2nd generation (GD/GG) · GD (sedan) / GG (wagon) · 763 complaints, 540 with mileage
Owners filed 763 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002–2007 Subaru Impreza, and 540 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
This generation has two distinct failure patterns rather than one, which is the most useful thing on this page. 18% of failures occur before 12,000 miles, which looks like a manufacturing defect, and a further 31% occur after 100,000, which looks like wear. Two different problems share one name in the complaint data — and an average of the two describes neither.
The most-reported areas are the fuel system (16.5% of complaints, typically around 60,000 miles), the suspension (12.3% of complaints, typically around 112,500 miles), the hydraulic brake circuit (10.7% of complaints, typically around 12,692 miles).
11 recall campaigns cover this generation.
| System | Complaints | Share | Typical mileage | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 126 | 16.5% | 60,000 | 36,500–80,400 |
| Suspension | 94 | 12.3% | 112,500 | 56,307–156,000 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 82 | 10.7% | 12,692 | 7,800–30,160 |
| Air Bags | 78 | 10.2% | 60,000 | 16,585–140,000 |
| Power Train | 58 | 7.6% | 16,500 | 5,247–65,000 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 58 | 7.6% | 104,000 | 79,000–141,000 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 45 | 5.9% | 55,350 | 36,550–81,543 |
| Structure | 37 | 4.8% | 117,770 | 51,000–146,000 |
| Visibility | 29 | 3.8% | 12,000 | 4,000–45,000 |
| Engine | 22 | 2.9% | 90,000 | 67,000–120,000 |
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 339 | 227 |
| 2003 | 64 | 54 |
| 2004 | 113 | 85 |
| 2005 | 95 | 81 |
| 2006 | 68 | 43 |
| 2007 | 84 | 50 |
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 63,455 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The fuel system accounts for 16.5% of complaints (126 reports, 103 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 60,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 36,500 and 80,400 miles.
The suspension accounts for 12.3% of complaints (94 reports, 80 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 112,500 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 56,307 and 156,000 miles.
The hydraulic brake circuit accounts for 10.7% of complaints (82 reports, 38 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 12,692 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 7,800 and 30,160 miles.
The airbag system accounts for 10.2% of complaints (78 reports, 27 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 60,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 16,585 and 140,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 7.6% of complaints (58 reports, 47 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 16,500 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 5,247 and 65,000 miles.
The fuel and propulsion system accounts for 7.6% of complaints (58 reports, 50 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 104,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 79,000 and 141,000 miles.
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2002 model year drew the most — 339 complaints — while 2003 drew the fewest at 64. The median year sits at 89.
That makes 2002 an outlier: roughly 3.8 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
NHTSA records 11 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around the airbag system (10), the suspension (1). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Of the 763 complaints filed against this generation, 57 reported a crash; 11 reported a fire; 48 reported an injury; 1 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 7.5% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
For a buyer, the two-peak pattern is the useful part. The early cluster — 18% of failures below 12,000 miles — will already have happened on any example you are looking at today, and either been repaired under warranty or not. Ask what was done. The late cluster, 31% above 100,000 miles, is the one still ahead of you if the car has lower mileage than that.
On inspection, the fuel system and the suspension are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The fuel system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 60,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
External head gasket oil/coolant seepage continues on the naturally aspirated 2.5L; Subaru's interim fix was a cooling-system conditioner, with gasket replacement as the durable repair.
The banjo-bolt oil feed filter to the turbo clogs with oil coking and debris, starving the turbo bearing and causing turbo failure that can send debris downstream into the engine.
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 23V076000 | 2023-03-15 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module |
| 20V003000 | 2020-01-07 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module |
| 20V002000 | 2020-01-07 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module |
| 20V001000 | 2020-01-07 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module |
| 17V016000 | 2017-03-08 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module |
| 17V026000 | 2017-03-06 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module |
| 17V014000 | 2017-03-06 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module |
| 16V359000 | 2016-08-24 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module |
| 16V358000 | 2016-07-22 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module |
| 15V323000 | 2015-06-17 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module |
| 11V464000 | 2011-12-31 | Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Arm |