Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Subaru Impreza owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Took my car in for tires and along with bad wheel bearing, I was told by the mechanic that the front subframe was almost rotted out. As I live in a cold snowy area and I often drive my grandchildren around in this vehicle, I'd like to know what is being done about this? I see that there are other owners of the same model, year, make that have similar complaint. I am also very upset that I was sold this car in 01/12 and was not informed of the front control arm recall. 5 months after I bought this car, I had to have this replaced. It was in the shop for 2 days, the parts had to be ordered from a Subaru dealer, why was I not informed of this problem at that time either?
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Subaru Impreza. When the contact started the vehicle, there was a burning oil odor. When the accelerator pedal was depressed, the rear of the vehicle began to emit a loud vibrating noise. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the exhaust from the convector rear muffler, gasket bolt, and dry belt needed to be replaced. In addition, the front subframe was rotted and the head gaskets were fractured, which caused an oil leak. All the parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
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.
I was driving down us rt 2 in bolton vt when had sudden steering wheel wobble. Car then veered to the right and off the road. Car went about 20 feet off the road. I was very lucky that a field was to the right. After getting out, I noticed that the left side front wheel was sitting several inches too far to the rear, rubbing against the body. My mechanic indicated that a lower control arm was severely corroded and broke off of the front subframe. The subframe itself is also corroded. This is only on the left side; the right side is fine. The car's body is generally in good shape. I would not have expected this part to be at all weak or corroded. I have the old control arm. My mechanic is going to replace the corroded portion of the subframe. Updated 01/13/11 updated 02/14/11 updated 03/11/11 updated 03/14/11 updated 03/30/11
The 2002 Subaru Impreza is subject to a recall on its control arms (NHTSA campaign number: 11V464000). Our car's passenger side control arm corroded to the point of failure about 1.5 years ago. Now we have discovered the same level of corrosion on a nearby part, also on the front passenger side. We discovered that the engine cradle (aka k-frame, aka front crossmember) is showing severe corrosion, similar to that shown by the control arm that previously corroded through and broke on our car. Our understanding is that it is hard to predict what would happen should this part fail, but would pose a significant danger particularly if it happened at high speed. The similarity between the corrosion of our control arms and now our engine cradle exceeds that of normal wear and tear. This was the reason that the control arms were previously recalled.
Tl contact owns a 2002 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated that water penetrated the radiator causing it to fail. The front subframe, front driver lower control arm, bushings, and ball joint were all corroded due to the water damage. The control arm broke in multiple pieces and resulted in loss of vehicle control. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop where the mechanic recommended that all of the parts be replaced. The contact called the manufacturer. The current and failure mileages were approximately 139,000. Updated 12/01/10. The consumer stated the water/puddle shorted out the engine fans which caused the vehicle to overheat and was not the cause of the rotted subframe. Updated 12/08/10
2.5 ts with 49,093 miles. Wagon was always given best of preventative maintenance. Driving slowly on city street. Clunking sound from right front wheel area. Some difficulty with braking and steering. Assumed it was ice buildup on brakes/suspension. After about 10 minutes increased speed on country road and became much worse, almost lost control of steering but got off the road safely. Lower control arm had broken and caused rust-riddled front subframe to collapse. Replaced lower control arm, front stabilizer link and front subframe. $1218.02.
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.
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.
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.
Body complaints in other Impreza years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2002 Subaru Impreza?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the body & structure of the 2002 Subaru Impreza, 7% of the model year's 292 complaints. The component named most often is body (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Subaru Impreza body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2002 Subaru Impreza, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2002 Subaru Impreza body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 121,000 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.