Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2002 Subaru Impreza, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Fuel system, gasoline88
- Service brakes, hydraulic56
- Suspension49
- Power train25
- Structure21
- Engine and engine cooling19
- Visibility17
- Fuel/propulsion system8
- Steering8
- Vehicle speed control6
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 8 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 21 2002 Impreza vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 18 people died inside them, and 4 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2002 Subaru Impreza failed the safety check 2.33% of the time — 16% more often than the average 2002 passenger car (2.00%). Median odometer at inspection: 148,366 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2002 Subaru Impreza cars on Dutch roads are the 2.0 petrol (160 kW, 215 hp), 1.6 petrol (70 kW, 94 hp) and 2.0 petrol (195 kW, 261 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 petrol | 160 kW 215 hp | 106 |
| 1.6 petrol | 70 kW 94 hp | 25 |
| 2.0 petrol | 195 kW 261 hp | 24 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
172 first registered in 2002 are on Dutch roads; 12% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde78
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld44
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm22
- Band onvoldoende profiel20
- Waarschuwingsinrichting airbag- / gordelsysteem geeft defect19
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse18
- Stofhoes stuurinrichting beschadigd, dicht niet af18
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen14
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
717 cars built in 2002 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 1,413 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 1,168 of these cars first registered in 2002 took their annual MOT test. 71% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2002 the figure was 58%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2002 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 13.3% | 20.8% |
| Suspension | 11.9% | 15.8% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 8.8% | 6.9% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 7.0% | 9.7% |
| Brakes | 7.0% | 13.6% |
| Visibility | 3.1% | 7.7% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
26 of these cars first registered in 2002 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 235,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
673 2002 cars are on the New Zealand register; 75% arrived as used imports, 18% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 8 variants: combined 11.0–12.0 L/100 km (about 20–21 mpg US), CO₂ 253–276 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impreza AWD · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 12.2 | 9.5 | 11.0 |
| Impreza Wagon AWD · Station wagon: Small · Regular gasoline | 12.2 | 9.5 | 11.0 |
| Impreza Wagon AWD · Station wagon: Small · Regular gasoline | 12.7 | 9.5 | 11.2 |
| Impreza AWD · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 13.1 | 9.3 | 11.4 |
| Impreza AWD · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 13.1 | 9.5 | 11.5 |
| Impreza Wagon AWD · Station wagon: Small · Premium gasoline | 13.1 | 9.5 | 11.5 |
| Impreza AWD · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 13.7 | 9.8 | 12.0 |
| Impreza Wagon AWD · Station wagon: Small · Premium gasoline | 13.7 | 9.8 | 12.0 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 2002 Subaru Impreza.
| 2011344 19 Sept 2011 | Suspension On certain vehicles, the front lower control arms could corrode due to exposure to humid environments and road de-icing chemicals. Over time, corrosion could p… |
| 2008090 19 Mar 2008 | Other On certain Impreza wagon, the liftgate stay damper bolts may not have received adequate tightening torque during vehicle assembly. After repeated rear gate ope… |
| 2004242 13 Jul 2004 | Seats And Restraints On certain vehicles, the left front bolt that retains the forward part of the driver's seat to the seat slide rail may loosen due to stress forces applied to th… |
| 2002200 5 Nov 2002 | Powertrain On certain vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions, the parking pawl actuating rod ("parking rod") spring retainer may be defective. The parking pawl ma… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
SUBARU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2002-2007 IMPREZA, MODEL YEAR 2003-2008 FORESTER, AND MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 SAAB 9-2X VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 5, 2000 THROUGH NOVEMBER 26, 2007 ORIGINALLY SOLD, OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN, MASSACHUSETTS, MARYLAND, MICHIGAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, VERMONT, WISCONSIN, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IOWA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MAINE, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW JERSEY, OHIO, RHODE ISLAND, WEST VIRGINIA AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS MAY BREAK AT THE HANGER BRACKETS DUE TO CORROSION IF THE HANGER BRACKET IS EXPOSED TO SALTY AND HUMID ENVIRONMENTS SUCH AS ROADS CONTAINING SNOW MELTING AGENT.
SUBARU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2002 AND 2003 IMPREZA WRX VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF SOUTH DAKOTA, NEBRASKA, NORTH DAKOTA, MINNESOTA, IDAHO, IOWA, MONTANA, COLORADO, WISCONSIN, NEW YORK, WYOMING, MICHIGAN, ALASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, VERMONT, AND MAINE. DURING COLD STARTS, TYPICALLY UNDER EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURES, FUEL LEAKS IN THE FUEL DELIVERY LINE COULD OCCUR WHERE THE LINE CONNECTS WITH A RUBBER HOSE.
SUBARU IS RECALLING 36,791 MY 2002-2003 IMPREZA WAGONS. THE STUD BOLT(S) OF REAR GATE STAY MAY HAVE BEEN TIGHTENED WITH INSUFFICIENT TIGHTENING TORQUE AND A GAP MAY HAVE RESULTED BETWEEN THE REAR GATE PANEL AND STUD BOLT BASE. AFTER REPEATED REAR GATE OPERATIONS (OPENING AND CLOSING), THE REAR GATE INNER PANEL AT THE WELDING NUT MAY BREAK, WHICH WILL LEAD TO DETACHMENT OF THE REAR GATE STAY, AND THE REAR GATE DROPPING DOWN.
ON CERTAIN SEDAN AND WAGON MODEL VEHICLES, THE LEFT FRONT BOLT THAT RETAINS THE FORWARD PART OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT TO THE SEAT SLIDE RAIL MAY LOOSEN. IF THE SEAT SLIDE RAIL BOLT LOOSENS, IT WILL EVENTUALLY FALL OUT, AND THE SEAT MAY SEPARATE FROM THE SEAT SLIDE.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER SEDANS, WAGONS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE COULD COME OUT OF ITS TRACK ON THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVER AND LODGE ON THE CONTROL LEVER TAB WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS RELEASED. IF THIS CONDITION OCCURS, THE THROTTLE WILL NOT RETURN TO THE IDLE POSITION AND WILL REMAIN IN AN OPEN POSITION.
CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY AND PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS WERE PRODUCED WITH AN IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION PARKING ROD. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR LEVER IS PLACED IN THE "P" (PARK) POSITION, THE TRANSMISSION PARK MECHANISM, THAT IS INTENDED TO HOLD YOUR VEHICLE, MAY NOT ENGAGE.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Subaru told its dealers about the 2002 Subaru Impreza: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 634345 | SUBJECT REGARDING GAUGE PACK REPAIR KIT. *JG |
| 634336 | SUBJECT REGARDING EXCESSIVE TRANSPORTATION COATING UNDER THE HOOD. *JG |
| 631748 | SUBJECT REGARDING AUTO DIMMING ELECTROCHROMIC COMPASS MIRROR TROUBLE SHOOTING GUIDE. *SLC |
| 631499 | SUBJECT REGARDING ENGINE CONTROL MODULE REPROGRAMMING. *SLC |
| 627894 | SUBJECT REGARDING FUEL LEVEL SENSOR CIRCUIT HIGH INPUT. *YD |
| 627893 | SUBJECT REGARDING FUEL LEVEL SENSOR CIRCUIT LOW INPUT. *YD |
| 627890 | SUBJECT REGARDIDNG EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM PRESSURE SENSOR HIGH INPUT. *YD |
| 627889 | SUBJECT REGARDING EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM PRESSURE SENSOR LOW INPUT. *YD |
| 627888 | SUBJECT REGARDING EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM PRESSURE SENSOR RANGE/PERFORMANCE PROBLEM. *YD |
| 627887 | SUBJECT REGARDING EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM VENT CONTROL HIGH INPUT. *YD |
| 627886 | SUBJECT REGARDING EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL HIGH INPUT. *YD |
| 627885 | SUBJECT REGARDING EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM PURGE CONTROL VALVE CIRCUIT HIGH INPUT. *YD |
| 627884 | SUBJECT REGARDING EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM PURGE CONTROL VALVE CIRCUIT LOW INPUT. *YD |
| 627883 | SUBJECT REGARDING EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. *YD |
| 627882 | SUBJECT REGARDING CATALYST SYSTEM EFFICIENCY BELOW THRESHOLD. *YD |
| 627881 | SUBJECT REGARDING CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR CIRCUIT RANGE/PERFORMANCE PROBLEM. *YD |
| 627880 | SUBJECT REGARDING CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR CIRCUIT RANGE/PERFORMANCE PROBLEM. *YD *YD |
| 627878 | SUBJECT REGARDING KNOCK SENSOR CIRCUIT HIGH HIGH INPUT. *YD |
| 627857 | SUBJECT REGARDING FUEL LEVEL SENSOR CIRCUIT RANGE/PERFORMANCE PROBLEM. *YD |
| 627856 | SUBJECT REGARDING EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. *YD |
| 627855 | SUBJECT REGARDING CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR CIRCUIT MALFUNCTION. *YD |
| 627854 | SUBJECT REGARDING CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR CIRCUIT. *YD |
| 627853 | SUBJECT REGARDING KNOCK SENSOR CIRCUIT LOW INPUT. *YD |
| 627819 | SUBJECT REGARDING, BA:DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0461 - FUEL LEVEL SENSOR CIRCUIT RANGE/PERFORMANCE PROBLEM. |
| 626966 | INFORMATION REGARDING SUBWOOFER/AMPLIFIER COMPATIBILITY. *YH |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Front suspension control arm failure
FUEL LINE LEAK
FUEL LINE LEAK
FUEL LINE LEAKAGE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation