2002 Subaru WRX complaints

I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO YOUR REVIEW OF THE ABS ISSUES WITH THESE CARS. IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AMONG ALL WRX OWNERS THAT THE ABS SYSTEM IS FAULTY. I HAVE BEEN IN SEVERAL INSTANCES WHERE I WAS TRYING TO STOP AND WOULD HIT A POTHOLE AND THE ABS BECAME OVERACTIVE AND I ACTUALLY WENT PARTLY THROUGH THE LIGHT. IT ONLY TAKES A SMALL BUMP TO DRASTICALLY HAMPER THE BRAKING PERFORMANCE. THE MOST RECENT OCCURANCE WAS JUST LAST MONTH.*AK

CAR: 02 SUBARU WRX MANUAL TRANSMISSION THE CAR SUFFERS FROM THE CLUTCH JUDDER DESCRIBED BY MANY, AND DETAILED IN TSB 03-51-02. MY CAR HAS 44000 MILES. THE BASIC WARRANTY ON THE CAR IS 3YR/36000. POWRTRAIN IS 6 YR/60000. MY DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES MY PROBLEM AS BEING EXACTLY AS IN THE TSB. HOWEVER, HE INFORMS ME THE REPAIR IS NOT TO BE FIXED AT NO CHARGE TO ME- SINCE THE BASIC WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. GIVEN THAT THE CAR IS SO DIFFICULT TO DRIVE, AND THERE IS AN ACKNOWLEDGED MANUFACTURING DEFECT, IN A POWERTRAIN COMPONENT, I DON'T SEE THE PROBLEM. EXCEPT SUBARU OF AMERICA WANTING TO AVOID PAYING FOR IT BY LABELING IT A 'WEAR' ITEM, AND THEREFORE COVERED UNDER 3YR/36K. PLEASE ADVISE.*AK

2002 WRX WAGON. MANUAL SHIFT. CLUTCH PROBLEMS ON DAILY BASIS, NO MATTER IF THE CAR IS PROPERLY WARMED UP OR COLD. CAR SHUDDERS. ALSO, IT'S HARD TO SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND AND FROM 3RD TO 2ND. EVEN WHEN THE CLUTCH PEDAL IS FULLY PRESSED, GRINDING SOUND APPEARS. THERE'S NO SPECIFIC PATTERN IN THIS BEHAVIOUR. IT HAPPENS RANDOMLY DURING DRIVING OR MOVING FROM A FULL STOP. *AK

THE VEHICLE SLID ON SOME SNOW AND ICE, WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A POLE, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK *PH *JB

WHILE RETURNING TO LAS VEGAS FROM A CAMPING TRIP ON VENTURA FREEWAY NEAR THE TARZANA EXIT OUR 2003 WRX EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF BRAKING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ON CLEAR, DRY, RAIN GROOVED HIGHWAY. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE WRX AT THE TIME AND SHE REPORTED THAT THE ABS KICKED IN AND THEN "LET GO" CAUSING HER CAR TO ROLL INTO MINE (PULLING OUR CAMP TRAILER), SHE STRUCK THE TRAILER DOING ABOUT 5 TO 7 MPH. DAMAGE TO HER WRX WAS IN EXCESS OF $5K, DAMAGE TO TRAILER AND MY CAR WAS COSMETIC ONLY. A SIMILAR INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE WRX ON THE WAY TO CAMPING SITE, SAME SYMPTOMS BUT NO TRAFFIC TO AVOID...I ASSUMED THAT ROAD CONDITION WAS PROBABLE FAULT. MY WIFE NOTICED THAT THE ABS SEEMED TOO SENSITIVE SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE OF VEHICLE. AFTER ABOUT A MONTH IT WENT AWAY. PROBLEM RETURNED AFTER WARRANTY WORK WAS PERFORMED TO REPLACE CLUTCH SYSTEM COMPONENTS LAST MONTH. VEHICLE IS PRESENTLY BEING REPAIRED AND THEN WILL BE SENT TO DEALER SERVICE (IN VAN NUYS) TO INSPECT BRAKES AND ABS PRIOR TO OUR TAKING POSSESSION AFTER REPAIR. INSURANCE AND DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN INFORMED THAT WE BELIEVE THAT THIS ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY ABS FAILURE. *NLM

STRONG SMELL OF FUEL IN MY 2002 SUBARU WRX. I HAVE BEEN ON NUMEROUS FORUMS ABOUT THIS TOPIC. FUEL LINE CLAMPS ARE COMING LOOSE AND SUBARU IS TURNING A BLIND EYE TO A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL.

DURING A RATHER LOW SPEED STOP ON A HIGH FRICTION SURFACE, I APPLIED THE BRAKES COMING TO A STOP SIGN. THERE WAS A SMALL AMOUNT OF SAND AND SOME POTHOLES AT THE INTERSECTION. I FELT THE ABS BRAKES ENGAGE AND BEGIN PULSING...AND ALL BRAKING POWER WENT AWAY, I DID NOT CONTINUE TO SLOW DOWN AND LITERALLY COASTED OUT INTO THE INTERSECTION. MY FOOT WAS FULLY DEPRESSED AND DROPPED TO THE FLOOR. THE CAR IS A 2002 SUBARU WRX WITH LESS THAN 13K MILES ON IT. THE BRAKES ARE IN EXCELLENT. SHAPE. I HAVE HEARD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, THE ABS REMOVING ALL BRAKING ACTION UNDER CONDITIONS WHERE FULL LOCKUP IS NOT OCCURRING. *NLM

STRONG RAW FUEL ODOR INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE IN EXTREME COLD WEATHER (-10F AND BELOW). SMELL IS PRESENT WHEN VEHICLE IS IDLING, GOES AWAY WHEN ON THE MOVE. ENGINE HOT OR COLD MAKES NO DIFFERENCE. ONCE EXTERNAL TEMPERATURE INCREASES, PROBLEM GOES AWAY. MENTIONED TO DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE -IT WASN'T VERY COLD OUTSIDE. *NLM

THE STANDARD TRANSMISSION COMMONLY FAILS TO GO INTO GEAR. THIS HAS OCCURRED AT A STOP AND ALSO WHILE MOVING. DOUBLE CLUTCHING IS COMMONLY NECESSARY IN ORDER TO ENGAGE THE DESIRED GEAR. *JB

I OWN A 2002 SUBARU WRX. THE ABS ON THIS CAR IS EXTREMELY SENSITIVE. IT'S SO SENSITIVE THAT IT ACTUALLY IS INSTRUSIVE. IT COMES IN WAY TO EARLY AND SOMETIMES EVEN WHERE THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY PROBLEM BRAKING. DURING ROUTINE BRAKING, THE ABS WILL ENGAGE RESULTING IN A LOSS OF BRAKE POWER AND THUS A LONGER BRAKING DISTANCE. I HAVE DRIVEN MANY CARS WITH ABS AND THIS CAR'S SYSTEM IS NOT NORMAL. I BELIEVE THIS IS A "NORMAL" PROBLEM WITH WRXS AND THE PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE FIXED. *JB

WINDSHIELD HAS NUMEROUS PITS AND ONE LARGE CRACK THAT HAS GROWN 2 INCHES IN THE PAST DAY. WINDSHIELD IS TOO BRITTLE, EVERYTHING THAT HITS THIS WINDSHIELD DAMAGES IT. CAR ONLY HAS 4,000 MILES. *NLM

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN LOSS OF BRAKE PRESSURE: [I HAVE SUBMITTED ONE PREVIOUS COMPLAINT, BUT I CANNOT FIND IT HERE. SINCE THIS PROBLEM HAS YET TO BE RESOLVED (AT LEAST 18 MONTHS AFTER IT WAS FIRST REPORTED) I WOULD LIKE TO POST MY COMPLAINT AGAIN.] ON TWO (2) SEPARATE OCCASIONS I HAVE LOST ALMOST ALL BRAKING FORCE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP ABRUPTLY ON SMOOTH, DRY_ PAVEMENT. IN BOTH INSTANCES I HIT THE BRAKES QUICK AND HARD, LET UP MOMENTARILY, THEN REAPPLIED. IN BOTH CASES IT WAS ON THE SECOND APPLICATION THAT THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR SEEMED TO BE ALMOST COASTING FREELY. LUCKILY, IN BOTH INSTANCES I HAD AN ESCAPE ROUTE. THE FIRST FAILURE WAS ON NORTHBOUND GEORGIA AVE., APPROACHING A RED LIGHT. THE WEATHER WAS MILD, PAVEMENT CLEAR, DRY AND SMOOTH. SPEED UPON INITIAL BRAKE APPLICATION WAS APPROX. 45 MPH. (ANOTHER NORTHBOUND DRIVER PULLED IN FRONT OF ME WITHOUT WARNING). TIRES WERE BRIDGESTONE RE730'S. BRAKES STOCK. THE SECOND TIME WAS ON NORTHBOUND I-270 AT EXIT 31. AGAIN, THE WEATHER WAS MILD AND THE PAVEMENT WAS SMOOTH AND DRY. SPEED UPON INITIAL BRAKE APPLICATION WAS APPROX. 65 MPH. (A DRIVER ENTERING I-270 ABRUPTLY MERGED ACROSS 3 LANES INTO LANE 1 DOING ALL OF ABOUT 25 MPH). TIRES WERE FIRESTONE SZ-50EP'S. BRAKES STOCK. AFTER THE SECOND INCIDENT I INSTALLED NEW FRONT BRAKE PADS, HAWK HP-PLUS. NOT THAT I THOUGHT THEY WOULD HELP WITH THE ABS PROBLEM, I JUST WASN'T HAPPY WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF THE STOCK PADS. DURING THE INSTALLATION I BLED THE BRAKES AND

CLUTCH SLIPPAGE: STRONG VIBRATION AND RUMBLING SOUND WHEN CLUTCH IS ENGAGED (PEDAL RELEASED) IN FIRST GEAR WHEN ENGINE IS COLD. PROBLEM STARTED AROUND 14,000 MILES. NO OBD CODE REPORTED FROM DEALER. DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPRODUCE DURING TEST DRIVE. HOWEVER, SEVERAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINES HAVE REPORTED SAME PROBLEM ON THEIR LONG TERM TESTS. *NLM

STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE COMING THROUGH HVAC VENT FROM ENGINE BAY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS RUN ON COLD DAYS (BELOW FREEZING). THIS SYMPTON HAS BEEN REPORTED BY A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE. AN INTERNET FORUM CONTAINING MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THIS TROUBLESOME AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SYMPTOM CAN BE SEEN AT: HTTP://FORUMS.NASIOC.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=&THREADID=305748

CONSUMER STATES, VEHICLE'S ABS IS INEFFECTIVE ON SLIPPERY AND GRAVEL SURFACES. DEALER NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS

WHEN THIS CAR HITS A BUMP UNDER BRAKING ON DRY PAVEMENT. THE ABS SYSTEM CAN KICK IN ON WHAT FEELS LIKE ALL 4 TIRES. IT STAYS ON AFTER THE BUMP UNTIL THE DRIVER RELEASES THE BRAKE PEDAL AND REAPPLIES THE BRAKES. DURING THE TIME THE ABS IS ACTIVE THE BRAKING SYSTEM DOES NOT SLOW THE CAR DOWN MUCH. THIS HAS ALMOST LEAD TO TWO REAR END ACCIDENTS REPORTED TO DEALER. THEY WOULD NOT REPRODUCE. THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES DURING OWNERSHIP WITH MULTIPLE TYPES OF TIRES AND RIMS. DT

I NOW HAVE AN EIGHT INCH CRACK RUNNING FROM THE BASE OF THE WINDSHIELD TOWARDS THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER. THERE WERE NO VISIBLE CHIPS OR CRACKS THE DAY BEFORE AND THE CAR WAS GARAGED. THERE ARE NUMEROUS THREADS AT CLUBWRX.NET AND I-CLUB.COM PERTAINING TO THIS VERY PROBLEM WITH SUBARU'S WRX WINDSHIELDS. DT

WINDSHIELD IS TOO WEAK. A SMALL PEBBLE CAUSED A LARGE DAMAGE AREA AND CRACK THAT EXTENDED ACROSS WHOLE WINDSHIELD.*AK

APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT AT 30-35MPH ON ROUGH, BUMPY PAVEMENT, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR COMPLETELY, AND THE CAR TOOK 2 OR 3 TIMES THE NORMAL DISTANCE TO COME TO A STOP. THERE WAS NO REASON THE ABS SHOULD HAVE ACTIVATED. THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUE AMONGST SUBARU DRIVERS (SEE HTTP://FORUMS.I-CLUB.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=&THREADID=102893&PERPAGE=25&HIGHLIGHT=BRAKE FAILURE&PAGENUMBER=1) THAT HAS POTENTIALLY LETHAL RESULTS. MANY PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THIS TO THE NHTSA... COULD YOU LET ME KNOW WHAT THE STATUS IS OF THESE REPORTS, AND WHAT ACTION THE NHTSA PLANS TO TAKE TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM? THANK YOU. NOTE: YOUR FORM SEEMS TO BE PARSING THE ENTERED INFORMATION RE: FAILED PARTS INCORRECTLY. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, NOR WERE THERE 35 FATALITIES.*AK

THE WINDSHEILD CRACKED ON ITS OWN WITHOUT ANY IMPACTS ONTO IT, WHILE PARKED IN THE GARAGE OVER NIGHT. THE CRACK STARTS AT THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE GOES DOWN AND TURNS TOWARDS THE PASSANGER SIDE. THIS SAME EXACT CRACK APPEARED TO MANY OTHER WRX OWNERS WHOM I HAVE CONTACTED OVER THE INTERNET. PLEASE WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. VISIT THESE FOLLOWING SITES TO GET AN IDEA OF HOW COMMON THIS IS FOR THIS BRAND NEW CAR. HTTP://FORUMS.I-CLUB.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=&THREADID=206139 , HTTP://FORUMS.I-CLUB.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=&THREADID=162531 , HTTP://FORUMS.I-CLUB.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=&THREADID=193107. *AK HTTP://FORUMS.I-CLUB.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=&THREADID=162531 IT IS THE SAME STYLE CRACK FOR ALL THESE CARS, IT IS A GLASS ISSUE AND THEREFORE AN URGENT SAFETY CONCERN.

ONGOING / INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH BRAKE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR WHENEVER VEHICLE RUNS OVER A BUMP, AND CAUSES A NONE STOPPING VEHICLE. VEHICLE BEEN TO DEALER ON TWO OCCASIONS, AND UNABLE TO LOCATE CAUSE. *AK

DURING BRAKING ON ROUGH SURFACES, THE ABS SYSTEM SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES, RESULTING IN NEAR TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING ACTION. WHEN THIS OCCURS, THE BRAKE PEDAL DROPS SIGNIFICANTLY AND THERE IS NO PULSING ACTION. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS THREE TIMES. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION. I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, AND WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE PEDAL DROPPED SEVERAL INCHES AND THERE WAS LITTLE, IF ANY BRAKING ACTION. LUCKILY, I HAD A GREEN LIGHT AND I WAS ABLE TO NEGOTIATE THE TURN WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE SECOND TIME I WAS TRAVELING ON A GRAVEL ROAD. I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 15-20 MPH, AND AS I CAME AROUND A CORNER I ENCOUNTERED A TRUCK THAT WAS DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. AGAIN, I APPLIED THE BRAKES WITHOUT ANY EFFECT. I WAS FORCED TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION AND GO INTO THE DITCH TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. AFTER THAT, I TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALER. I WAS ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE BEHAVIOR ONCE WITH A TECHNICIAN IN THE CAR. WE WERE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15-20 MPH AND I APPLIED THE BRAKES ON A ROUGH SECTION OF PAVEMENT. THE ABS PULSED SEVERAL TIMES, THEN IT STOPPED PULSING FOR 2-3 SECONDS, AND THEN IT STARTED PULSING AGAIN. DURING THE PERIOD WHEN IT STOPPED PULSING, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS SOFT AND DROPPED 1-2 INCHES. THE TECHNICIAN TRIED TO REPLICATE IT WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE TECHNICIAN INSPECTED THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CHECKING FOR DIAGNOSTIC CODES, BUT COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. *AK

WHEN TRYING TO SLOWDOWN AND DRIVING OVER SMALL BUMPS BRAKE SYSTEM WILL NOT CATCH, AND VEHICLE WILL NOT SLOW DOWN. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. *AK

WHEN BRAKING ON BUMPS (WET OR DRY), CAR DOES NOT STOP SAFELY. *AK

THE ABS ON THIS CAR HAS ACTIVATED 3 TIMES ON 100% DRY ROADS AT LOW TO MODERATE SPEED. THE ACTIVATION SEEMS TO BE CAUSED BY BUMPS OR EXPANSION JOINTS IN THE PAVEMENT. THIS RESULTS IN LOSS OF MOST OR ALL BRAKING POWER. 2 OF THESE OCCASIONS WOULD HAVE CAUSED ACCIDENTS HAD THERE BEEN ANYONE IN FRONT OF US.*** *AK DIMS 11 IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS***758325.

ABS FAILS ON BUMPS, BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS BECOMES MARGINAL OR DISAPSEARS. I PULLED THE ABS FUSE AND BRAKES ARE OK. AFTER THE INCIDENT I REPLACED THE OEM BRIDGESTONE RE92 TIRES WITH TOYO PROXES T!-S (225-50/16W) AND THE BRAKES WERE MUCH IMPROVED. HOWEVER, THE ABS IS NOT PERFORMING SAFELY SO I DISABLED IT BY PULLING THE FUSE. I HAVE ABOUT 200,000 MILES EXPERINCE WITH ABS INCLUDING A MAZDA RX7 TWIN TURBO, 3 ACURAS AND A FORD PROBE. THE WRX ABS IS NOT GOOD.*AK

EXHAUST SYSTEM OVERHEATS, CAUSING CARPETING INSIDE PASSENGER'S COMPARTMENT TO GET VERY HOT AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. ALSO, DUE TO VEHICLE OVERHEATING METAL HAS TURNED INTO A CHERRY COLOR. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER; DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY AGGRESSIVE DRIVING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK