Total Complaints
7 filings
SUBARU SUBARU · model year
2002 SUBARU SUBARU
7 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2002SUBARUSUBARU carries 7 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2002 SUBARU is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 2 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (1) and power train:automatic transmission (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 2002 SUBARU. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
7
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020930ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 35MPH AND NO WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL STALL AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. NLM THE CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING THE FOLLOWING; HESITATED(SEVERE) ON ACCELERATION (ESPECIALLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD/EVEN AFTER WARMED UP), THERE'S A WIND NOISE COMING FROM THE ROOF/ROOF RACK-AND HAPPENS AT SPEEDS OVER 20 MPH/VERY NOISY, A CREAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT OF THE VEHICLE-MOSTLY WHEN MAKING TURNS, BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY(MAYBE THE STRUT), STALLING, AND WOULD SIT FOR1-2 HOURS, THEN WOULD START WITH DIFFICULTY, RUNS ROUGH FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN IS FINE. THE DEALER SUGGESTS THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING WITHIN THE SPECIFICATIONS. (THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS OCCURRENCES) SCC
Mileage: 15,500
20020930STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 35MPH AND NO WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL STALL AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. NLM THE CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING THE FOLLOWING; HESITATED(SEVERE) ON ACCELERATION (ESPECIALLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD/EVEN AFTER WARMED UP), THERE'S A WIND NOISE COMING FROM THE ROOF/ROOF RACK-AND HAPPENS AT SPEEDS OVER 20 MPH/VERY NOISY, A CREAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT OF THE VEHICLE-MOSTLY WHEN MAKING TURNS, BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY(MAYBE THE STRUT), STALLING, AND WOULD SIT FOR1-2 HOURS, THEN WOULD START WITH DIFFICULTY, RUNS ROUGH FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN IS FINE. THE DEALER SUGGESTS THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING WITHIN THE SPECIFICATIONS. (THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS OCCURRENCES) SCC
Mileage: 15,500
20020930UNKNOWN OR OTHER
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 35MPH AND NO WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL STALL AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. NLM THE CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING THE FOLLOWING; HESITATED(SEVERE) ON ACCELERATION (ESPECIALLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD/EVEN AFTER WARMED UP), THERE'S A WIND NOISE COMING FROM THE ROOF/ROOF RACK-AND HAPPENS AT SPEEDS OVER 20 MPH/VERY NOISY, A CREAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT OF THE VEHICLE-MOSTLY WHEN MAKING TURNS, BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY(MAYBE THE STRUT), STALLING, AND WOULD SIT FOR1-2 HOURS, THEN WOULD START WITH DIFFICULTY, RUNS ROUGH FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN IS FINE. THE DEALER SUGGESTS THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING WITHIN THE SPECIFICATIONS. (THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS OCCURRENCES) SCC
Mileage: 15,500
20020830CrashPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN PARK IT WILL SLOWLY START TO ROLL BACK IN REVERSE, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
20020828ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ONCE WARMED UP, THE VECHICLE IDLES VERY LOW AT 300-400 RPM'S AND STALLS OUT. *MJ
20020828VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PLACED IN EITHER DRIVE OR REVERSE IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATES. THE BRAKES HAVE TO BE PRESSED TO REGAIN SOME CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *MJ
20010906ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE STALLS WHILES DRIVING AND DOES NOT IMMEDIATELY RESTART. DEALER CAN NOT IDENTIFY PROBLEM WITH CAR. THE CAR HAS STALLED REPEATEDLY, AT LEAST 3 TIMES IN OUR POSSESSION, AND SEVERAL TIMES WHILE IN THE DEALER'S POSSESSION.
Compare 2002SUBARUSUBARU to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2002 SUBARU SUBARU have?▼
The 2002 SUBARU SUBARU has 7 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 SUBARU SUBARU?▼
The most-complained component for the 2002 SUBARU SUBARU is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Is the 2002 SUBARU SUBARU safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.