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#BS-2004-SUBIMP-118A

2004 Subaru Impreza

Based on reports from 113 owners and 8 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
113
Crashes
9
Fires
4
Recalls
8
TSBs
188
🟑

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 113 complaints, 9 crashes, 4 fires, and 8 recalls.

Top reported problems

1

blown head gasket

1 complaints β€’ Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
2

drivers seat belt squeals returns slowly

1 complaints β€’ Severity 4/10

$X,XXX
3

lower control arm snapped

1 complaints β€’ Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Fuel SystemHIGH

29 owners reported fuel system issues β€” failures commonly reported around 60K miles.

!Inspect the AirbagsMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

33
0–30K
9
30–60K
9
60–90K
8
90–120K
17
120–150K
9
150K+

Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (33 reports) β€’ Median: 60K 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 (29 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 System29 (26%)
Airbags12 (11%)
Suspension10 (9%)
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings5 (4%)
Power Train:manual Transmission4 (4%)
Suspension:rear:shock Absorber4 (4%)
Power Train:clutch Assembly3 (3%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip3 (3%)

2004 Subaru Impreza: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Fuel System Issues

Fuel System complaints account for 26% of all reports filed for the 2004 Subaru Impreza, with 29 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 60,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 60K-mile mark.

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 11% of all reports filed for the 2004 Subaru Impreza, with 12 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Suspension Issues

Suspension complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2004 Subaru Impreza, with 10 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to suspension-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 4% of all reports filed for the 2004 Subaru Impreza, with 5 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.

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

19
04
17
05
6
06
3
07
7
08
2
09
3
10
3
11
1
12
10
13
5
14
8
15
9
16
5
17
2
18
2
19
1
20
2
21
5
22
1
23
1
24
1
25

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2004 Subaru Impreza. Recent trend: stable.

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Repair costs β€’ Negotiation scripts β€’ Mechanic checklist β€’ Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (8 recalls)

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.

04V473000Oct 2004

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE COVER BOLTS FOR THE ENGINE OIL CONTROL VALVE MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENTLY TIGHTENED, ALLOWING OIL TO LEAK FROM AROUND THE COVER GASKET.

11V464000Dec 2011

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM

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.

15V323000Jun 2015

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to July 21, 2004, 2004-2005 Impreza vehicles manufactured January 28, 2003, to May 31, 2005, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to May 2, 2008, 2003-2008 Subaru Outback vehicles manufactured February 18, 2003, to May 5, 2008, and 2005 Saab 9-2x vehicles manufactured February 11, 2004, to March 17, 2005. The affected vehicles are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture upon its deployment.

20V001000Jan 2020

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

+ 3 more recalls 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.

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The worst model year for the Subaru Impreza is the 2012 β€” 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. 113 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 8 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

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

2004 Subaru Impreza: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2004 Subaru Impreza?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2004 Subaru Impreza is related to the fuel system, with 29 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2004 Subaru Impreza reliable?
The 2004 Subaru Impreza has 113 complaints, 9 crash reports, and 4 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 2004 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 2004 Subaru Impreza have any recalls?
Yes, the 2004 Subaru Impreza has 8 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 85 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 60,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K 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 β€” 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 β€” 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 β€” no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 113 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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