Model year guide

2004 Subaru Impreza

Recalls, most-reported problems, crash-test ratings, fuel economy and what a 2004 Subaru Impreza is worth — from official NHTSA and EPA data. 32 on record.

2004 Subaru Impreza — representative photo
Representative photo · via Wikimedia Commons

2004 Subaru Impreza at a glance

Safety recalls8
Owner complaints96
Combined20 mpg
Typical price$7,199

Free: specs, open recalls for that exact car, build sheet and fair price.

2004 Subaru Impreza recalls 8

Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module NHTSA Campaign #20V002000 · 02/01/2020

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, O…

Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assist…

Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module NHTSA Campaign #20V003000 · 02/01/2020

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South…

Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assist…

Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module NHTSA Campaign #20V001000 · 02/01/2020

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saip…

Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact…

Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm NHTSA Campaign #11V464000 · 06/09/2011

SUBARU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2002-2007 IMPREZA, MODEL YEAR 2003-2008 FORESTER, AND MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 SAAB 9-2X VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 5, 2000 THROUGH NOVEMBER 26, 2007 ORIGINALLY SOLD, OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN, MASSACHUSETTS, MARYLAND, MICHIGAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, VERMONT, WISCONSIN, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IOWA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MAINE, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW JER…

Fix: SUBARU WILL HANDLE THEIR VEHICLES AND SAAB WILL HANDLE THEIRS. DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DEGREE OF CORROSION OF THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS, AND WILL EITHER RUSTPROOF OR REPLACE THEM. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING DECEMBER 2011. OWN…

Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module NHTSA Campaign #15V323000 · 28/05/2015

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to July 21, 2004, 2004-2005 Impreza vehicles manufactured January 28, 2003, to May 31, 2005, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to May 2, 2008, 2003-2008 Subaru Outback vehicles manufactured February 18, 2003, to May 5, 2008, and 2005 Saab 9-2x vehicles manufactu…

Fix: Subaru will notify their owners and General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The Subaru recall began on June 17, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. The Saab recall began on July 27, 2015. Own…

Vehicle Speed Control:cables NHTSA Campaign #04V128000 · 16/03/2004

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER SEDANS, WAGONS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE COULD COME OUT OF ITS TRACK ON THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVER AND LODGE ON THE CONTROL LEVER TAB WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS RELEASED. IF THIS CONDITION OCCURS, THE THROTTLE WILL NOT RETURN TO THE IDLE POSITION AND WILL REMAIN IN AN OPEN POSITION.

Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A CRUISE CONTROL CABLE RETAINING CLIP TO THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVER TAB ON THE THROTTLE SHAFT IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE FROM COMING OUT OF ITS TRACK. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON APRIL 12, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.

Engine And Engine Cooling NHTSA Campaign #04V473000 · 01/10/2004

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE COVER BOLTS FOR THE ENGINE OIL CONTROL VALVE MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENTLY TIGHTENED, ALLOWING OIL TO LEAK FROM AROUND THE COVER GASKET.

Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND RETIGHTEN THE OIL-FLOW CONTROL VALVE COVER BOLTS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 8, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.

Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module NHTSA Campaign #23V076000 · 13/02/2023

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2004-2005 Impreza and WRX vehicles that received replacement front passenger air bag inflators under a previous recall. The replacement air bag inflators may have been installed incorrectly.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the passenger inflator and if necessary, install a new inflator kit, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 14, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRF-23.

Source: U.S. NHTSA. A recall applies to a model year, but only a VIN check shows whether a specific car has had the repair done.

2004 Subaru Impreza common problems

The most-reported problem areas from 96 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.

Fuel/propulsion System
Check for fuel or battery warnings, hard starts and stalling. On a hybrid/EV, confirm charging and range behave normally.
Suspension
Listen for clunks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for uneven tire wear and worn shocks or struts.
Air Bags
Confirm the airbag light turns on then off at startup — if it stays lit there's a fault (costly, and a safety risk). Check for signs of prior deployment.
Fuel System
Sniff for fuel odor, check for leaks, hard starts or stalling, and confirm the fuel gauge reads correctly.
Gasoline
Have a trusted mechanic inspect this system as part of a pre-purchase inspection.
Service Brakes
Brakes should feel firm and quiet — no grinding, pulsing or pulling. Check for an ABS light and uneven pad/rotor wear.

2004 Subaru Impreza MPG & running costs

Combined20 mpg
City18 mpg
Highway25 mpg
Est. annual fuel cost$3,478

Source: U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov, averaged across trims.

What's a 2004 Subaru Impreza worth?

Low
$2,900
Typical price
$7,199
High
$12,000

From 32 comparable 2004 Subaru Impreza listings.

Estimated 5-year cost to own

A rough guide to what running a 2004 Subaru Impreza costs over five years and 75,000 miles.

Fuel (5 yrs)$17,390
Fuel only$17,390
Per mile$0.23

How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. There aren't enough comparable listings to estimate depreciation for this model, so it is left out. Not included: insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, registration and finance costs. Treat it as a comparison guide, not a quote.

2004 Subaru Impreza trims & engines on record

Trims
WRX · WRX STi · Outback · 2.5
Engines
2.0L · 2.5L

2004 Subaru Impreza vehicles on record

2004 Subaru Impreza 2004 Subaru Impreza WRXJF1GD29624G518779 2004 Subaru Impreza 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STiJF1GD70644L511527 2004 Subaru Impreza 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STiJF1GD70644L516582 2004 Subaru Impreza 2004 Subaru Impreza OutbackJF1GG68524H813964 2004 Subaru Impreza WRXJF1GG29674G816185 2004 Subaru Impreza 2004 Subaru Impreza OutbackJF1GG68574G806465 2004 Subaru Impreza WRXJF1GD29614G500886 2004 Subaru Impreza 2004 Subaru Impreza OutbackJF1GG68524G820144 2004 Subaru Impreza 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STiJF1GD70664L509696 2004 Subaru Impreza 2004 Subaru Impreza 2.5JF1GG65534G820190 2004 Subaru Impreza 2004 Subaru Impreza WRXJF1GD29654H512212 2004 Subaru Impreza 2004 Subaru Impreza WRXJF1GD296X4G518724 2004 Subaru Impreza WRXJF1GD29694G505527 2004 Subaru Impreza WRXJF1GD29694G513918 2004 Subaru Impreza 2004 Subaru Impreza OutbackJF1GG68584H817503 2004 Subaru Impreza 2004 Subaru Impreza WRXJF1GG29694G809478 2004 Subaru Impreza 2004 Subaru Impreza 2.5JF1GG655X4G815097 2004 Subaru Impreza 2004 Subaru Impreza WRXJF1GD29674G519619 2004 Subaru Impreza 2004 Subaru Impreza WRXJF1GD296X4G511739 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STiJF1GD70654L508829 2004 Subaru Impreza 2004 Subaru Impreza WRXJF1GD29664G502519 2004 Subaru Impreza 2004 Subaru Impreza WRXJF1GD29664G506022 2004 Subaru Impreza 2004 Subaru Impreza WRXJF1GD29674G517742 2004 Subaru Impreza 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STiJF1GD70604L506731

Other Subaru Impreza model years

2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2003 2002 2000 1999 1998 1996

2004 Subaru Impreza — frequently asked questions

Does the 2004 Subaru Impreza have any safety recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 8 safety recalls for the 2004 Subaru Impreza. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

What are the most common problems with the 2004 Subaru Impreza?

Based on 96 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most-reported problem areas are fuel/propulsion system, suspension, air bags.

What gas mileage does the 2004 Subaru Impreza get?

The U.S. EPA rates the 2004 Subaru Impreza at about 20 mpg combined (18 city / 25 highway).

How much is a 2004 Subaru Impreza worth?

Comparable 2004 Subaru Impreza listings run roughly $2,900–$12,000, typically around $7,199 (from 32 vehicles).

Sources: NHTSA (recalls, complaints, crash tests), U.S. EPA (fuel economy). Vehicle data only — CarLogs never shows owner information.