Total Complaints
2 filings
SUBARU SUBARU · model year
2003 SUBARU SUBARU
2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2003SUBARUSUBARU carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 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 2003 SUBARU is engine and engine cooling with 1 filings, followed by electrical system: instrument cluster/panel (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 2003 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.
2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 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 | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20080407ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
THE SPEEDOMETER DOESN'T WORK. *TR
20050202ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
NOTICED PINGING NOISE FROM ENGINE. SUBARU REPLACED BLOCK. ABOUT A YEAR LATER, HAD PINGING NOISE AGAIN, AND CAR WAS STALLING AFTER COLD NIGHT, FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. SUBARU SAID THEY DIDN'T NOTICE ANY PROBLEM, BUT I HAVE A FEELING I'LL BE GETTING ANOTHER BLOCK IN A YEAR OR SO.*AK
Mileage: 29,100
Compare 2003SUBARUSUBARU to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2003 SUBARU SUBARU have?▼
The 2003 SUBARU SUBARU has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 SUBARU SUBARU?▼
The most-complained component for the 2003 SUBARU SUBARU is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL.
Is the 2003 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.