Most common 2002 Subaru WRX problems
Share of the 427 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Subaru WRX complaints by model year
Best WRX years: 2010, 2012, 2011. Years to avoid: 2017, 2015, 2022, 2009, 2024. Compare all years →
2002 Subaru WRX recalls (1)
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2002 and 2003 impreza wrx vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of south dakota, nebraska, north dakota, minnesota, idaho, iowa, montana, colorado, wisconsin, new york, wyoming, michigan, alaska, new hampshire, vermont, and maine.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel line free of charge. The recall began on December 31, 2009. Owners May contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 5 possible defects involving the 2002 Subaru WRX:
Fuel line leak
Complainants report fuel leakage most frequently in winter during initial cold engine startup.owners will either notice a fuel odor inside the occupant compartment or fuel odor/leakage at the fuel lines on the right side atop the engine.
Fuel line leakage in engine compartment
Subaru reports that the fuel odor is caused by fuel seepage during cold start of the engine under extremely cold temperatures. The leak occurs in a fuel line in the engine compartment.it reports that the failure is due to the misaligned angle between two fuel delivery lines which resulted in such fuel seepage during the first few seconds of cold engine start during these cold temperatures.Subaru reports that the two…
Braking system/ABS
Subaru's supplemental response of September 29, 2003, identified that the 2002, 2003 Subaru wrx models areequipped with the Bosch 5.3 ABS system, and identified that other model Subaru vehicles are also equipped with the Bosch 5.3 ABS system, but have different calibrations than the wrx model vehicles.Subaru identified that changes were made in the ABS ECU to address a calibration logic issue when driving the…
Fuel line leak
The design of the fuel line (metal rail/rubber hose interface) is susceptible to fuel odor and/or seepage in extreme cold temperature conditions.owners most often noticed fuel odor in the occupant compartment area during initial cold engine start-up.once the engine is warmed, the odor/seepage issue dissipates.from Subaru's data, odi notes that the incident rates are higher in states with colder temperatures.there…
Extended stopping distances
During the ea, odi and vrtc performed the following activities:1.conducted a mail survey of 246 subject vehicle owners todetermine the roadway surface that caused owners' concern;2.interviewed complaining owners;3.conducted field inspections of seven (7) complaint vehicles;4.instrumented testing at vrtc of complaint and peer vehicles;5.reviewed Subaru's response to our information request;6.met with Subaru for…
What 2002 Subaru WRX owners say
Fuel & propulsion system all 295 →
Fuel rail on 2002 WRX is leaking heavily on the engine. This is a high fire hazard as well as noxious for passengers in the car as it smells heavily of fuel. Since I live in washington state Subaru of America has not honored the recall they've put in other states for this exact issue. Subaru has denied warranty repair due to the extended warranty expiring for this issue in 2013. I was never notified of this issue. I am the original owner of this car and have taken it in for every other recall issue that I've been notified of. This is reckless and dangerous. The local repair shop has said they don't think it is correct to charge me for labor and parts that should be covered under warranty by Subaru and have directed me to the dealership. The dealership asked me to get authorization from Subaru, which was denied. …
A fuel line under the intake manifold located on the passenger side is leaking gas on cold starts. This is my second time dealing with this issue. As of now, it is only leaking gas when the engine is cold, but the leaking is starting to get worse and faster than before. The first time I had this issue it was leaking gas regardless of engine temperature. It is only a matter of time before it starts to leak at any given moment with a possibility to cause a fire putting my life and others at risk. I live in the state of california and this recall has only been announced for "cold weather" states. It is evident that this fuel line problem has nothing to do with the weather since I live in a warm climate. This probiem is unfixable and time consuming. I had already tried to solve this issue at my local repair shop and it ended up being a waste of time and money. …
Brakes all 80 →
Antilock braking system engages on dry pavement when it encounters bumps, pedal goes almost to the floor and braking force is severely reduced. I have driven many cars with ABS and nothing like this has ever happened to me. I have sort of learned to "drive around" the problem, but on a couple of occasions where emergency braking was called for it has nearly caused me to get into an accident - once forcing me to drive up onto and over a curb and into a ditch. Destroying one of my wheels in the process. Someone ran a red light and I couldnt stop from 30 MPH in what would have been plenty of room with a normal braking system. …
While returning to las vegas from a camping trip on ventura freeway near the tarzana exit our 2003 WRX experienced a loss of braking at approximately 25 MPH in stop and go traffic on clear, dry, rain grooved highway. My wife was driving the WRX at the time and she reported that the ABS kicked in and then "let go" causing her car to roll into mine (pulling our camp trailer), she struck the trailer doing about 5 to 7 MPH. Damage to her WRX was in excess of $5K, damage to trailer and my car was cosmetic only. A similar incident occurred while I was driving the WRX on the way to camping site, same symptoms but no traffic to avoid...I assumed that road condition was probable fault. My wife noticed that the ABS seemed too sensitive shortly after purchase of vehicle. After about a month it went away. …
Engine & cooling
Fuel rail on 2002 WRX is leaking heavily on the engine. This is a high fire hazard as well as noxious for passengers in the car as it smells heavily of fuel. Since I live in washington state Subaru of America has not honored the recall they've put in other states for this exact issue. Subaru has denied warranty repair due to the extended warranty expiring for this issue in 2013. I was never notified of this issue. I am the original owner of this car and have taken it in for every other recall issue that I've been notified of. This is reckless and dangerous. The local repair shop has said they don't think it is correct to charge me for labor and parts that should be covered under warranty by Subaru and have directed me to the dealership. The dealership asked me to get authorization from Subaru, which was denied. …
I drive a 2002 Subaru impreza WRX. A week and a half ago we had temps below zero. While driving I noticed very strong gas smells coming through the vents while using the defrost. After some online investigation I have found that this is a fairly common problem with these vehicles for anyone living in a colder climate. I belive the problem has to do with the fittings that attatch the metal fuel lines to the flexible hoses in the engine compartment. In cold weather these fail, spilling gasoline onto the engine block. Now the problem is more common, even on cool, but not cold days. I understand that Subaru is aware of the problem and has even issued a service bulletin to dealerships advising them of the fix for this (which is very expensive). However, it should not be the consumers responsiblity to pay for a potentially dangerous fix that is common on these cars. …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Subaru WRX a good car?
Based on 427 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 WRX rates avoid: 25.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the WRX at the same age. It is one of the WRX 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 2002 Subaru WRX?
The fuel & propulsion system — 295 complaints, 69% of all complaints for this model year, most often about delivery › hoses, lines/piping, and fittings. Next are the brakes (80) and engine & cooling (18).
How many recalls does the 2002 Subaru WRX have?
There is 1 recall for the 2002 Subaru WRX, the most recent from December 4, 2009 (fuel pump). 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 WRX?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2010, 2012 and 2011. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2017, 2015, 2022, 2009 and 2024. See the full Subaru WRX years comparison.
At what mileage do 2002 Subaru WRX problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 40,000 miles; 62% 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.