Most common 2003 Subaru Baja problems
Share of the 38 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Subaru Baja complaints by model year
Best Baja years: 2004. Years to avoid: 2003. Compare all years →
2003 Subaru Baja recalls (10)
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,…
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 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 (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts,…
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 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 (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas,…
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2009-2011 Legacy, Outback, Forester, 2006-2011 Impreza, Tribeca, 2003-2006 Baja, and 2006 Saab 9-2x vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi,…
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 26, 2016.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, and Baja vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South…
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 24, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2006-2008 Impreza, Tribeca, 2006 Saab 9-2x, and 2003-2006 Baja vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri,…
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 24, 2016.
Show 4 more recalls
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…
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners and General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The Subaru recall began on June 17, 2015.
Air bags
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy and Outback vehicles, and 2003-2005 Baja vehicles sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity. Specifically, vehicles sold, or ever registered, in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the U.S.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783.
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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the automatic transmission parking rod assembly. Owner notification January 8, 2003. An interim owner notification will be sent during November 2002.
Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system
On certain sport utility and passenger vehicles equipped with 4-cylinder engines, the water pump pulley center hole was improperly machined.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the water pump. Owner notification began September 12, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2003 Subaru Baja:
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
What 2003 Subaru Baja owners say
Brakes
At the beginning of April, I purchased a 2003 Subaru Baja from Roseville Auto Center for $10,500 and was reassured by the salesman that it passed a safety inspection and that there were no leaks in the head gasket. I did my own inspection under the hood and underneath the vehicle. I found there to be undercoat sealant which made sense as the vehicle was from Pennsylvania. I asked about the rust condition of the car to which I was once again reassured that it was okay. I took the car home and the following week I took it to my mechanic to see where I should start on modifications and upgrades. However, upon doing a multipoint inspection with the car on a lift he discovered that the undercoat sealant had been sprayed over duct tape to conceal rust holes in the running boards. …
Total ABS brake system failure while attempting to stop vehicle in light traffic at less than 20 MPH on dry surface. First attempt to brake met with undue brake pedal resistance with no stopping action. Second attempt met with unrestricted pedal travel to the floor with no stopping action. Vehicle only stopped on impact. The driver and two other people were injured.
Transmission & drivetrain
The contact owns a 2003 Subaru Baja. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the vehicle would move forward inadvertently until the contact applied the parking brake. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the VIN was not associated with any recalls. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 02V282000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Subaru Baja. The contact stated after changing a flat tire with the spare tire the rear end of the vehicle started smoking. The smoke was cause by the spare tire due to the different tread and size caused the differential to malfunction. The contact drove the vehicle to a local mechanic and the local mechanic notice the entire rear end had blown. The contact towed the vehicle to a dealer because the manufacturer offered to pay for the repairs. The contact stated this is a safety issue because the spare tire could have caused a hugh fire to the rear of the vehicle. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Engine & cooling
When trying to accelerate from a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated. The dealer reprogrammed the computer/replaced the oxygen sensor and replaced the ECU, but the problem still continued. The consumer stated the timing belt was also replaced, however the vehicle stalled twice.
I am the owner of a 2003 Subaru Baja with just over 4,000 miles. While the car is at idle, for some unknown reason, it stalls out. This occurred 4 times in two-and-a-half days starting on Thursday 4-15-04 and the last time on 4-17-04. The three previous times, I was able to re-start the vehicle. The last time, it would not start and I had to have the car towed to my dealership, classic Subaru-Cadillac in atlanta, ga. The dealership advised that I was the 8th person to report the problem and that Subaru is aware of it. The dealership has been very nice and they put me in a rental car. However, they do not know what is causing the problem. The only indication they gave me is that it is happening to other subarus with the 2.5 liter engine after the vehicle turns 4,000 miles. I believe this is a dangerous situation and should be investigated. …
2003 Subaru Baja engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 18 / 24 / 20 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 18 / 23 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Subaru Baja a good car?
Based on 38 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 Baja rates use caution: 1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Baja at the same age. It is one of the Baja years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Subaru Baja?
The brakes — 8 complaints, 21% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (7) and engine & cooling (6).
How many recalls does the 2003 Subaru Baja have?
There are 10 recalls for the 2003 Subaru Baja, the most recent from January 2, 2020 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Subaru Baja?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2004. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2003. See the full Subaru Baja years comparison.
At what mileage do 2003 Subaru Baja problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 40,000 miles; 54% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.