2002 SUBARU IMPREZA Power Train Problems

PUT MY CAR IN PARK AND IT STARTED ROLLING BACKWORDS.... SAME EXACT DAY IN WAS AT A STOP LIGHT ON A INCLINE AND MY CAR ROLLED BACKWORDS FASTER THEN IT SHOULD WHILE IN DRIVE. CAR HAS 101000 MILES

Mileage: 101,000

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.

Mileage: 75,000

THE TRANSMISSION GEAR WON'T MOVE FROM PARK TO DRIVE. I CALLED TOWING. HE OPEN THE LITTLE COVER AND PUSH IT WITH A KNIFE. THEN, I WAS ABLE TO SHIFT. WAS THE PART DEFECTIVE? I HAD MY MECHANIC CHECK IT BUT I CAN'T RECALL IF HE FIX IT. I HAVE TO CHECK WITH HIM. NOW IT IS WORKING. I AM WONDERING IF OTHER SUBARU OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

Mileage: 100,000

WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT TO SECOND GEAR. THE DRIVER TRIED NUMEROUS TIMES AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE DRIVER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO DO SO. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

2002 SUBARU WRX - I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR 30,000 MILE SERVICE, CAR WAS RUNNING FINE, NO COMPLAINTS. WHEN I GOT THE CAR BACK, I NOTICED THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DOWNSHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR, AND I WAS SOMETIMES MISSING THE SHIFT - GRINDING GEARS. I HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM LIKE THIS IN ANY CAR BEFORE. THE PROBLEM IS MORE SEVERE AT HIGHER SPEEDS, AND IS GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER THE LAST 5000 MILES. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER TWICE, THE FIRST TIME THEY "COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG", THE SECOND TIME THEY NOTED THAT THE "SENCROS" WERE GOING BAD. I HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND TALKING TO THE SERVICE TECH, WHO CLAIMS THIS IS A PROBLEM HE SEES A LOT ON WRXS, AND THAT "THERE ISN'T ANYTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT"!! THE DEALERSHIP HAS PROMISED TO "LOOK INTO WHAT WE CAN DO", BUT MEANWHILE THE CAR IS GETTING LESS AND LESS FUNCTIONAL. I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED THAT THE INTENTION OF THE DEALERSHIP IS TO STALL TILL THE WARRANTY RUNS OUT (I'M GETTING CLOSE) THEN TELL ME IT'S MY PROBLEM TO DEAL WITH. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE NOT BEING ABLE TO SHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE A CHAIN REACTION PILE-UP, AS THERE ARE STOPLIGHTS HIGHWAYS ON HILLS NEAR WHERE I LIVE. AN INCIDENT OF STALLING DUE TO SHIFTING PROBLEMS COULD CAUSE FOLLOWING TRAFFIC TO BADLY MISJUDGE THE SPEED OF THE STALLING CAR IN SITUATIONS WHERE THE LIGHT HAS CHANGED AND THERE IS SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC FOLLOWED BY FASTER TRAFFIC (PREVIOUS LIGHT TURNS SOONER, LIGHTS NOT COORDINATED).*AK

Mileage: 30,000

I HAVE A 2002 SUBARU IMPREZA RS, THIS VEHICLE SEEMS TO BE LIKE LOTS OF OTHERS, THE VEHICLES SHUDDERS AND JERKS ALOT WHEN I'M PULLING OFF IN THE MORNING, EVENING, WHETHER ITS COLD OR HOT. I TOOK IT TO SHELORS WHICH WANTED TO TEAR IT APART AND CHARGE ME, WHEN THE CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THIS VEHICLE DOES THIS ATLEAST 3 TIMES A WEEK. THE CAR ONLY HAS 35588 MILES SO ACTUALLY ITS STILL UNDER THE NEW CAR WARRANTY. I HAVE A HARD TIME SOMETIMES GETTING THE CAR INTO REVERSE (MANUEL TRANS.) I HAVEN'T HAD ANY ACCIDEN'T AS OF THIS DATE SO, I'M PUTTING THE DATE THAT I'M FILLING THIS OUT INTO THE INCIDENT DATE BOX.*AK

Mileage: 55,000

CLUTCH SHUDDERS IN FIRST AND SECOND GEARS UNTIL ENGINE WARMS UP (~20MINS). VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 17,000 MILES AND THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE THE FIRST DAY OF OWNERSHIP. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THIS WAS NORMAL. I FIND THAT EXPLANATION UNACCEPTABLE SINCE MANY OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I FIND THIS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE I HAVE TO REV THE ENGINE UP TO GET THE CLUTCH TO ENGAGE, POTENTIALLY LURCHING ME INTO TRAFFIC AND CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *JB

WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO A SUDDEN STOP. OTHER PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE INCLUDE THE STEERING PUMP, BRAKES AND THE WINDSHIELD.*AK *MR

Mileage: 401,000

WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO A SUDDEN STOP. OTHER PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE INCLUDE THE STEERING PUMP, BRAKES AND THE WINDSHIELD.*AK *MR

Mileage: 401,000

DIFFERENTIAL FLUID OUT; SUBARU BLAMES A NON-DEALER OIL CHANGE ERROR FOR PROBLEM HENCE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. OWNER HAD TO SPEND OVER $350 FOR REPLACEMENT AUTO RENTAL. OWNER DROVE CAR FOR 1,700 MILES AFTER DISPUTED NON-DEALER OIL CHANGE TO DATE WHEN DIFFERENTIAL FLUID OUTAGE DISCOVERED.

Mileage: 6,351

GRINDING OF THE GEARS WHEN SHIFTING FROM 3RD-4TH GEAR. STARTED WITH A VERY MILD NOISE, HAS PROGRESSED TO A LOUD GRIND. TOOK IT IN FOR WARRANT SERVICE AND THEY SAID THAT THE DETERMINATION OF WARRANTY COVERAGE WOULD BE MADE BY A REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE AFTER THE TRANSMISSION WAS REMOVED. I CHECKED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT MANY OTHER OWNERS WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM AND BEING DENIED WARRANTY COVERAGE AFTER THE TRANSMISSION WAS REMOVED UNLESS THEY WERE WILLING TO SIGN ONE TIME REPAIR AGREEMENT VOIDING THE REMAINDER OF THE WARRANTY. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT I WILL PROBABLY BE REQUIRED TO SIGN ONE EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NOT AGREED TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REMOVED OR DISSASSEMBLED YET. THEY ARE UNWILLING TO GIVE ME ANY INFORMATION ON THE NUMBER OF SIMILAR REPAIRS THAT HAVE BEEN COVERED OR DENIED UNDER WARRANTY AND WILL NOT GIVE ME ANY OBJECTIVE CRITERIA THAT WILL BE USED TO MAKE THE WARRANTY DETERMINATION.

Mileage: 36,000

MY CAR IS A TOTAL LEMON. I PRE-ORDERED THE 2002 WRX IN 2001 AND WAS VERY ANXIOUS TO RECEIVE IT. AS SOON AS I GOT THE CAR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A CAM POSITION SENSOR WICH THEY REPLACED 3 TIMES. THEY TOLD ME I REVVED THE CAR TOO HIGH TO THROW THE CODE. THE CODE WAS THROWN AT 6200 RPM AND THE ENGINE REDLINES AT 7000. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO WORK ON THIS PROBLEM AFTER THE 3RD TIME. AT 45000 MILES MY CAR BEGAN TO MISS AND NOT RUN CORRECTLY. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM WITH IT. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER SHOP TO GET A 2ND OPINION. THEY FOUND THAT THE CAM POSITION SENSOR HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED MY CAR TO MISSFIRE WHEN I WOULD HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD. THEY REPLACED THE SENSOR AND CHARGED ME A FEE OF $800 DUE TO THE MASSIVE TROUBLESHOOTING WORK THAT LED UP TO SOLVING THE PROBLEM. FINALLY THE PROBLEM THAT I HAD SINCE THE CAR WAS BRAND NEW WAS FIXED AT THE FULL COST TO ME. AT 48000 MY TRANSMISSION WAS THE NEXT TO GO. I LOST THE ABILITY TO SHIFT MY CAR IN ANY GEAR. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AS THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY IS 60000 MILES. THEY DISMANTLED MY TRANSMISSION TO FIND 2ND GEAR STRIPPED. THEY THEN DENIED TO COVER THIS UNDER WARRANTY AS IT WAS LABELED ABUSE. THEY CHARGED ME $800 DOLLARS FOR THEIR TIME. THEN THEN GAVE ME A QUOTE FOR $4500 EXTRA DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO THE SAME SHOP THAT FIXED MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THEY INSTALLED A NEW TRANSMISSION FOR ME AT THE COST OF $2200. MY TRANSMISSON HAS ALSO BROKE AGAIN AT 65000 MILES. NOW I HAVE A CAR THAT DOESN'T RUN THAT I AM PAYING ON. I CAN NOT SELL A CAR THAT DOESN'T RUN. SUBARU DOES NOT CARE THAT THEIR CARS ARE JUNK. I REALLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO NOW.

Mileage: 45,000

VEHICLE HAS PROBLEMS SHIFTING GEARS WHEN DRIVING.*MR WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR . AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS NEW WITH ONLY A FEW THOUSAND MILES. THE VEHICLES TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE UNDER WARRANTY BUT NOW THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AGAIN THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR IT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEE AT THE DEALER FOR ALMOST A YEAR. *PH *NLM

Mileage: 1,948

CLUTCH SHUTTERS UPON STARTUP. I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS A NORMAL CLUTCH FUNCTION AS SUBARU MENTIONS. I'VE HAD THE CAR FOR 1 YEAR AND WOULD LIKE TO SELL IT. THE PROBLEM, HOW DO I SELL THIS CAR TO SOMEONE ELSE WITH A CLUTCH THAT VIOLENTLY SHUTTERS WHEN COLD. IT'S A MATTER OF GOOD ETHICS WHICH SUBARU DOESN'T HAVE. *JB

Mileage: 3,000

WAS BRAKING V AFTER DRIVING 20MPH. WHEN WHEEL LOCKED UP, VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT INTO 2ND GEAR. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. MECHANIC INDICATED PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED AND WAS NOT RESOLVED.*AK

Mileage: 16,500

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING TRANSMISSION GEARS WOULD NOT SHIFT, CAUSING A DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEM WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION. DEALER FIXED IT TWICE. LAST WEEK TRANSMISSION BROKE, AND VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. SO HE HAD TO PAY FOR THIS. VEHICLE ONLY HAD 37616 MILES. *AK

WHILE MAKING A TURN , VEHICLE SLID OFF THE ROAD, WITHOUT CAUSE OR WARNING. THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.

Mileage: 9,000

TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *AK

CONSUMER STATE OF HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, THIS PROBLEM WAS INITIALLY REPORTED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY 4 MONTHS OLD, THE PROBLEMS INCLUDED GRINDING SOUNDS BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND GEARS, CLUTCH NOISE, AND TRANSMISSION POPPING OUT OF GEAR WHEN GOING DOWNHILL, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS 10 MONTHS OLD THE GEAR TEETH ON FIRST GEAR FAILED, THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE UNDER WARRANTY. MR *NLM

Mileage: 23,000

THE TRANSMISSION SHUDDERS WHEN THE CAR STARTS FROM A STOP, IN FIRST GEAR (FROM ZERO MPH), BOTH WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD AND WARM. THIS HAS CAUSED DELAYED AND UNCOMFORTABLE STARTS.*AK

THE CLUTCH SHUDDERS AND SLIPS HORRIBLY ON COLD STARTS IN 1ST GEAR. THE WHOLE CAR WILL SHAKE DUE TO HOW HORRIBLE IT IS. STOPS SHUDDERING AFTER 15 MINS OF STOP AND GO. DEALER SAID IT IS NORMAL AND MANY CUSTOMERS COMPLAIN, BUT THAT IS THE WAY THE SUBARU CLUTCH BEHAVES. -- BTW: THIS SITE DOES NOT SEEM TO SHOW ANYWHERE NEAR THE AMOUNT OF CLUTCH SHUDDER ISSUES I HAVE HEARD OF, AND IT SEEMS THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE POSTED CLUTCH SHUDDER ISSUES UNDER THE WRONG PART DEFECT.*AK

SEVERE CLUTCH SHUDDER AT START OF FORWARD MOVEMENT. AFFECTED BY LOWER OUTSIDE TEMPS. IF CAR SITS IN COLD WEATHER AT FIRST USE OF CLUTCH SEVERE SHUDDER VIBRATES WHOLE VEHICLE. AS CLUTCH WARMS UP SHUDDER LESSENS BUT NEVER GOES AWAY. *TS *NLM *DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12-12-02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS***761550

Mileage: 12,000

SEVERE CLUTCH SHUDDER DURING LOW SPEED OPERATION ( IN 1ST GEAR AND STARTING TO MOVE FROM A STOP) WHEN CLUTCH COMPONENTS ARE COLD. SHUDDER CONTINUES TILL PARTS WARM UP. SHUDDER NEVER COMPLETELY GOES AWAY.*AK

TRANSMISSION/DRIVETRAIN RATTLES AND/OR GRINDS AT 2ND AND 3RD GEAR SHIFTS. *AK

FIRST GEAR IS A MAJOR ISSUE IN MY VEHICLE. I CAN ONLY ENGAGE FIRST GEAR, IF IM AT A COMPLETE STOP. SO IF IVE SLOWED DOWN TO 5-10MPH IM FORCED TO GO INTO 2ND GEAR, WHICH NOT ONLY WEARS OUT MY CLUTCH PREMATURELY, BUT COULD ALSO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF I NEEDED TO BUILD SPEED QUICKLY. THE TRANSMISSION OVERALL SEEMS TO BE A BIG ISSUE WITH WRX OWNERS. PLEASE GO TO WWW.I-CLUB.COM AND UNDER FORUMS DO A SEARCH FOR TRANNY AND ALSO 1ST GEAR, YOU WILL SEE A SLEW OF ISSUES.