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#BS-2002-SUBIMP-118A

2002 Subaru Impreza

Based on reports from 339 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
339
Crashes
11
Fires
3
Recalls
6
TSBs
158
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 339 complaints, 11 crashes, 3 fires, and 6 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

cd player does not operate

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
2

head gasket leaking

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
3

clogged gas tank and fuel pump

1 complaints • Severity 4/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Fuel SystemHIGH

50 owners reported fuel system issues — failures commonly reported around 67K miles.

!Inspect the Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited SlipMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

41
0–30K
53
30–60K
46
60–90K
36
90–120K
21
120–150K
30
150K+

Peak failure range: 30–60K miles (53 reports) • Median: 67K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Fuel System (50 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Fuel System50 (15%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip47 (14%)
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings42 (12%)
Suspension40 (12%)
Visibility:windshield12 (4%)
Structure:body10 (3%)
Engine9 (3%)
Steering8 (2%)

2002 Subaru Impreza: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Fuel System Issues

Fuel System complaints account for 15% of all reports filed for the 2002 Subaru Impreza, with 50 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 67,013 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 67K-mile mark.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip complaints account for 14% of all reports filed for the 2002 Subaru Impreza, with 47 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings Issues

Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings complaints account for 12% of all reports filed for the 2002 Subaru Impreza, with 42 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Suspension Issues

Suspension complaints account for 12% of all reports filed for the 2002 Subaru Impreza, with 40 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to suspension-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

8
01
54
02
27
03
48
04
28
05
20
06
17
07
21
08
14
09
11
10
18
11
10
12
8
13
3
14
14
15
10
16
11
17
3
18
8
19
2
20
3
21
1
22

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2002 Subaru Impreza. Recent trend: decreasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (6 recalls)

02V282000Jan 2003

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

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.

04V128000Apr 2004

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES

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.

04V342000Aug 2004

SEATS

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.

08V135000Jun 2008

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH

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.

09V468000Dec 2009

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

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.

+ 1 more recall in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

Unlock

The worst model year for the Subaru Impreza is the 2012 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 339 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 6 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Subaru Impreza Model Years

2026202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990
View all Subaru Impreza years →

2002 Subaru Impreza: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2002 Subaru Impreza?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2002 Subaru Impreza is related to the fuel system, with 50 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2002 Subaru Impreza reliable?
The 2002 Subaru Impreza has 339 complaints, 11 crash reports, and 3 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2002 Subaru Impreza problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2002 Subaru Impreza have any recalls?
Yes, the 2002 Subaru Impreza has 6 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Subaru Impreza problems start?
Based on 227 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 67,013 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 30–60K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 339 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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