2004 Subaru WRX Recalls, Complaints & Specs
4 safety recalls list the 2004 Subaru WRX, and owners have filed 42 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
4 safety recalls for the 2004 Subaru WRX
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Inflator module (air bags)
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2004-2005 Impreza and WRX vehicles that received replacement front passenger air bag inflators under a previous recall. The replacement air bag inflators may have been installed incorrectly.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the passenger inflator and if necessary, install a new inflator kit, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 14, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer…
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Inflator module (air bags)
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, South…
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. Subaru Owners…
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Inflator module (air bags)
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. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer…
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Inflator module (air bags)
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, Michigan,…
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. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer…
42 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2004 Subaru WRX have filed 42 complaints with NHTSA; 1 describe a crash. Reports cite 1 injury and 1 death. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 78,698 miles. Complaints peaked in 2009 with 13 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Having recently moved to a cold weather state, i discovered that when the temperature is below freezing there is a smell of gasoline in the passenger cabin. After doing some research, subaru appears t”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, April 13, 2018 · Fuel/propulsion system
“During cold weather fuel smell coming from engine and is leaking”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, December 29, 2017 · Engine
Compare Subaru WRX model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Subaru WRX model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 Subaru WRX | 1 | 427 |
| 2003 Subaru WRX | 1 | 60 |
| 2004 Subaru WRX | 4 | 42 |
| 2005 Subaru WRX | 4 | 19 |
| 2006 Subaru WRX | 3 | 14 |
| 2007 Subaru WRX | 3 | 0 |
| 2008 Subaru WRX | 7 | 65 |
| 2009 Subaru WRX | 10 | 41 |
| 2010 Subaru WRX | 12 | 1 |
| 2011 Subaru WRX | 11 | 4 |
| 2012 Subaru WRX | 12 | 2 |
| 2013 Subaru WRX | 11 | 7 |
| 2014 Subaru WRX | 10 | 6 |
| 2015 Subaru WRX | 3 | 52 |
| 2016 Subaru WRX | 3 | 31 |
| 2017 Subaru WRX | 1 | 53 |
| 2018 Subaru WRX | 2 | 43 |
| 2019 Subaru WRX | 2 | 30 |
| 2020 Subaru WRX | 1 | 17 |
| 2021 Subaru WRX | 1 | 13 |
| 2022 Subaru WRX | 1 | 25 |
| 2023 Subaru WRX | 1 | 8 |
| 2024 Subaru WRX | 0 | 13 |
| 2025 Subaru WRX | 0 | 2 |
Checking a specific 2004 Subaru WRX
How do I know if my 2004 Subaru WRX has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 4 campaigns currently list the 2004 Subaru WRX; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Subaru dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 20V001000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Subaru models
- Outback9,756 complaints
- Forester6,498 complaints
- Legacy3,185 complaints
- Impreza2,651 complaints
- Crosstrek1,186 complaints
- Ascent1,033 complaints
- Svx291 complaints
- Xv Crosstrek264 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.