Total Complaints
4 filings
SUBARU WAGON · model year
2002 SUBARU WAGON
4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2002SUBARUWAGON carries 4 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 2002 WAGON is service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:rotor with 1 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline:delivery (1) and fuel system, other (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 14 investigation files overlapping the 2002 WAGON. 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.
4
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 |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20081217FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
WITH ONSET OF COLD WEATHER (LESS THAN 25 F) THIS YEAR, MY 2002 SUBURU OUTBACK STATION WAGON (2.5 LITRE) HAS A STRONG GASOLINE ODOR IN THE CABIN WHEN ENGINE IS STARTED. IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME NOW. IT IS VERY STRONG AND THERE SEEMS TO BE A FUEL LEAK IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I'M CONCERNED THAT IT COULD CAUSE A FIRE (PARTICULARLY IN CONJUNCTION WITH AN ACCIDENT OR EXHAUST PROBLEM) OR A FUME RELATED BLACKOUT OF SOMEBODY IN THE CAR. I HAVE READ ON THE ONLINE DISCUSSION THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH SUBURUS IN COLD CLIMATES BUT THAT SUBURU, WHILE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, WILL NOT TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR FIXING IT. MY LOCAL DEALER WILL BE CONSULTED AS WILL SUBURU OF AMERICA. IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL AS I'VE NEVER HAD ANOTHER CAR THAT DID THIS IN 35 YEARS OF OWNING VEHICLES. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE THIS AS IT HAS POTENTIAL TO BE A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
Mileage: 105,110
20080102FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER
WHENEVER THE TEMPERATURE DROPS SIGNIFICANTLY (E.G. BELOW 32DEG), A STRONG GASOLINE SMELL IS EMITTED FROM THE CAR UPON STARTING. IT EVENTUALLY SEEMS TO GO AWAY OVER 10-30MIN, BUT IT CAN BE EXTREMELY STRONG. WE JUST ENCOUNTERED THE PROBLEM TODAY (THE COLDEST DAY IN ALLENTOWN THIS WINTER), BUT WHEN WE HAD THE PROBLEM LAST YEAR, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY ANY CLEAR CAUSE. THEY ALSO CLAIMED THAT THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE SMELL.*CN
20041115FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY
MY CAR WILL STARTUP JUST FINE. UPON NEAR A STANDSTILL AT A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN IT WILL HESTITATE OR STALL COMPLETELY. I HAVE TO KEEP MY LEFT FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THE RIGHT FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL TO KEEP IT GOING. THIS SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE FREQUENTLY IN COLDER THAN HOTTER WEATHER. I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE AT VANBORTEL SUBARU ON 11/1 AND THEY RELEASED IT BACK TO ME ON 11/3/04 SAYING THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. ITS ANYTHING BUT FIXED AND IN FACT GOTTEN WORSE.*AK
Mileage: 39,000
20041006SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
I HAVE A 2002 SUBARU OUTBACK WAGON. WHEN THE VEHICLE REACHED AROUND 31,000 MILES, IT BEGAN TO SHAKE PERCEPTIBLY WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE SHAKING GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND IT WAS FOUND THAT THE ROTORS HAD WORN UNEVENLY. THE ROTORS WERE TURNED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM UNDER THE VEHICLE'S 36,000 MILE/3 YEAR WARRANTY. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE ROTORS SHOULD NOT WEAR THIS QUICKLY IN A VEHICLE (THE BRAKE PADS THEMSELVES WERE OKAY AND NOT REPLACED. *AK
Mileage: 31,500
Compare 2002SUBARUWAGON to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
PE19009Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Occupant Detection System (ODS) Failure
PE15012Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Passenger Front Air Bag Suppression
PE11011Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Front suspension control arm failure
EA09007Engineering AnalysisClosed
FUEL PUMP LEAKS
PE09017Preliminary EvaluationClosed
FUEL LINE LEAK
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2002 SUBARU WAGON have?▼
The 2002 SUBARU WAGON has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 SUBARU WAGON?▼
The most-complained component for the 2002 SUBARU WAGON is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY and FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER.
Is the 2002 SUBARU WAGON 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.