Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK - CONTROL UNIT/MODULE | |||||
| 063505R | 08/19/2005 | 10016436 | (abs) anti-lock braking system control unit customer satisfaction program. *tt | 09/12/2005 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK | ||||||
| PE03029 | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. | 07/08/2003 | 11/19/2003 | BRAKING SYSTEM/ABS | ||
| Subaru's supplemental response of september 29, 2003, identified that the 2002, 2003 subaru wrx models areequipped with the bosch 5.3 abs system, and identified that other model subaru vehicles are also equipped with the bosch 5.3 abs system, but have different calibrations than the wrx model vehicles.subaru identified that changes were made in the abs ecu to address a calibration logic issue when driving the vehicle with the spare tire mounted.subaru reported that both the abs hydraulic unit and the abs ecu were modified, and gave vin numbers to identify the implementation of the modified units in production. testing is underway to gain an understanding of the wrx vehicle performance during an abs activation.futher, analysis ofthe differences in vehicle performance resulting from abs software changes will be examined. | ||||||
| EA03024 | SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. | 11/19/2003 | 07/12/2005 | EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES | ||
| During the ea, odi and vrtc performed the following activities:1.conducted a mail survey of 246 subject vehicle owners todetermine the roadway surface that caused owners' concern;2.interviewed complaining owners;3.conducted field inspections of seven (7) complaint vehicles;4.instrumented testing at vrtc of complaint and peer vehicles;5.reviewed subaru's response to our information request;6.met with subaru for technical review of testingas a result of the work conducted by vrtc and odi during this investigaiton, a consistent or chronic pattern of poor brake performance has not been identified.vrtc conducted over 11,500 brake tests.they did not observe any long-duration, low deceleration events (some owners reported delays of 4 to 10 seconds) in the test vehicles.see odi's closing report and vrtc's test report for full details | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR | |||
| 03/16/2007 | 44000 | 6 | 08/14/2004 |
| On my 2002 subaru impreza wrx sedan whenever i go over a bump or imperfection in the road (no matter how big or small) the abs kicks in and if i hit the brakes directly afterwards the pedal goes to the floor and i have severely weak breaks for 2-3 seconds then they come back. ive replaced the brake rotors, pads, and brake fluid and the issue still happens. subaru of america claims it is not a problem but have never had this issue with any other car with abs. im very familiar with abs and know how it works the problem is after it engages if you brake again 2-3 seconds after it engaged the pedal goes to the floor as if theres only 20% brakeing force. ive almost been in several accidents due to this one time i was pulling into a parking spot going 5mph and this happened and i almost drifted into a parked car. please look into this. please view this website http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102893 many 2002 and up subaru owners are experienceing this. the abs isnt the problem again its the loss of brakeing after the abs was engaged maybe the abs computer isnt working correctly/fast enough? thank you | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - ANTILOCK | |||
| 11/07/2004 | 39000 | 2 | 02/06/2002 |
| If i try to brake over rough or slippery pavement in my 2002 subaru impreza wrx, the abs system shuts off the brakes. potholes, manhole covers, frost heaves, icy patches, any of these cause this behavior. also, in november 2004, while driving downhill at about 30 to 35 mph on dry and mostly clean pavement, a truck driving in front of me braked gradually. i hit my brakes to maintain a distance, but it was a section of rippled pavement and the abs system shut off the brakes so completely for about 10 seconds. my car was actually picking up speed due to the downhill. i am sure than in any other car i've had, i wouldn't have had any trouble slowing down. i avoided rear-ending the truck by slowing the car with aggressive engine braking. i also steered towards the other side of the road, where there was no traffic at that moment and the pavement was cleaner, so i could slow down. another time i rear-ended a vehicle that stopped in front of a pothole, although damage was minor. i've also had a large number of scary near - misses with rear-ending other vehicles, and on a few occasions slid out into intersections with frost heaves leading up to a stop sign or stop light, because my braking space estimate was far less than i actually needed. i recently replaced all brake pads and discs. the rear pads fit in the calipers so tightly i had to pound them out with a hammer and punch. both pads and rotors were worn very unevenly. replacement rear pads fit in the same way. then i realized something was wrong with the fit, so i ground down the tabs to get a good snug fit rather than an interference fit and jamming, so they slipped into place normally. after making this change to my brakes, they work very well. i nearly sold the car due to this issue, but instead drove it for a while with the abs system disabled. my local subaru dealer told me this is how abs systems are supposed to work, even though there is clearly a big problem. | |||
| 04/15/2004 | 34000 | 25 | 10/20/2002 |
| Antilock braking system engages on dry pavement when it encounters bumps, pedal goes almost to the floor and braking force is severely reduced. i have driven many cars with abs and nothing like this has ever happened to me. i have sort of learned to drive around the problem, but on a couple of occasions where emergency braking was called for it has nearly caused me to get into an accident - once forcing me to drive up onto and over a curb and into a ditch. destroying one of my wheels in the process. someone ran a red light and i couldnt stop from 30 mph in what would have been plenty of room with a normal braking system. problem has been there since car was new, when i inquired about it with my dealer i was informed that all wrxs do that, its normal but after talking with several other owners of the same car i can tell you that although we all might experience it, its not normal at all and quite scary. as an experiment i found a parking lot with some bumps on it that would cause the abs to go nutty, i then pulled the abs fuse and went over the same part of the parking lot at the same speed and i could get tons more braking force without locking up the wheels than i could with the abs on, something is definitely screwy here. *ak | |||
| 05/13/2004 | |||
| Gas periodic gas smell in car. cold cluch jitter.oor braking preessure, over active abs. *ak | |||
| 12/31/2003 | 61000 | 10 | 04/20/2001 |
| Overwhelming fuel smell inside vehicle to the point of my eye's tearing due to the strong smell of fuel and pull the car over to get out and breathe fresh air. strong even with the hood closed you can smell the fuel standing by the car. cannot drive vehicle or have children in car. anti-lock braking system engages prematurely when not needed, causing vehicle to travel over a longer distance than needed. | |||
| 09/17/2003 | 11005 | 1 | 06/03/2002 |
| When braking over uneven surfaces or bumps on dry pavement, the abs kicked in and the brake pedal went to the floor leaving me with absolutely no brakes for a second until i lifted my foot off the pedal and reapplied pressure. this caused me to almost crash into the car in front of me which was stopped at the stoplight. i had to change into the right turn lane to avoid an accident. *ak | |||
| 03/01/2003 | 20000 | 1 | 05/01/2002 |
| Bumpy roads cause anti-lock brakes to engage. when this happens, brake pressure decreases and vehicle does not decellerate.*ak | |||
| 06/30/2002 | 2000 | 1 | 04/20/2002 |
| Abs kicks in and does not return to normal braking even after regaining contact with the road. attempted to replicate the problem on my own but could never do so consistently. seems to happen over bumpy roads, the abs kicks in, wheel(s) appear to lose traction, but when traction should be regained, the brake pedal practically goes to the floor, the car does not slow down at an acceptable rate, and only after pumping the brake pedal does the car then go back to normal (hard) abs braking. while it has never caused an accident, i am concerned about this behavior were it to ever happen in a panic situaiton.*ak | |||
| 07/17/2003 | 6500 | 1 | |
| My model year 2002 subaru impreza wrx wagon has had a slight reoccuring problem with what seems to be a faulty abs braking sensor. *ak the car suffers from a drop in pressure of brake pedal feel and brake performance over uneven or bumpy roads. when braking under normal driving conditions if a bumpy or uneven surface is encountered while braking the abs kicks in and there is a loss in control via the brake pedal of the braking force. this condition happens every time the conditions are present as described, and can be quite disconcerting. it is obvious that under panic situations, coupled with less than ideal road surfaces, this condition could prove very dangerous, as the braking distance of the car increases dramatically during this action. | |||
| 07/18/2003 | 57000 | 10/19/2001 | |
| On multiple occasions i have had the problem where the abs system on my 2002 subaru wrx acts in an unpredicatable manner. the problem occurs when braking on a uneven surface. basically it feels like the abs engages to prevent wheel lock-up going over the bumps, yet pedal pressure decreases and the stopping distance increases. luckily i am from the time before abs and my instict when the brakes aren't reacting properly is to release and then reapply the brakes. without this instinct i would have likely been involved in an accident by now. i believe there is a flaw in the abs on this vehicle because i have never had this type of experience on any other abs equipped vehicles i have driven. | |||
| 07/22/2003 | 08/22/2001 | ||
| I own a 2002 subaru wrx and wanted to add to the list of abs complaints. i have had several instances that when the brakes are applied at the same time a bump is hit the brakes fail to respond regardless of speed. i almost hit a pedestrian in a sidewalk once traveling 20 mph where i just happened to hit a bump at the same time i tried to stop. i had to let go of the brakes and reapply to get them to work. this has happened on several occasions, the exact dates are unknown. | |||
| 07/15/2003 | 25000 | 5 | 09/07/2001 |
| Over rough surfaces (potholes in pavement, rough pavement, railroad crossings, uneven pavement) the abs will kick on at a low speed and it seems, if only for a few moments, that the car is not braking. this happens regularly and i need to drive the vehicle in such a way as to avoid braking on these types of roads by braking early and rolling through the rough areas without the brake pedal depressed.*ak | |||
| 04/01/2003 | 12000 | 6 | 04/05/2002 |
| I own a 2002 subaru wrx. the abs on this car is extremely sensitive. it's so sensitive that it actually is instrusive. it comes in way to early and sometimes even where there shouldn't be any problem braking. during routine braking, the abs will engage resulting in a loss of brake power and thus a longer braking distance. i have driven many cars with abs and this car's system is not normal. i believe this is a normal problem with wrxs and the problem needs to be fixed. *jb | |||
| 11 | 04/01/2002 | ||
| When this car hits a bump under braking on dry pavement. the abs system can kick in on what feels like all 4 tires. it stays on after the bump until the driver releases the brake pedal and reapplies the brakes. during the time the abs is active the braking system does not slow the car down much. this has almost lead to two rear end accidents reported to dealer. they would not reproduce. this has happened many times during ownership with multiple types of tires and rims. dt | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - ANTILOCK - CONTROL UNIT/MODULE | |||
| 05/13/2005 | 60 | 1 | 06/17/2002 |
| While driving on a residential street, well within acceptable speeds, | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | |||
| 11/25/2010 | 120000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 subaru wrx. while driving approximately 30 mph when the contact attempted to brake the abs system activated, he wasn't not able to bring the vehicle to a rapid stop. he stated it was by luck that the vehicle in-front turned left; and he was able to avoid a crash. the manufacturer was contacted they will not assist with the repair, because the abs system failure warranty expired at 36,000 miles. the failure mileage was 119,000 and the current mileage was 120,000. li | |||
| 09/15/2009 | 85000 | 1 | |
| Several times (about once a year on average) since i purchased my subaru wrx in 2001 the brakes briefly fail. the description seems identical to that of the 2010 prius in that there is no braking for a brief time when going over bumps, railroad tracks or simply going downhill on a wet road. the most recent incident i would guess happened in the fall of 2009 when going down a hill with sudden braking required on a wet surface. within the first year of ownership i alerted our subaru dealer of the problem and they did a firmware update. i don't think this made a difference but since it is a rare but scary occurrence i really could not tell. *tr | |||
| 12/01/2007 | 60000 | 1 | |
| The brake pedal on my 2002 subaru sometimes gets soft (looses brake pressure), specially when it's cold and the sits parked for several hours. the dealer has changed an expansion valve( ? ), but the problem comes back on occasion. this problem makes me feel insecure about my brake system. the dealer says everything is ok, but the problem persists. *tr | |||
| 05/20/2003 | 0 | 06/25/2002 | |
| 2002 subaru impreza wrx loss of brake power during braking application as the vehicle travels over dry and uneven or bumpy road surfaces... must disengage from the brake application and reapply the brakes to begin slowing down the vehicle... repeatable occurrences. *ph | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK | |||
| 10/07/2005 | 40000 | 1 | 05/15/2004 |
| Driving during very light rain in left lane about 30 mph, car in front (about 2-3 car-lengths ahead) starts braking. i pressed the brakes and abs came on without any reason, the car did not slow down almost at all, forcing me to switch the lane quickly to the right. while switching lanes, car started skidding and diving the nose to the right/tail to the left, i tried to correct the nose to the left, but that caused a more dangerous skid to the left, toward oncoming traffic. i turned the wheel right again, trying to regain control, but the car spun out and hit a tree on right side of road with the driver's door. i was taken to a hospital and stayed there overnight for observation, released next day. nobody was injured, the tree had a few very small scratches. i am still waiting to find out if the car will be repairable or totaled. *nm | |||
| 12/14/2004 | 35500 | 2 | 10/26/2003 |
| Traveling on a damp, bumpy asphalt road in seattle (tempurature was in the mid-40's). light ahead turns red - i apply the brakes as usual, but the peddle suddenly sinks about an inch and i feel abs come on. it feels as if the brakes have no stopping power and are only working at about 10%. i let up on the brakes and tried again, and was able to stop before hitting the car in front of me. this has also happened once before, on some metal drawbridge grating. it seems as if the abs comes on in times when it should not, which causes the brakes to practically not work. if a car had been closer in front of me, i would have hit it. *ak | |||
| 10/04/2004 | 39000 | 1 | 08/05/2004 |
| I was driving my 02 subaru wrx on the highway. i need to stop suddenly and the brakes failed. the brake pedal went to the floor, but the car didn't slow down. this cause me to rear end a ford explorer. this cause approximately $3800 in damages. *nm | |||
| 09/25/2004 | 66975 | 40 | 02/10/2001 |
| Today i sent the following email to subaru of america concerning the investigation of abs defect in wrx vehicles. i have experienced the problem on numerous occasions, and on no occasion was i driving in an aggressive manner or hard' braking. nor was my previous complaint to nhtsa a parroting of someone else's problem from the impreza website, as subaru has accused. the abs is overly sensitive to bumpy surfaces and is a safety risk, period. my email to subaru of america: i have just reviewed soa's letter dated 9/10/04 to nhtsa re your investigation of alleged abs problems in wrx's. i am dismayed by soa's inability to document, and refusal to acknowledge, the abs problem. i am insulted that subaru blames the problem on aggressive driving patterns. the problem regularly occurs at one point in my daily urban commute when i brake for a traffic light over a bumpy surface. i am using only 15% of the braking capability at 20 mph when the abs fault occurs-- hardly aggressive or hard braking, and hardly a situation that only aggressive performance drivers would encounter. when it occurs, there is a sudden, dramatic reduction in deceleration whichis no longer proportional to pedal pressure, and increased pressure is ineffective while the abs is confused by the bumpy surface. several times i have had scary moments when the drop in deceleration has resulted in nearly rear-ending the vehicle in front of me. i am very puzzled why an event, that for me is so predictable and repeatable, has escaped your analysis. *ak i further take offense to the claim in your letter that many of the complaints to the nhtsa were dishonest repetitions of problems a few had described on an owners website. nice try, but i can attest to the validity of the problem in my car, having experienced it dozens of times. discussion on the website has informed owners of the problem and may have prevented some accidents, something i cannot say for subaru! charles f. visser. *ak | |||
| 08/01/2004 | 50 | 05/24/2002 | |
| This complaint is in regards to a continuing problem with my 2002 subaru impreza wrx wagon. while braking on uneven roads, especially when encountering potholes or other conditions where one or more tires momentarily lose traction, the abs will engage and remain engaged for a significant amount of time (after the momentary or instantaneous loss of traction). this causes the car to brake ineffectively or sometimes not at all. this has put me in uncomfortable and/or dangerous situations on numerous occasions when the car does not brake as expected. it is my understanding that this issue is currently under investigation by the nhtsa and subaru, so i am awaiting the outcome of this investigation. | |||
| 07/05/2004 | 38000 | 1 | 04/18/2004 |
| I was recently riding with what suburban subaru in vernon/manchester, ct say was 50% life left on my break pads in my 2002 wrx sedan. when stopping for a fast yellow to red light change from about 50 miles an hour their was no response on the break pedal. i quickly took my foot off and pressed again, even harder this time, which engaged the abs and left me coming to a banging abs stop in the middle of the intersection of route 5. luckily all the cars at the intersection noticed what had happened and there was no accident. i just want to make sure this problem with the brakes not responding at all gets recognized and looked into further. however, i can plainly say that after that incident, i do not trust the breaks on my 02 wrx. i plan on keeping this car, but i demand reliable braking like all other drivers. *ak | |||
| 06/20/2003 | 3 | ||
| When driving in pavement irregularities the car seems like it doesn't want to stop. (almost rear ended another car) so far i haven't had any accident, just trying to prevent one. i own a 2002 subaru wrx. this has happen in several occasions but i can't remember a specific date. *ak | |||
| 03/18/2004 | 10057 | 27 | 03/09/2004 |
| The abs activates prematurely during threshold braking on rough or uneven dry paved surfaces (washboards especially), causing extended braking distance, loss of brake pedal pressure. abs operates as expected on wet smooth surfaces without being noticed.*ak | |||
| 03/15/2003 | 25000 | 1 | 03/06/2002 |
| I experience dbrake failure with my 2002 subaru wrx during a moderate speed (about 35 mph) emergency panic stop, resulting in my sliding into a truck that cut me off and caused damage to my car and his truck.*ak the date listed below may be incorrect because i don't have the date with me right now, but it is within a few months of the incident. the road surface was fairly dry and slightly bumpy and after stomping on the brakes they went all the way down with no pulsing and very little stopping. i felt like i was on ice with no abs. i commented to my insurance company during my initial call reporting the accident that i felt i had plenty of time to stop and that the brakes just slid. i also reported it to my local subaru dealership who checked it out after the accident after the body work was done and found no problems. i have experienced no other incidents like this since i don't drive that hard and avoid hard stops. i would really like this to be addressed to avoid potential future accidents. thanks, craig hoffman | |||
| 06/12/2004 | 19640 | 1 | 04/25/2002 |
| Complete transient brake failure - subaru 2002 wrx wagon.just experienced this failure, thankfully not driving at the time. i was backing the car down off service ramps last night in my driveway. not sure exactly what happened at the wheels, i may have run over a block of wood with a rear wheel at the same time, but anyhow just as i came down off the ramps under very light braking, the brake pedal literally sank to the floor under my foot, - it felt like it deflated.the pedal just remained limply where it was. application / variation of pressure had no effect whatsoever, don't recall hearing the abs mech either after the initial sink.*ak i was left rolling slowly backwards down my driveway with my foot firmly planted on the brake - there was not even enough braking force to stop the car from a walking pace roll. i used the e-brake to stop. tried the brake pedal again afterwards, and pressure was back, like nothing happened. very scary. even though i'd read about this, still took me a few seconds to realize what was happening. this clearly could be fatal on the road. see http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=487735&perpage=25&pagenumber=1 for more detail and reports. | |||
| 06/08/2004 | 10 | 05/27/2002 | |
| Abs goes off for no reason on slightly rough roads.*ak | |||
| 05/16/2004 | 32000 | 1 | 08/26/2003 |
| I was pulling in to a gas stations parking lot at about 15 mph and hit a pot hole with my passanger side front tire at the same time i applyed the brake heavly to slow down for the late seen hole when the brakes go completely hard. it felt as if i wasn't applying the brakes at all, it took a good 10 to 15 ft to come to a complete stop luckly i had enough room to stop. this isn't the first time i have had this happen i also try to slow down to fast once and ran over a parking cirb. the anti lock brakes don't feel like all other cars i have drove (pontiac saturn ford), they never pulse on like the other cars they are just hard. | |||
| 12/22/2003 | 22344 | 2 | 07/07/2002 |
| Abs failure on multiple occasions. while driving down a steep hill in 6 inches of snow at less than 5 mph the abs kicked in and i could not stop the car. i had no brakes. the car was in deep snow and was not sliding. as i was approaching a multi car accident at 5 mph i had to stop. i turned off the ignition on the car and it stopped instantly. i have found that in deep show going down hill i have zero brakes. i'm forced to use the emergency brakes or to turn off the car. this is at sub 5 mph speeds. this is an all wheel drive car designed for travel on snowy roads. in another incident i was traveling at 55 mph on a windy road when the car in front of me stopped quickly for a right turn. i hit my brakes and had nothing. the abs activated and i was forced to turn into oncoming traffic to avoid a rear end collision. this was on dry pavement. i was following with plenty of room to stop. the dealer refused to look at the car and told me i needed to learn to drive. *la | |||
| 01/15/2004 | 35000 | 1 | 02/10/2002 |
| Over rough surfaces (including potholes, railroad tracks, and ripples in the road ) my abs seems to kick in when it is not needed and causes the break pedal to go to the floor on occasions. *jb | |||
| 02/07/2003 | 18000 | 1 | 07/28/2001 |
| Abs brake performance - the abs over reacts to uneven or slick surfaces and fully engages reducing braking effectiveness. this can be caused by rippled or uneven pavement or a manhole cover and can happen under any braking condition from moderate to heavy braking. the only way to regain braking is to let off and then reapply the brakes, the exact opposite of what i've been taught about abs. this condition eventually resulted in a crash and $7000 damage to my vehicle in a braking situation where i don't feel abs action was warranted.*ak | |||
| 02/18/2003 | 1 | 01/30/2002 | |
| This has happened several times over the last two years (date is the first incident i recall). on surfaces that are wet, snowy or icy, i cannot brake into a turn. the car does not turn or stop, but merely slides in a straight line and eventually stops after it goes 3 feet or more, depending on my speed when i attempted to take the turn. this happens at all speeds, even when i am going very slowly (less than 5 mph, for example, as to make a 90-degree turn into a parking lot). in order to take two turns on my daily commute, i must come to a complete stop, turn the wheel, and then accelerate into the turn. amazingly, i have not had an accident due to this problem, though i have had some very close calls. one thing ive found that helps is turning the steering wheel sharply so the front tires are perpendicular to the cars path. i couldnt think of anything else to try, and this seems to make the car stop more quickly while in a slide. the mechanics at my local dealership ran diagnostics and pronounced my brakes fine. i tried to suggest something else to check during a 20-minute phone call with the mechanic, but his only suggestion was that it could be my tires (which are standard and just 2 years old). i have driven other makes of cars with anti-lock brakes and have not had this problem, even on icy, snowy, rain-drenched roads.*ak | |||
| 01/11/2004 | 56820 | 20 | |
| I have had instances where my abs would not work when i hit a irregularity in the road surface, or when i go over a speedbump.*ak | |||
| 12/25/2003 | 40000 | 04/04/2001 | |
| The vehicle failed to slow down and subsequent hard braking led to loss of control. the rear end swayed to the right and hit the right barrier, then turned around, front right hit the left barrier. the vehicle had history of not being able to stop on surfaces with the slightest bumps, as found on exit ramps and intersections. the vehicle was checked prior to the accident for the brakes by the dealer and had found no problem. subaru declined to look at the vehicle after the accident for possible manufacturing defect regarding the abs. it is still in my garage for possible inspection. | |||
| 02/01/2004 | 30000 | 1 | 07/10/2001 |
| I was traveling on a street with some construction activities approaching an intersection. there was a small road irregularity on the road. this road irregularity spans across both of the front wheels. when i applied the brake (before i can feel the road irregularity), the car continued to leap forward for a moment and the braking distance was much greater then i anticipated and not the normal behavior of the car. have there been a car i strongly believe that my car's abs braking system has a problem. *jb | |||
| 11/14/2003 | 29000 | 1 | 09/06/2001 |
| I own a 2002 subaru impreza wrx wagon, which comes standard with abs brakes. i'd heard through a variety of channels that there was an abs issue with the car, in that under specific circumstances the driver could momentarily lose all braking ability. i had my doubts, having owned the car for 2 years before my incident occurred, but it did finally happen to me. i was coming to a stop at a light that had turned red. there were no cars in front of me. i was traveling about 35-40 mph and began braking with a light-moderate pedal pressure. about 200 feet before the intersection, there is a seam in the pavement and the latter piece of roadway is about 1-2 inches below the part before it. in other words, it's a very small drop off. upon hitting this drop off and maintaining pedal pressure, the abs briefly cycled (felt as a vibration in the brake pedal) and then the car stopped decelerating for about 2 seconds. it was as if i'd lifted completely off the brake pedal, yet i had not. once i realized i wasn't going to stop, i released the pedal and reapplied it very quickly. braking force was returned, as if there were no problem. this is the only time i've experienced the incident. i've driven many abs-equipped cars in the past, and am very familiar with what abs braking feels like. i'm ase certified in braking systems, and have raced both abs and non-abs equipped cars at an amateur level. what i felt was not normal abs operation, and had there been a car stopped at the intersection ahead of me i may well have run into it. i enjoy my car quite thoroughly, and like everything else about it. i'm not 'out to get' subaru. but there is decidedly a flaw in the abs system that many others and now myself have experienced. i just don't want to be caught off guard again. *jb | |||
| 12/22/2003 | 59027 | 1 | 08/11/2003 |
| I drive a 2002 subaru impreza wrx sedan. the abs system is terrible on this vehicle and has numerous times failed to apply pressure to the brake system, regardless of pedal position. one time specifically this caused me to not be able to avoid hitting a deer, and doing 4000 dollars of damage to my vehicle. the dealership denies any problems, but i way more than enough stopping distance where any vehicle should have been able to stop. the surface was rough asphalt. i was going approximated 55 mph (speed limit), and was 200 ft away from the deer when i first applied pressure to the brake pedal. *la | |||
| 01/14/2004 | 13050 | 1 | 01/09/2002 |
| Complete failure of the braking system. during snowy conditions at approximately 15mph, i pressed the brake pedal very softly. the pedal was very stiff and didn't depress at all (no travel at all). the abs didn't activate and no braking occured, i pressed harder and still nothing. the car didn't slide at all, didn't slow and no braking occured at all. i let all pressure off the pedal and again gently pressed the pedal again. the car slowed to a stop like normal. it was -5 deg f. outside at the time of the incident. it has never happened before or since this incident but in 17 years of driving i've never had a car do this. i would have gone right into the intersection if i hadn't been breaking very early due to the conditions. i stress that the initial application of the brake pedal was very gentle and no matter how hard i subsequently pushed the pedal didn't depress at all at any time untill i let up pressure and tried again.*ak | |||
| 11/01/2003 | 20000 | 3 | 01/16/2002 |
| Abs over sensitive - will often cause failure of braking power when going over bumps/potholes/road seams during normal braking. will cause extended braking distances despite good road conditions and slow travel speed. brake pedal goes to floor and car fails to stop. *la | |||
| 11/09/2003 | 23000 | 3 | 01/01/2002 |
| My 2002 subaru wrx sedan has displayed unreliable abs behavior. this has resulted in my first accident in 10 years of driving. the car appears to loose virtually all breaking power when encountering any road imperfections. while the abs system should engage in such an even, it should disengage as soon as it clears the problem. however, while driving, i have noticed the wrx continues to loose breaking power. while driving down a 35-mph road, i encountered a minor collision caused by a car being obstructed or cut off. normally at this speed i would assume 5-6 car lengths to be sufficient to stop the car, but while breaking i encountered a small dip in the road surface. when the car passed over the dip, the abs engaged, after that point the car continued to loose breaking power until i collided with the car ahead of me. during the year i have owned the car, i have encountered this problem a number of times non of which caused an accident. i initially attributed it to the brake and rotor wear, but after replacing the whole breaking system about a month before this accident, the problem re-occurred. it appears to be systemic to the abs design/programming.*ak | |||
| 12/05/2003 | 15 | 12/17/2001 | |
| Abs activates in unnecessary situations. when approaching a stop sign on my street, on clean dry asphalt, the abs activated when going over a small pothole. the brake pedal went to the floor and there was no braking power until i released and reapplied the brake. this exact situation has occurred at least 10-15 times at the same location. i have also experienced the unnecessary abs activation and brake failure in other locations where i have driven over bumps or pavement irregularities. the result is usually the activation of abs, then the loss of braking power, and the requirement that the brakes be released and reapplied. to the best of my knowledge, this is not the porper operation of an anti-lock braking system. this behavior has not yet caused an accident or any damage, but it is easy to see that if i were in closer proximity to other vehicles or objects, the result could be catastrophic. *ak | |||
| 11/18/2003 | 1 | ||
| The abs on my 2002 subaru wrx wagon engages in situations when it seems that it should not engage. it feels like there are no brakes sometimes. *la | |||
| 11/11/2003 | 10000 | 1 | 08/16/2002 |
| Abs system will engage over rough roads, bumps, railroad tracks, manhole covers or any uneven road situation even when abs is not needed. the system then takes several seconds to recover and allow normal braking. this results in greatly increased stopping distances and driver uneasiness. generally, happens at low speeds (less than 40 mph) when approaching a stop sign, traffic signal, or stopped traffic. *la | |||
| 11/10/2003 | 8000 | 1 | |
| Lack of braking force when abs cycles on. occurs on bumpy or slippery surfaces. *la | |||
| 10/28/2003 | 21500 | 1 | 09/11/2002 |
| Antilock brake failure caused accident. a vechicle in front of me stopped quickly so i applied the brakes with moderate to heavy pressure. although i was going only 30-35 mph and had several car lengths to stop, the brakes locked and the pedal went soft and i was unable to control the car causing me to rear-end the vechicle in front of me. i have had similar incidents in the past with the wrx where the abs would trigger when going over a bump with moderate brake pressure and the pedal would go soft (rather than the kickback i expect with abs), but it was never in a situation that would cause an accident. the accident occured on dry pavement, at the posted speed limit, and i do not recall whether i hit a bump during the incident triggering the brake problem. given the distance and the speed, i should have been able to stop well before hitting the car in front of me. in my past experience with abs brakes on other cars, there is strong feedback to the driver during abs operation, not the soft, ineffective pedal that occurs on the wrx. | |||
| 01/10/2003 | 32000 | 1 | 07/30/2001 |
| 2002 subaru wrx abs failure. when decellerating on bumpy surfaces, the abs on my 2002 wrx will engage, significantly increasing stopping distance.n extremely slick surfaces, like slush, the abs will activate and disengage the brakes completely, resulting in no stopping at all. in january of 2003, my car rolled through a red light at a busy intersection because the brakes failed to work. the wheels were not locked or sliding, the abs engaged and failed to stop the car. i was able to stop the vehicle with the emergency brake, but i was already well into the intersection.*ak | |||
| 03/01/2002 | 1 | 1 | |
| Abs engages when braking on surfaces with good traction if tire(s) goes over a bump for a brief moment. does not disengage when tire returns to good traction surface. causes loss of braking power. brake pedal must be released then reapplied in order to regain braking power. abs is completely ineffective on loose surfaces, such as gravel. *la | |||
| 09/30/2003 | 30000 | 08/20/2001 | |
| Many incidents. i was driving at a low rate of speed, around 25, coming up to a stop sign and there was a car ahead of me. a second or so after i applied the brakes i went over some small bumps on dry pavement and it felt like abs was coming on, the pedal dropped, but then it went way down and it wasn't pulsing. basically the car felt like it lost the majority of its braking power and did not return until i lifted up and pushed down again briefly. i've had this happen many times where a small amount of bumps in the road will cause the abs overreact for lack of a better term. | |||
| 09/02/2002 | 12500 | 40 | 11/08/2001 |
| I was driving along in my 2002 subaru wrx wagon on some local roads and i was coming up to a stop on some rough pavement , giving myself plenty of room to stop when the abs kicked in and then my pedal dropped to the floor and the car wasn't stopping. it finally bounced a few times and the car came to a stop- far beyond where it was supposed to have. i have encountered this issue many times and i feel, as others do, the abs on this model vehicle is simply an accident waiting to happen- and many have been involved in such as a result. *jb | |||
| 08/01/2002 | 20000 | 10 | 03/21/2002 |
| Abs failed to resume braking after being activated by bumps in road on clean, dry asphalt. | |||
| 03/10/2003 | 13000 | 5 | 03/08/2003 |
| Hydraulic anti-lock brakes cause brakes to fail while traversing bumpy surface.*ak | |||
| 04/05/2003 | 6300 | 1 | 08/20/2002 |
| Subaru wrx antilock braking system periodically and unprdictably inhibits stopping power.*ak | |||
| 08/05/2003 | 31150 | 1 | 06/01/2002 |
| The brakes on my 2002 subaru wrx faded, and my foot went to the floor, and then the brakes after 3 to 5 seconds kicked in.*ak | |||
| 08/05/2003 | 1 | 1 | 08/07/2002 |
| Abs brakes malfunctioned going over rail road tracks and/or the occasional metal expansion joint.*ak | |||
| 05/06/2002 | 12350 | 1 | 11/17/2001 |
| When braking on uneven or rough surfaces, the abs brakes fail and the brake pedal goes to the floor. i have to get off abs and get back on quickly; this is the opposite of the proper way to use abs brakes. *ph | |||
| 07/10/2003 | 1 | 05/03/2002 | |
| When i am braking on an uneven surface, such as a pothole, or sometimes on gravel, the abs will be triggered, causing a loss of braking pressure which causes the braking distance to be extended considerably. i have not gotten into an accident as a result of this, yet, but i am worried as i can't be monitoring pavement conditions everytime i apply my brakes.*ak | |||
| 05/10/2001 | 4 | 04/28/2001 | |
| My 2002 supra impreza wrx sedan has produced inconsistent and unsafe brake operation over rough/washboard type roads. on a number of occasions while braking in a rough road surface my brake pedal went to the floor and my car kept going. upon encountering rough road and the resulting actions by the break system i have experienced increased stopping distance. i sent an e-mail to subaru of america and the the response was to the effect that they were unaware of any such problem. i had the dealer inspect my break system and i was told they were unable to duplicate problem. *ak | |||
| 04/20/2003 | 100 | 1 | 02/10/2001 |
| Whenever i brake over uneven (jiggly) terrain, the abs on my 2002 wrx kicks in and braking is reduced and braking distance is lengthened. no other car that i have owned with abs over the past 15 years has had this problem. no accidents or injuries, but numerous scary moments when braking was diminished while going over bumps.*ak | |||
| 06/12/2003 | 22 | 1 | 10/01/2002 |
| I would like to add to your review of the abs issues with these cars. it is a known problem among all wrx owners that the abs system is faulty. i have been in several instances where i was trying to stop and would hit a pothole and the abs became overactive and i actually went partly through the light. it only takes a small bump to drastically hamper the braking performance. the most recent occurance was just last month.*ak | |||
| 05/01/2003 | 15000 | 1 | 10/01/2001 |
| When braking on uneven surfaces, brakes will momentarily stop working.*ak | |||
| 06/16/2003 | 19000 | 2 | 10/21/2001 |
| While returning to las vegas from a camping trip on ventura freeway near the tarzana exit our 2003 wrx experienced a loss of braking at approximately 25 mph in stop and go traffic on clear, dry, rain grooved highway. my wife was driving the wrx at the time and she reported that the abs kicked in and then let go causing her car to roll into mine (pulling our camp trailer), she struck the trailer doing about 5 to 7 mph. damage to her wrx was in excess of $5k, damage to trailer and my car was cosmetic only. a similar incident occurred while i was driving the wrx on the way to camping site, same symptoms but no traffic to avoid...i assumed that road condition was probable fault. my wife noticed that the abs seemed too sensitive shortly after purchase of vehicle. after about a month it went away. problem returned after warranty work was performed to replace clutch system components last month. vehicle is presently being repaired and then will be sent to dealer service (in van nuys) to inspect brakes and abs prior to our taking possession after repair. insurance and dealership has been informed that we believe that this accident was caused by abs failure. *nlm | |||
| 02/05/2002 | 1600 | 3 | 02/01/2002 |
| The abs on this car has activated 3 times on 100% dry roads at low to moderate speed. the activation seems to be caused by bumps or expansion joints in the pavement. this results in loss of most or all braking power. 2 of these occasions would have caused accidents had there been anyone in front of us.*** *ak dims 11 ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis***758325. | |||
| 04/04/2003 | 10000 | 09/17/2002 | |
| During a rather low speed stop on a high friction surface, i applied the brakes coming to a stop sign. there was a small amount of sand and some potholes at the intersection. i felt the abs brakes engage and begin pulsing...and all braking power went away, i did not continue to slow down and literally coasted out into the intersection. my foot was fully depressed and dropped to the floor. the car is a 2002 subaru wrx with less than 13k miles on it. the brakes are in excellent. shape. i have heard this is a common problem, the abs removing all braking action under conditions where full lockup is not occurring. *nlm | |||
| 09/19/2002 | 29000 | 2 | 04/23/2001 |
| The vehicle experienced sudden loss of brake pressure: [i have submitted one previous complaint, but i cannot find it here. since this problem has yet to be resolved (at least 18 months after it was first reported) i would like to post my complaint again.] on two (2) separate occasions i have lost almost all braking force when attempting to stop abruptly on smooth, dry_ pavement. in both instances i hit the brakes quick and hard, let up momentarily, then reapplied. in both cases it was on the second application that the pedal went to the floor and the car seemed to be almost coasting freely. luckily, in both instances i had an escape route. the first failure was on northbound georgia ave., approaching a red light. the weather was mild, pavement clear, dry and smooth. speed upon initial brake application was approx. 45 mph. (another northbound driver pulled in front of me without warning). tires were bridgestone re730's. brakes stock. the second time was on northbound i-270 at exit 31. again, the weather was mild and the pavement was smooth and dry. speed upon initial brake application was approx. 65 mph. (a driver entering i-270 abruptly merged across 3 lanes into lane 1 doing all of about 25 mph). tires were firestone sz-50ep's. brakes stock. after the second incident i installed new front brake pads, hawk hp-plus. not that i thought they would help with the abs problem, i just wasn't happy with the performance of the stock pads. during the installation i bled the brakes and found a lot of _air_ in the system. by a lot, i don't mean little bubbles, i mean a 2-3 inches of air in the clear bleeder tube. since that time i have had no further problems. the abs does continue to be very sensitive, activating even on slightly rippled pavement when braking moderately from 25-30 mph. at least when it activates, the pedal stays firm and the braking force only declines slightly. *nlm | |||
| 07/18/2002 | 1 | 03/01/2002 | |
| Approaching a stop light at 30-35mph on rough, bumpy pavement, the brake pedal went down to the floor completely, and the car took 2 or 3 times the normal distance to come to a stop. there was no reason the abs should have activated. this is a well documented issue amongst subaru drivers (see http://forums.i-club.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=102893&perpage=25&highlight=brake failure&pagenumber=1) that has potentially lethal results. many people have reported this to the nhtsa... could you let me know what the status is of these reports, and what action the nhtsa plans to take to resolve this problem? thank you. note: your form seems to be parsing the entered information re: failed parts incorrectly. no airbags deployed, nor were there 35 fatalities.*ak | |||
| 10/15/2001 | 2 | ||
| Ongoing / intermittent problem with brake pedal going to the floor whenever vehicle runs over a bump, and causes a none stopping vehicle. vehicle been to dealer on two occasions, and unable to locate cause. *ak | |||
| 09/01/2001 | |||
| During braking on rough surfaces, the abs system significantly reduces pressure to the brakes, resulting in near total loss of braking action. when this occurs, the brake pedal drops significantly and there is no pulsing action. i have experienced this three times. the first incident was approaching an intersection. i was traveling approximately 35 mph, and when i applied the brakes, the pedal dropped several inches and there was little, if any braking action. luckily, i had a green light and i was able to negotiate the turn without incident. the second time i was traveling on a gravel road. i was traveling approximately 15-20 mph, and as i came around a corner i encountered a truck that was driving in the middle of the road. again, i applied the brakes without any effect. i was forced to take evasive action and go into the ditch to avoid an accident. after that, i took the car to a dealer. i was able to reproduce the behavior once with a technician in the car. we were driving approximately 15-20 mph and i applied the brakes on a rough section of pavement. the abs pulsed several times, then it stopped pulsing for 2-3 seconds, and then it started pulsing again. during the period when it stopped pulsing, the brake pedal was soft and dropped 1-2 inches. the technician tried to replicate it without success. the technician inspected the system, including checking for diagnostic codes, but could not find a problem. *ak | |||
| 01/11/2002 | 10 | 01/01/2002 | |
| When braking on bumps (wet or dry), car does not stop safely. *ak | |||
| 11/20/2001 | 1 | 10/01/2001 | |
| Abs fails on bumps, brake effectiveness becomes marginal or disapsears. i pulled the abs fuse and brakes are ok. after the incident i replaced the oem bridgestone re92 tires with toyo proxes t!-s (225-50/16w) and the brakes were much improved. however, the abs is not performing safely so i disabled it by pulling the fuse. i have about 200,000 miles experince with abs including a mazda rx7 twin turbo, 3 acuras and a ford probe. the wrx abs is not good.*ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK - ABS WARNING LIGHT | |||
| 07/23/2004 | 33479 | 1 | 04/21/2004 |
| No warning. brakes locked up fully on interstate 44 going 70 mph. abs light came on and i tapped the brakes and they locked up and came to a complete stop on the highway when i was not using the brake.*ak | |||
| 10/15/2002 | 44040 | ||
| Consumer states, vehicle's abs is ineffective on slippery and gravel surfaces. dealer notified. please provide additional information. ts | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK - CONTROL UNIT/MODULE | |||
| 03/13/2001 | 2000 | 0 | 03/13/2001 |
| My 2002 subaru wrx has a defective abs system. when braking moderate to hard and the car hits a bump, the abs kicks in and reduces brake pressure, but after the road has settled the brake pressure doesn't return. you can press the brake pedal to the floor but brake pressure doesn't increase. only if you lift your foot completely off the brake pedal and then reapply, does braking power return. this is dangerous and could cause an accident if you have to panic stop and there is an imperfection in the road. my car has done this since i took delivery march 13th, 2001 | |||
| 08/01/2003 | 2000 | 01/14/2002 | |
| Abs activates on bumpy roads. | |||
| 05/06/2002 | 12350 | 1 | 11/17/2001 |
| When braking on uneven or rough surfaces, the abs brakes fail and the brake pedal goes to the floor. i have to get off abs and get back on quickly; this is the opposite of the proper way to use abs brakes. *ph | |||
| 07/10/2003 | 1 | 05/03/2002 | |
| When i am braking on an uneven surface, such as a pothole, or sometimes on gravel, the abs will be triggered, causing a loss of braking pressure which causes the braking distance to be extended considerably. i have not gotten into an accident as a result of this, yet, but i am worried as i can't be monitoring pavement conditions everytime i apply my brakes.*ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | |||
| 01/10/2002 | |||
| When trying to slowdown and driving over small bumps brake system will not catch, and vehicle will not slow down. contacted dealer, and the dealer was not willing to do anything. *ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - PADS | |||
| 09/03/2004 | 21000 | 1 | |
| While applying the brakes, something is banging in the front end. only happens the first time i back up and apply brakes. move forward and it bangs again but only the first time i move in that direction. dealer tells me the brake shoes are moving but nothing can be done, they claim it is not a problem. *ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - ROTOR | |||
| 07/23/2004 | 33479 | 1 | 04/21/2004 |
| No warning. brakes locked up fully on interstate 44 going 70 mph. abs light came on and i tapped the brakes and they locked up and came to a complete stop on the highway when i was not using the brake.*ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - POWER ASSIST | |||
| 07/23/2003 | 5000 | 50 | 05/17/2001 |
| Loss of brake power on uneven terrain. when road is not smooth, brakes seem to lose power and car does not slow. *ak | |||