2004 Subaru WRX problems & reliability
42 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Subaru WRX, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 21, 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 components.
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
Among the 35 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 69,990 miles (middle 50% between 59,000 and 97,000 miles).
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
170 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 Subaru WRX. The 10 most recent:
This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experiencing battery drain when the ignition is off, leading to no-start conditions or…
15-308-23R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2026
This Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. (This is an revised version of the original bulletin.)
15-304-22R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 13, 2026
Techtips newsletter locator index.
Article Locator · Other · issued Aug 5, 2026
This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. This is an revised version of the original bulletin
15-333-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2026
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
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.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 69,990 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.