2003 Subaru Impreza problems & reliability
62 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Subaru Impreza, alongside 6 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
8 complaints report injuries (13 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2003 Subaru Impreza vehicles were involved in 21 fatal crashes with 16 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline → | 13 | 21% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 13 | 21% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 12 | 19% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 6% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 6% |
| Structure | 3 | 5% |
| Suspension | 3 | 5% |
| Visibility | 2 | 3% |
| Engine | 1 | 2% |
| Equipment | 1 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 68,000 miles (middle 50% between 19,100 and 132,500 miles), based on 51 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My 2003 Subaru Impreza WRX has a very strong fuel odor that is coming into the cabin when I start my car up on cold days. It's been unusually cold here in Washington state this winter with temperatures in Seattle dipping well below freezing. I see that there is a recall for this exact problem for my exact car…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Jan 25, 2022
“I noticed fresh smell of gasoline everytime I start the car. I look at the fuel line and its sipping fuel.”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Mar 26, 2021
“Subaru of america recall wvk-21 occured while driving at operating temperature, causing smoke to rise from engine bay. Subaru of america refused to fix the issue as my vin did not come up in their system with the recall.”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Mar 8, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Preliminary Evaluation PE14016 · opened Jun 11, 2014 · closed Mar 2, 2015 · led to recall 15V226000
- Front suspension control arm failure
Preliminary Evaluation PE11011 · opened Apr 7, 2011 · closed Sep 23, 2011 · led to recall 11V464000
- FUEL LINE LEAK
Engineering Analysis EA09011 · opened Jul 2, 2009 · closed Dec 14, 2009 · led to recall 09V468000
- FUEL LINE LEAK
Preliminary Evaluation PE09017 · opened Mar 10, 2009 · closed Jul 2, 2009
- FUEL LINE LEAKAGE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT
Preliminary Evaluation PE04002 · opened Jan 7, 2004 · closed May 27, 2004
Technical service bulletins
143 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 Subaru Impreza. The 10 most recent:
This announcement is requesting retailer staff to retain the EyeSight protective hood covers from Generation 4 EyeSight cameras.
SubaruNet Annoucement (E · Other · issued Jun 12, 2026
This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models.
01-167-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 18, 2026
This announcement provides information on the remanufactured CVT transmission program.
SubaruNet Announcement (R · Other · issued May 4, 2026
This Service Information Bulletin was developed to provide interim guidance for vehicles exhibiting DTC B2A20.
07-240-26R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2026
This bulletin announces the service manual correction regarding clutch master cylinder reservoir service procedures.
03-97-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2026
This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models.
01-167-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2026
This Bulletin provides the diagnostic procedures to be followed when addressing customer concerns of steering wheel/vehicle body vibration when driving at highway speeds when tire/wheel balance is suspected.
05-97-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 20, 2026
This bulletin announces the new procedure and Warranty Fail Code for FirstTime air conditioning (A/C) performance concerns possibly resulting from an undetected A/C refrigerant leak.
10-105-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 26, 2026
This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models.
01-167-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 26, 2026
This bulletin contains information to help when attempting to complete the STARLINK Telematics subscription process, an Error Code 202 and / or 204 may occur preventing the process from completing successfully
15-219-18R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 16, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2003 Subaru Impreza has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2003 Subaru Impreza?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 68,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.