2004 Subaru WRX problems & reliability
42 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Subaru WRX, alongside 4 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.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline → | 27 | 64% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 8 | 19% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 7% |
| Engine | 2 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 5% |
| Suspension | 2 | 5% |
| Power Train | 1 | 2% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 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 69,990 miles (middle 50% between 59,000 and 97,000 miles), based on 35 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Having recently moved to a cold weather state, I discovered that when the temperature is below freezing there is a smell of gasoline in the passenger cabin. After doing some research, subaru appears to be aware of this problem and in fact issued a recall on earlier model vehicles for the same issue. The fuel lines and…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Apr 13, 2018
“I have a 2004 wrx and whenever it gets cold lots of fuel leaks from under the intake manifold theres a recall for the same issue in 2002 2003 but it still does it on my car”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Jan 23, 2017
“Takata recall/subaru recall campaign wqr-53 nhtsa recall no. 15v-323 received a recall notice in may 2015 explaining that the airbag was recalled and would need to be replaced. Letter states that until the repair is preformed, do not allow passengers to ride in the front passenger seat. I recently received another…”
Air Bags · filed Aug 23, 2016
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FUEL LINE LEAK
Preliminary Evaluation PE09017 · opened Mar 10, 2009 · closed Jul 2, 2009
Technical service bulletins
166 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 Subaru WRX. 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 2004 Subaru WRX has 4 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 2004 Subaru WRX?
- · 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 69,990 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.