2003 Subaru Baja problems
The 2003 Subaru Baja has 47 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (19%) concerns brakes. Next are engine (13%) and air bags (11%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 47 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Brakes 19% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 5 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 7 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 29,000 miles 30 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 15 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 0 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 1 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 2 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 3 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 4 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 3 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 30 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 29,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 5 complaints mention a crash; 3 complaints mention a fire; 7 injuries reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 83% of model years in our database.
It is also covered by 10 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Total ABS brake system failure while attempting to stop vehicle in light traffic at less than 20 MPH on dry surface. First attempt to brake met with undue brake pedal resistance with no stopping action. Second attempt met with unrestricted pedal travel to the floor with no stopping action. Vehicle only stopped on impact. The driver and two other people were injured.
I was approaching a stop light last april 28, 200) and went to apply my brakes, only to find that they weren't going to work. I was only going about 20 MPH and gravity slowed me down to below 18 MPH because air bags didn't deploy, only to be stopped by a car making a left hand turn onto a highway via road-ramp. 3 people were injured, and my driving record severely scorched. Needless to say, I had the car towed to an independent mechanic to fix the defective brakes ticket. There were no subaru dealers in town.
Hesitation, no power on acceleration. Computer has been reprogrammed by subaru in nj.. Trans engaging hard from a dead stop on acceleration. *nlm
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 subaru baja. The contact stated that while making a turn, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver without warning. The contact mentioned that the failure occurred after the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA campaign number: 14v399000 (air bags). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,500.