2003 Subaru Impreza Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe a cold-weather fuel smell and leak in the engine bay, typically appearing on the first start of a cold day and fading once the engine warms. A second common theme is early ABS complaints, where the system engages over bumps or slick surfaces and the car takes noticeably longer to stop. Other reports cover a front lower control arm that corroded through, airbags that did not deploy in crashes, and head gasket seepage.

1. 1
   Fuel system

   Cold-start fuel smell and leak in engine bay

   • 28 complaints (45%)
   • median 102,400 mi at 7.2 yrs old (24 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2007–2022

   Complaints describe a strong gasoline odor inside the cabin and around the passenger side of the engine bay shortly after a cold start, sometimes with visible fuel dripping onto the top of the engine. Several owners say the smell and leak clear once the engine warms up, and that it appears mainly on cold mornings. According to the complaints, some dealers acknowledged the condition and replaced fuel lines or added clamps, while others told owners the vehicle was not covered by the cold-weather fuel line recall because of where it was registered. Reported across a wide mileage range, from under 10,000 to about 160,000 miles, and consistently tied to cold ambient temperatures.

   Recall 09V4680001 related service bulletin

   What to check: On a cold morning, start the car and smell around the passenger side of the engine bay for raw fuel; look for dampness or staining on the fuel lines and intake area. Ask whether the fuel line service described in the cold-weather bulletin was performed, and check whether the car was originally sold or registered in a state covered by the fuel pump recall.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Only on cold days I smell fuel while driving, upon investagation I found that the little rubber lines under the intake were leaking fuel on to the top of the engine. I called Subaru and they said the they know about the problem but my car is not in the recall becauase I don;t live in the affected states so if I move to newyork or michigan I would be covered well I like ohio so if this could get expanded that would be great.”

   NHTSA complaint #10560917, filed 2014-01, 88,000 miles

   “For a couple of years in cold weather, usually below 32 degrees, the smell of gasoline existed in the cabin of the vehicle. I had it checked during an local state inspection and discovered fuel was leaking on the passenger side of the engine compartment. It was discovered that the manufacturer was aware of this. I contacted three(3) local dealers, that all new about TSB 09-36-03. They all quoted the same $500 estimate to repair. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10183290, filed 2007-02, 25,000 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   ABS engages over bumps, longer stopping distance

   • 11 complaints (18%)
   • median 9,900 mi at 1.1 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2003–2004

   Owners describe the anti-lock brakes cutting in unexpectedly when braking over broken pavement, bumps, gravel, wet or snowy roads, with the pedal feeling soft and the car taking much longer to slow. Several say they had to release and re-apply the pedal to regain braking, and a few report near-misses or low-speed contact with another vehicle or roadside object. Complaints note that the behavior repeated on the same stretches of road, such as a parking lot exit, and that the dealer had little to offer. Mostly reported very early in the car's life, commonly under about 20,000 miles, and often on rough or low-grip surfaces.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test-drive on a bumpy or gravelly stretch and brake moderately; note whether the pedal drops away or stopping distance grows. Ask whether the ABS has been inspected or serviced and whether the car has the original brake hardware.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When I apply the brakes on rough dry roads or when the road is wet or snowy ABS kicks in and my Subaru wrx take a very long time to come to a complete stop. It's almost like the brakes aren't even working. I have almost rear edned people because of this. Also, when the ABS goes off once in the snow, it continues to go off every time I stop.”

   NHTSA complaint #10049734, filed 2003-12, 19,200 miles

   “Had to brake hard on semi-bumpy pavement and ABS activated and lost all stopping power. Abs is way too sensitive and over-reative. I ended up slightly crashing into vehicle in frot of me. This ABS problem has occurred numerous times and I was well aware of it, however I was still unable to compensate and make a complete stop.”

   NHTSA complaint #10086097, filed 2004-08, 38,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Airbags did not deploy in a crash

   • 5 complaints (8%)
   • median 126,000 mi at 10.3 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2016

   Several owners report frontal or side impacts in which none of the airbags deployed, including a head-on collision and a side impact against a tree. Complaints also describe unhelpful responses when they asked why the airbags stayed folded. Separately, service material for this vehicle references the front passenger inflator recall campaign. Reported in crashes from about 50,000 to 160,000 miles on vehicles of varying age.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the passenger airbag inflator campaign was completed and request the service record; confirm the airbag warning light behaves normally on startup.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “- the contact owns a 2003 Subaru Impreza wrx. The contact's vehicle was in an accident in which it was hit on the front right side while driving at 10 MPH and crossing a stop light. The contact stated that the weather was nice that day. Upon impact, the air bags did not deploy. The current and failure mileage were both 50,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #10184951, filed 2007-03, 50,000 miles

   “Takata air bag did not deploy. Side impact sensor did not work. The car traveled sideways into a large oak tree in excess of 35 MPH . The point of impact was where the side impact sensor was located . None of the airbags deployed . Subaru has been very uncooperative with answers as to why the airbags did not deploy . This happened upon a rural road in the fog . No other vehicles were involved .”

   NHTSA complaint #10915984, filed 2016-10, 140,000 miles

Buying note. Give a cold-start fuel smell, a bumpy-road brake test, and a front suspension rust inspection priority, and ask for proof that applicable recalls and bulletins were completed for the state where the car was registered. Service records for head gasket and cooling-system work are worth requesting on higher-mileage examples.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 52 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.