2003 SUBARU WRX Complaints

THE DRIVER WAS SHIFTING TO SECOND GEAR WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN HE HEARD A POP, AND WAS UNABLE TO CHANGE GEARS, PREVENTING THE VEHICLE FROM MOVING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR CHECKUP, AND RESULTS SHOWED THAT SECOND GEAR WAS BROKEN, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK

AFTER A COLD WEEKEND THE INSIDE OF THE CABIN SMELLS OF RAW FUEL. I SEE THE MANUFACTURER HAS A TSB FOR FIXING THIS IN THE NORTH AND CANADA, BUT NO MENTIONS OF IT IN THE SOUTH. ALSO, THEY SAY IT HAPPENS IN 02 VEHICLES, BUT I HAVE AN 03 AND IT JUST STARTED. *NM

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.

FOLLOW-UP ON PREVIOUS COMPLAINT NUMBER: 04V342000.DRIVER WAS RESTRAINED BY A SEAT BELT. MEDICAL COMPLAINTS: 2 CERVICAL VERTABRAE FRACTURES, PATELLA (KNEE) FRACTURE AND PNUEMOTHORAX.*AK

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

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

WHILE AT A FULL STOP, I WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND (THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING ( 20MPH?) IN MY 2003 SUBARU WRX WAGON- RESULTING IN THE COLLAPSE OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK AND IN DAMAGE TO THE SEAT RECLINER MECHANISM AND THE 'SEAT FRAME' (THE BODY SHOP'S TERM). *AK

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

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 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.