What problems do you know about a 02 WRX's?

[bluimpreza00]

Im thinking about getting a used 02 WRX wagon. I have been out of the suby world for a few years. I have had a 00RS, then a 01RS w/ 02 EJ20.

I wanting to know what things I should be on the look at for like problems that people have been having?

I found one at Grayson Subaru and its black with 58,000 miles on it. It was bought new at Harpers and then traded in on a lease.

If anybody knows any info on this car, let me know.

Matthew

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[boost_away]

The MY02's were know for having a bad clutch shutter problem, but that's manufacturing issues, not user. Best bet is just replace it if it bothers you.

[thrdeye]

Originally Posted by bluimpreza00

Im thinking about getting a used 02 WRX wagon. I have been out of the suby world for a few years. I have had a 00RS, then a 01RS w/ 02 EJ20.

I wanting to know what things I should be on the look at for like problems that people have been having?

I found one at Grayson Subaru and its black with 58,000 miles on it. It was bought new at Harpers and then traded in on a lease.

If anybody knows any info on this car, let me know.

Matthew

Matt,

If you want me to look at the car with you, let me know.....I am free for a little while tonight.

[Subaru Gwinnett]

The '02's have the most fragile tranny's, other than they, they're great.

SS

[Calamity Jesus]

The '02's also have the loose fuse rail hoses. If the temp drops below 0F overnight, don't be suprised if you have gas fumes fill your interior when you crank up in the morning.

[bluimpreza00]

Originally Posted by thrdeye

Matt,

If you want me to look at the car with you, let me know.....I am free for a little while tonight.

I have to work until about 10pm tonight. I should be able to get off early but Im not sure how early. If not tonight what about tomorrow after 5pm.

I will PM you cell phone #.

Thanks

Matthew

[w0rXer]

...and there is the coolant reservoir cover paint issue.

[thetikler1]

Originally Posted by w0rXer

...and there is the coolant reservoir cover paint issue.

which subaru will take care of for you no charge. I wouldnt' worry about this one

[MattWRX]

And the battery.... check if there's a decent amount of water in it. If they didn't refill it occasionally (like me *innocent whistle*), you may be looking at a new battery for the cold months.

Me likey Optima RedTop.

Its a subaru. there is NOTHING wrong with it....

[OvenMitts]

I was at grayson today and I think I saw it.. looked nice 'n' clean.

I didn't know there was another WRX swap in knoxville... do you still have it?
I talked to a guy who worked near the DMV a long time ago who had a conversion. Any chance that was you?

-Matt

[Jfive]

The Center Dif is weak.... that will go out before the tranny

[Acostafan]

Originally Posted by Subaru Gwinnett

The '02's have the most fragile tranny's, other than they, they're great.

SS

I know you're a dealer but I'd like to hear some objective evidence on that claim(service flash's, recalls, etc). Lots of people say this but more often than not, tranny trouble is the result of an abusive/crappy driver. This one guy with an 04 was recently whining about glass trannies because he shredded his transmission drag racing. I own an 02 and drive it aggressively(but properly) and with 50K miles on it have had no problems. Please don't perpetuate a myth like that without proof and no, you're word won't suffice.

To the guy who started the thread, hold out for an 02 or 03 with fewer miles, they are out there. Some 04's (maybe some 05's) have had a documented problem with a lean burn condition(search the forums, it's in there with a documented controlled test, can't remember the name). 02's and 03's run a tad rich like a good turbo should so those would be the ones to get IMO, especially if you like the bugeyes. I did have the fuel leak problem but SOA should take care of this for free, even out of warranty as this is not just a safety issue but an emissions issue as well. Find a lower mileage car and have it checked out thoroughly by a competent mechanic that knows the vehicle. Good luck!

[crazyhorse]

My 2002 WRX had 74k miles on it and darn near 300whp and the transmission was great. Build date of the car was 03/01 Don't give me that weak tranny crap again.

Only known issue is the ABS freaking out if you're on the brakes and hit like a railroad crossing. The pedal can go to the floor but just let off and push back down and it's fine.

all i know is that i have an rx and its bettAr.

[Calamity Jesus]

Originally Posted by Acostafan

I did have the fuel leak problem but SOA should take care of this for free, even out of warranty as this is not just a safety issue but an emissions issue as well. Find a lower mileage car and have it checked out thoroughly by a competent mechanic that knows the vehicle. Good luck!

The research I was doing when my buddy's 02 started acting up, showed that SOA will happily sell you the kit to fix it.. but good luck getting them to tear apart the intake to install it for you. If you did get someone to, let me know where and how. I'm sure my friend would be interested.

[kwh29]

If you are smelling gas vapors in the car and it's less than 100k miles SOA pretty much has to fix it. The federal emissions laws force them to.

The mythical glass tranny is in my opinion 99.5% driver related. Yes, Subaru did make incremental improvements every year that help shift smoothness etc but almost every case of blown boxes I've ever heard of has been related to drag racing and/or shock loading the box. With AWD the tires rarely slip thus shock loads get absorbed in the tranny and diffs rather than in tire slip.

I'm very seriously looking into buying a used bugeye (The Miata is great in nice weather but I missed the 03 so much this winter it hurt) and won't hesitate to look at 02's if I do buy another. The repair history and stats are proving the early WRX to be WAY above average, even for Japanese cars. Take a look at the big Consumer Reports car book that just came out for some fairly objective info. (Yes, CR looks at cars like appliances that doesn't mean their more quantitative measures aren't valid.)

--Kevin H.

[Acostafan]

Originally Posted by Beaverboy

The research I was doing when my buddy's 02 started acting up, showed that SOA will happily sell you the kit to fix it.. but good luck getting them to tear apart the intake to install it for you. If you did get someone to, let me know where and how. I'm sure my friend would be interested.

Kelly Subaru here in town fixed it for me for free out of warranty. My tech manager called SOA and within 10 minutes told me SOA would cover it. The best way I can tell you to approach this is let them know the problem, let them know you know there is a TSB out on it, and that obviously safety and emissions issues are at risk. Any dealer worth his salt will fix it under warranty, or call SOA and get them to cover it. If your dealer refuses, call SOA directly or find another dealer. SOA ultimately pays for this so your dealer should WANT to go to SOA about it. Good luck. PM me if you have any more questions about how to get this done.

[bluimpreza00]

Originally Posted by OvenMitts

I was at grayson today and I think I saw it.. looked nice 'n' clean.

I didn't know there was another WRX swap in knoxville... do you still have it?
I talked to a guy who worked near the DMV a long time ago who had a conversion. Any chance that was you?

-Matt

I guess thats the one that Im looking at.

It was me and NO I dont still have it. I sold it to a guy in Chicago about a year ago.

Matthew

[driver8]

yeah, the most recent consumer reports has MY 02-04 listed and rank reliability on a 5-degree scale from "few" to "many". Every aspect of 02 Imprezas was ranked as "few" except the following which were rnaked as just slightly more than few:
- fuel
- transmission
- brakes
- paint/trim/rust
- body integrity
- power equipment
- body hardware.

that may seem like a lot, but each of these are simply one degree higher than "few". overall, they give it "better-than-average" realiability for that year and include it in there list of "CR good bets".

My experience:
I've had my MY02 since May of 01 and now have close to 80k miles on it.

I experienced the clutch shudder during the first year or two. Then I read a thread on Nasioc about burning off a bit of the clutch by doing a few high-rpm, slow clutch slips. I could smell the clutch after a few times and the shudder went away.

The stock windshield was fragile. I hit a small pebble traveling at around 40 mph. At first, it was a small pit and then grew into large spider web cracks within a day or so. I've heard of others experiencing this also. This ocurred in the first year of owning it. Since replacing the windshield, I have hit much larger rocks traveling at 70+ mph on the freeway and have not had a problem.

The ABS can engage rather abruptly if you are braking hard and going over a very bumpy surface. It can be scary if you're not prepared for it.

The paint is pretty thin and scratches easily.

I had to replace the fuel pump recently (~70k miles).

I have not personally had a failure, but in my totally subjective opinion, the transmission just "feels" a bit fragile when compared to the rest of the car. I can certainly see how just a small amount of abuse could result in a failure.

Overall, I'm extrememly happy with the car. I drive at least 60 miles a day in rough traffic. Occassionally, I take it on dirt roads or in open fields for a little sideways fun. I've autocrossed it once and would do it more If I could afford the tires. It has been very reliable and the only actual failure has been the fuel pump.

[anthonyrb98]

i bought my used 2002 wrx last year and it only had 16000 miles on it. it came off a lease and was in great condition. so far, i've modded it like crazy and it's still going strong. i have 23000 miles on it right now. no problems so far.

[elvis14]

Originally Posted by Acostafan

Kelly Subaru here in town fixed it for me for free out of warranty. My tech manager called SOA and within 10 minutes told me SOA would cover it. The best way I can tell you to approach this is let them know the problem, let them know you know there is a TSB out on it, and that obviously safety and emissions issues are at risk. Any dealer worth his salt will fix it under warranty, or call SOA and get them to cover it. If your dealer refuses, call SOA directly or find another dealer. SOA ultimately pays for this so your dealer should WANT to go to SOA about it. Good luck. PM me if you have any more questions about how to get this done.

Performance Subaru in Chapel Hill didn't do me any favors. I had bought an extended Warrentee from Performance and the fuel leak problem was covered by that.....only after I call the warrentee company and lobbied to have it covered. Performance wouldn't even make that call, they were just going to charge me hundreds of dollars. Luckily I'm not a complete sucker!

[billzebub]

Originally Posted by driver8

- paint/trim/rust

The paint is pretty thin and scratches easily.

I'd wager that a Subaru's paint is no worse than any other Japanese car company's in this price range. My mom has a '02 Camry and after 50K of highway miles, it has numerous chips and dings in the hood and bumper. My brother-in-law's 2 Mazdas have both had their share of scratches down to the metal. No biggie. Quality is going downhill all over. Noone makes a better car for the money.

[340Duster]

Originally Posted by Subaru Gwinnett

The '02's have the most fragile tranny's, other than they, they're great.

SS

Is the 5MT in this year any different than others? and dragracing isn't too hard on it if done right

[bluimpreza00]

I used to have a 01RS with 02 EJ20 w/ a UTEC and 16psi and was using the RS tranny and never did have any trouble with the tranny. I think its all on how you drive.

Matthew