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#BS-2004-SUBIMP-118A2004 Subaru Impreza
Based on reports from 113 owners and 8 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Think Twice
Based on 113 complaints, 9 crashes, 4 fires, and 8 recalls.
Top reported problems
blown head gasket
1 complaints β’ Severity 10/10
drivers seat belt squeals returns slowly
1 complaints β’ Severity 4/10
lower control arm snapped
1 complaints β’ Severity 10/10
Preview: What's in your full report
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
29 owners reported fuel system issues β failures commonly reported around 60K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 0β30K miles (33 reports) β’ Median: 60K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Fuel System (29 reports).
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
Where the complaints fall
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
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2004 Subaru Impreza. Recent trend: stable.



Don't negotiate blind β know what this car costs to own
Repair costs β’ Negotiation scripts β’ Mechanic checklist β’ Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (8 recalls)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Other Subaru Impreza Model Years
2004 Subaru Impreza: Frequently Asked Questions
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Get the Full 2004 Subaru Impreza Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 113 owner reports. Know before you buy.