAMAGE WAS DONE. THIS DEFECT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT AT GREAT LENGTH IN VARIOUS SUBARU IMPREZA STI FORUMS AND IS REFERRED TO AS THE"REAR STRUT CLUNK" AND IT CAN AFFECTS BOTH SIDES OF VEHICLE. MODEL YEAR 2004 AND 2005 SUBARU IMPREZA STI ARE INVOLVED IN THIS. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT MY 2006 AND 2007 ARE AS WELL BUT I HAVEN'T CHECKED. 3.THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THE UPPER STRUT MOUNT A FEW TIMES TO NO AVAIL. THE DEFECTIVE PARTS ARE STILL ON THE VEHICLE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 SUBARU IMPREZA OUTBACK SPORT WHEN I HAD A FLAT TIRE (RIGHT REAR). I CHANGED THE TIRE, USING THE "DONUT" IN THE CAR. I DROVE ANOTHER 25 MILES NO FASTER THAN 40 MPH, AND US. SLOWER. THEN A DRIVER BEHIND ME FLASHED HER LIGHTS SIGNALING ME TO STOP. I STOPPED AND LEARNED MY CAR WAS BURNING UNDERNEATH, NEAR THE BACK. WHEN I HAD THE CAR LOOKED AT, I FOUND THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS BADLY DAMAGED. IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL, PERSONS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS ARE INSTRUCTED TO USE A SWITCH TO TURN OFF THE AWD WHEN DRIVING ON THE "DONUT." OTHERWISE, DAMAGE TO THE DIFFERENTIAL IS LIKELY. HOWEVER, NO SUCH SWITCH EXISTS FOR CARS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS, WHICH I HAVE. I FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS, NOT GOING MORE THAN 50 MPH OR MORE THAN 50 MILES ON THE DONUT. BUT I DID EXTENSIVE DAMAGE ANYWAY, AND THE FIRE (WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE HEAT OF THE DIFFERENTIAL SETTING THE UNDERCOATING ON FIRE) COULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS. *TR

FUEL LEAKING FROM HOSES UNDER INTAKE MANIFOLD, CAUSING POOLING OF FUEL ON TOP OF THE MOTOR. *TR

2004 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX ABS SYSTEM WILL NOT ALLOW SAFE STOPPING ON SNOW/SLEET/ICE. ABS SYSTEM WILL OCCASIONALLY KICK IN WHEN HITTING SMALL BUMPS/POTHOLES WHILE STOPPING AND CAUSE THE PEDAL TO GO LIMP REQUIRING YOU TO RELEASE BRAKING PRESSURE AND REENGAGE THE BRAKE TO STOP. I'M READING MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE ON THIS CAR. THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID ANY ACCIDENTS IS TO KEEP AN EXCESSIVELY LONG DISTANCE BEHIND CARS DURING SNOWY/ICY CONDITIONS AND PRAY NO ONE CUTS IN FRONTS OF YOU WHILE BREAKING OR YOU WILL HIT THEM. *TR

TODAY'S DATE IS DECEMBER 06, 2008. I STARTED TO SMELL A FOUL GAS SMELL INSIDE MY CABIN A FEW DAYS AGO. THE SMELL HAS OCCURRED SINCE THEN. WHAT SEEMS TO TRIGGER THE SMELL OF GAS IS THE COLD START UPS IN TEMPERATURE DEGREES OF LOW 20'S AND BELOW. THE SMELL IS EXTREME. IT'S ENOUGH TO MAKE SITTING DRIVING ALMOST UNBEARABLE, MY PASSENGERS, ALONG WITH ME GET HEADACHES. I AM FORCED TO OPEN THE WINDOWS IN FREEZING WEATHER TO ALLOW THE GAS SMELL TO EXIT. THE SMELL GOES AWAY AFTER OPENING WINDOWS AND/OR 10 OR MORE MINUTES OF VEHICLE OPERATION. I HAVE ONLY SEARCHED FOR HELP FROM THE NASIOC ONLINE COMMUNITY. IT IS A COMMUNITY OF THOUSANDS OF SUBARU OWNERS WHO AS WELL HAVE REPORTED HUNDRED OF CASES OF THE SAME GAS SMELL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SUBARU IMPREZA. WHEN THE CONSUMER SAT IN THE VEHICLE WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON, THE VEHICLE TOOK OFF ON ITS OWN. IN ADDITION, THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL. WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE BEGAN ACCELERATING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO THE TREES BEHIND HIS HOUSE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR CUTS AND BRUISES. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 32,000. UPDATED 12-15-08 *BF UPDATED 12/17/08. *JB

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A MAIN ROAD IN BOSTON WHEN MY ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. AS A RESULT I ENDED UP CRASHING INTO A SNOW BANK. WHEN I REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD LOOK AT THE PROBLEM AND FIX IT. WHEN THE CAR WAS INSPECTED IT WAS FOUND TO HAVE AFTERMARKET PARTS THAT ARE NOT D.O.T. LEGAL AND NO C.A.R.B. ID'S. ALL OF THESE MODIFICATIONS WERE INSTALLED PRIOR OF ME BUYING THIS VEHICLE AND IT WAS SOLD TO ME WITH A WARRENTY. I HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT A SMELL OF GAS AND A HUGE LOSS OF OIL BEFORE THIS HAPPENED BUT WAS TOLD THAT IS HOW A SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STI RUNS. ALSO THE DEALERSHIP GOT A EMMISIONS STICKER FOR THIS CAR WHEN IT WILL NOT PASS EMISSIONS WITH ALL OF THE AFTERARKET PARTS. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AND THE DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS EVENT. *TR

THE WINDSHIELD OF MY SUBARU IMPREZA TS CRACKED THE WHOLE LENGTH. I WAS DRIVING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT CRACKED. IT WAS COLD OUT AND I DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT BEFORE. AFTER THE CRACK I LOOKED CLOSER AND NOTICED A LOT OF BUBBLES IN THE GLASS. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT A LOT OF SUBARUS AROUND THE SAME YEAR HAVE BEEN CRACKED. I HAVE ASKED A COUPLE OF THE OWNERS AND THEY SAID THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO THEM. THE WINDSHIELD JUST CRACKED. *TR