There are 10 owner-reported body & structure complaints for the 2002 Subaru Imprezain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
AT OIL CHANGE, I WAS CALLED TO LOOK AT HOLE RUSTED INTO FRONT SUBFRAME--SHOCKING AND FRIGHTENING!!!
MY CAR HAS A SUB FRAME UNDER THE FRONT END. I HAVE READ THEORIES ABOUT WHY IT IS THERE BUT IT STILL SEEMS TO BE A QUESTION. I BELIEVE THE INFO ABOUT IT BEING AN ADDITIONAL SAFETY FEATURE FOR THE US MARKET. IT CAN BE REMOVED WITHOUT CHANGING ANYTHING ELSE. THEY RUST AND MINE IS A GROUP OF RUSTED FRAME LIKE MATERIAL READY TO FALL AND DAMAGE THE UNDERSIDE OF MY CAR AND ANY ONE BEHIND ME. IF THIS IS A SAFETY FEATURE IT SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED, IF IS NOT THEN THERE SHOULD BE AN ANSWER ABOUT WHY IT IS THERE AND IS IT NEEDED.
I TOOK MY 2002 SUBARU IMPREZA FOR ITS YEARLY NEW YORK STATE INSPECTION. AT THIS TIME WE WERE TOLD THE SUBFRAME IS RUSTED BEYOND REPAIR. AND IT IS UN SAFE TO EVEN DRIVE THE CAR. THE CAR IS OTHERWISE IN GREAT SHAPE. IT DOES HAVE 170,000 MILES BUT OTHER THAN THAT THE CAR HAS GIVEN US NO PROBLEMS. *TR
2002 IMPREZA WAS TAKEN TO TWO SUBARU DEALERSHIPS, BOTH OF WHICH FOUND THAT THE SUBFRAME WAS SERIOUSLY ROTTED, AS WAS THE LOWER SUPPORT FOR THE RADIATOR. BOTH CONDITIONS WERE DEEMED BY THE DEALERSHIPS TO MAKE THE CAR'S SAFETY TO DRIVE QUESTIONABLE. SUBARU OF AMERICA WAS CONTACTED BY THIS WRITER ABOUT THIS, AND ABOUT A FAILING HEAD GASKET WHICH WAS ALSO DISCOVERED BY THE TWO DEALERSHIPS AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, AND A SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE REPLIED THAT THEY COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT THE SITUATION DUE TO THE CAR'S AGE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SUBARU IMPREZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR AN UNRELATED REPAIR WHEN THEY WERE ADVISED THAT THE SUB FRAME EXHIBITED SEVERE CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SUBARU IMPREZA. WHILE HAVING THE VEHICLE INSPECTED FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUB FRAME WAS CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHO STATED THAT THE SUB FRAME WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,541.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SUBARU IMPREZA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 15 MPH WHEN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL TURNED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE RIGHT SUB FRAME AND CONTROL ARMS WERE CORRODED AND DETACHED. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKE CABLE HAD SEIZED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 40,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SUBARU IMPREZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS UNDER A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL WHEN THE MECHANIC ADVISED HIM THAT THE MOUNTING FRAME WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE DEALER STATED THAT IN ORDER TO REMEDY THE FAILURE, THE CROSS MEMBERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD CONTACT HIM AT A LATER DATE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 129,000.
I WAS JUST INFORMED THAT THE SUB FRAME ON MY VEHICLE IS ROTTED AND THAT MY CAR IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE. THIS VEHICLE IS ONLY A 2002 WITH LESS THEN 94,000 MILES. TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, I WOULD NEED TO SPEND AROUND $2000.00 TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE FRONT AND REAR SUBFRAME. IF THIS PROBLEM WASN'T NOTICED AND I HAD CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE CAR, THE CONSEQUENCES WOULD BE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. THE CAR WOULD CRUMBLE IF IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. OR I COULD JUST BE DRIVING ALONG THE INTERSTATE AND IT COULD BASICALLY FALL APART, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *TR
DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE HATCHBACK/LIFGATE FELL OUT BECAUSE THE SCREWS HOLDING THE LIFTGATE IN PLACE STRIPPED DUE TO WEARING. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED IT WAS ASSEMBLED IMPROPERLY, AND TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER BEFORE HAVING THE REPAIRS DONE. THE VEHICLE IS A 2002, SUBARU IMPREZA WRX. *AK
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026