2004 SUBARU IMPREZA Complaints

MY 2004 SUBARU WRX STI HAS A FUEL ODOR IN THE CABIN WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED IN MODERATELY COOL TEMPERATURES. THE PROBLEM IS DESCRIBED IN ODI RESUME PE 04-002. THE MANUFACTURER SAYS THE PROBLEM OCCURS IN VERY COLD TEMPERATURES AND STOPS QUICKLY. I HAVE FOUND THAT IT OCCURS IN MODERATE TEMPS. BELOW 50F AND LASTS FOR 20 TO THIRTY MINUTES. I TAKE THIS TO MEAN THAT THE PROBLEM IS WORSENING AND COULD RESULT IN IGNITION OF THE LEAKING FUEL. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS IN SEVERAL MODELS OF SUBARU ACCORDING TO MY INTERNET RESEARCH. THE MANUFACTURER HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN #09-36-03 THAT DESCRIBES HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM BUT THE COST WOULD HAVE TO BE PAID BY ME. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW AND THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO FIX IT UNDER A RECALL. *TR

I OWN A 2004 SUBARU IMPREZA WAGON WRX WITH 67,000 MILES ON IT. I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM SOMEONE IN NM AND I LIVE IN COLORADO SPRINGS, CO. IT HAD NO ISSUES IN THE SUMMER AND FALL BUT IN THE WINTER I HAD A FUEL SMELL IN CABIN WITH HEATER RUNNING DURING A COLD DAY ~15 DEGREES F OR BELOW. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A FLUKE BUT IT NOW HAPPENS EVERY TIME I START THE CAR IN THE MORNING, EVENING OR WHEN ENGINE HAS COOLED DOWN AND IT IS REALLY COLD OUTSIDE (LESS THAN 20 DEGREES F). I CALLED A LOCAL SUBARU DEALER AND THEY SAID AROUND $500.00 TO FIX ISSUE. SEEMS THE RUBBER HOSES ON THE FUEL RAILS CONTRACT WHEN IT IS VERY COLD OUTSIDE. I HAVE SEEN ON THE WEB THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OCCURRING IN 2002 WRXS AS WELL. I CAN'T BELIEVE SUBARU HAS NOT DONE A RECALL FOR THIS SERIOUS ISSUE! THE FUEL SMELL GIVES ME A HEADACHE AND POLLUTES THE ENVIRONMENT. I WOULD TRY TO FIX MYSELF BUT GETTING TO THE FUEL RAILS REQUIRES EXTENSIVE TOP SIDE ENGINE TEAR DOWN.*JB

REAR STRUTS (AND POSSIBLY FRONT) ARE MAKING A CLUNKING NOISE WHEN CAR IS DRIVEN AT SLOW SPEEDS. THE NOISE IS QUITE APPARENT AND WOULD NOT BE ITEMS INSIDE THE TRUNK AND/ OR CAR. *JB

HELLO, I'VE BEEN HAVING EXTREME PROBLEMS WITH THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM IN MY 2004 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX. IT'LL KICK IN AT UNNEEDED TIMES, WHERE I WILL LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR AND THE CAR WILL CONTINUE TO LURCH FORWARD. THIS CAN BE A FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S A CAR IN FRONT OF ME. IN THE WINTER, I HAVE TO PULL THE ABS FUSE, WHICH BELIEVE IT OR NOT, ACTUALLY HELPS MY BRAKING DISTANCE. IF I LEAVE THE ABS ENABLED AND HIT A PATCH OF ICE, I'LL LOSE TOTAL CONTROL OF THE BRAKES AND CONTINUE TO GLIDE. IN MY OPINION, THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN, AND ONE THAT MANY OTHER SUBARU OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT TO BOTH SUBARU AND YOUR ORGANIZATION. SUBARU ISSUED A VOLUNTARY RECALL FOR THE ABS SYSTEM FOR MODELS 2003 AND UNDER, BUT THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE FOR THE 2004 MODEL AS WELL. SUBARU REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING TO FIX MY PROBLEM. I APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ME IN THIS MATTER. SINCERELY, PAUL AHERN. *NM

2004 WRX SEDAN AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. *TS THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED FACIAL CONTUSIONS AND MEMORY LOSS. *NM

2004 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX'S AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *TS MINOR INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. *NM

2004 SUBARU IMPREZA AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *TS THE CONSUMERS SON RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. (LAWYER ON BEHALF OF CONSUMER) *JB

DURING COLD WEATHER MY 2004 SUBARU WRX SMELLS OF FUEL BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. USING THE HEAT CAUSES THE ODOR TO INCREASE AND TURNING OFF THE HEAT TO DISSIPATE THE ODOR CAUSES ALL OF THE WINDOWS TO FOG UP AND/OR ICE-OVER. THE FUMES HAVE CAUSED MY EYES TO WATER AND HAVE ALSO GIVEN ME HEADACHES. *JB

ON JULY 4, 2005, I GOT A GRINDING SOUND WHILE TRYING TO SHIFT INTO 2ND GEAR AFTER PULLING AWAY FROM A LIGHT. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST ME MISSING THE SHIFT. SEVERAL DAYS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I STARTED TO DELAY MY SHIFTS INTO 2ND GEAR. THIS SAME SCENARIO STARTED REPEATING ITSELF SEVERAL MORE TIMES. THEN THE SAME PROBLEM STARTED WHILE TRYING TO DOWNSHIFT INTO 4TH GEAR. ON NOVEMBER 14, 2005, I TOOK THE CAR TO THE SUBARU DEALER. I TOLD THEM THAT I THOUGHT THE SYNCHRONIZERS WERE BAD IN 2ND AND 4TH GEARS. THE NEXT DAY, THE DEALER CALLED AND TOLD ME THE SYNCHRONIZERS WERE BAD, AS WELL AS THE 2ND AND 4TH GEAR SETS, AND THE COST WOULD BE $2,900.00 TO REPAIR IT. HE SAID THAT THEY HAD DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS DUE TO "DRIVER ABUSE", AND WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. HE TOLD ME THAT HE WOULD CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER AND SEE WHAT COULD BE DONE. TWO DAYS LATER, SUBARU SAID THEY WOULD REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION WITH NO CHARGE AS A GOOD WILL GESTURE, BUT NOT AS AN ITEM COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THEY DID THE REPAIR. I HAVE FOUND THAT MY SITUATION IS NOT UNIQUE IN THE 2002 THRU 2005 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX AND STI . SUBARU DEALERS ARE DENYING WARRANTY REPAIRS FOR THESE TWO SUBARU MODELS, CLAIMING "DRIVER ABUSE". THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. MY THEORY IS THAT WHEN TURNING THE CARS AND SHIFTING, THERE IS TWISTING IN THE DRIVETRAIN THAT IS BRINGING THE SYNCHRONIZERS IN CONTACT WITH THE TRANSMISSION CASE CAUSING THE INITIAL DAMAGE. THE SENSOR'S WILL THEN NOT ALIGN THE GEARS PROPERLY AND THEN THE GRINDING STARTS. THE MORE THE CAR IS DRIVEN, THE MORE THE SENSOR'S ARE DAMAGED, AND, THUS, THE MORE THE GEARS GRIND. THE POINT IS THAT ALL SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE DAMAGED SENSORS, DUE TO FAULTY DESIGN, SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. SUBARU NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. SUBARU HAS PUT REDESIGNED, STRONGER SYNCHRONIZERS IN THE MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS OF THEIR 2006 WRX AND WRX STI MODELS. *JB

2004 IMPREZA STI - REAR CLUNKING NOISE FROM RIGHT REAR SUSPENSION. OCCASIONAL STRUT LOCKUP IN COMPRESSED POSITION. DEALER ATTEMPTED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM THREE TIMES BEFORE REALIZING IT WAS A FAULTY REAR STRUT. MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME CAR HAVE REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEM. I WAS FORTUNATE AS MY DEALER PROPERLY DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. AFTER THE REPAIR, THE STRUT ISSUE WENT AWAY. SUBARU OF AMERICA SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO RECALL THIS MODEL TO CHECK FOR THIS STRUT PROBLEM. NOT ONLY DOES THE STRUT MAKE NOISE WHEN COMPRESSING, BUT IT SOMETIMES LOCKS IN THE COMPRESSED POSTION, CHANGING THE HANDLING AND PERFORMANCE DYNAMICS OF THE CAR IN AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND POTENTIALLY LIFETHREATENING WAY. BY REPLACING THE STRUT, THE PROBLEM SHOULD BE CORRECTED. DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF INSTANCES OF THE SAME STRUT FAILURE ON THESE CARS, AS DEMONSTRATED BY THE NUMBER OF SAME COMPLAINTS TO NHTSA HERE AT THIS WEBSITE, ONE CAN ONLY ASSUME SUBARU OF AMERICAN IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.