I understand that every manufacturer is racing to get these vehicles autonomous or something similar to it and I can fully appreciate a world that would be as I'm sick of distracted drivers as it is these days and the police's complicity or the lack of enforcement doesn't help. That said, the pre-collision system in Subaru needs a bit of an overhaul or an option to shut it off permanently and not every single time we start the vehicle. There were two separate instances where the collision warning picked up "something" that caused it to brake unexpectedly and hard causing ABS to trigger and everything getting thrown off the seats. I have no idea what even caused it. One other instance is when the vehicle in front of me suddenly braked unexpectedly. Seeing as I do not tailgate, I had plenty of time to move over to the other lane. In the process of this, the car detected the braking vehicle in front and just slammed the pre-collision brakes on me causing all sorts of panic for myself and every driver around me. The car tried to stop on the parkway at 55 mph because I wanted to merge left (and had plenty of space to do so) whereas the car just wanted to stop. The lane I was merging to didn't have anyone so it was fine but the person behind me probably freaked out a bit. Subaru needs to give us the ability to adjust the sensativity of these systems or just the ability to turn them off permanently. I love this car and love the brand but I feel they could do better. I'd like to say these manufacturers need to stop trying to baby and coddle us but when I see the drivers these days, I can understand where they are coming from.
Subaru WRX abs comes on
84 of the 980 owner complaints about the Subaru WRX describe aBS light or ABS activating, most of them for the 2002 model year.
- owner complaints
- 84
- worst model year
- 2002
- typical mileage
- 14,000
By model year
Often reported together
Brake failure 22Adaptive cruise 3Check engine light 2Grinding brakes 2Stalling 1Premature wear 1Misfire 1Loss of power 1
Trouble codes mentioned
P0420 1P0016 1
What owners say
The contact owns a 2024 Subaru WRX. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the ABS did not function as intended. The contact stated that while merging into another lane, the ABS independently activated, and the vehicle independently stopped. Additionally, the contact stated that due to the failure, the vehicle was almost rear-ended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150.
ABS, cruise control, and other driving assistance features are disabled while driving at night. I checked for recalls on Subaru WRXs and noticed a recall was issued for the same problems on 2011-2015 models. My vehicle is a 2016 model and demonstrates all the same failures observed from the recall of the 2011-2015 models.
Vehicle mileage was 7387 miles. While driving several check engine lights illuminated including traction control, check engine light, ABS, hill decent assist, cruise control icon flashing. Vehicle power was dramatically reduced. Made appointment next day with subaru dealership. I was informed code p0016 showed up on the diagnosis. It indicated crankshaft position camshaft position correlation bank 1 sensor a. Vehicle was at dealership for close to two weeks. Numerous parts were replaced including oil valve assembly, camshaft sprocket assembly, ecu control unit, guide chains, chain lever, etc. I have invoice from dealership detailing all parts replaced. Although covered under warranty, a brand new vehicle with under 8000 shouldn't encounter these issues.
In a 2015 subaru wrx with a 6-speed manual transmission purchased 03/2015 and delivered to purchase dealer 04/2015. Reported to subaru dealer 02/19/2016 a rough idle with engine rpms recorded between 400 and 1k. Rough idle tripped a check engine light after fueling and cruise control light began flashing. Diagnostic code p0420 reported a fault in catalytic converter. Software update to computer performed resolved issue temporarily. 04/10/2016 at 9.7k miles rough idle issue returned rpms of 400 to 1k again after fueling. In neutral 30-60 seconds after starting vehicle stalled at fuel station. Upon re-starting vehicle check engine, flashing cruise control, ABS, hill-start assist, and traction control faults tripped. Vehicle behavior similar to the federal safety agency recall 16v‑162 where the federal safety agency noted 'due to the use of incorrect material for a portion of the engine turbocharger air intact duct crack, the engine may develop a rough idle, reduced power, and possibly stall'. Complainant believes recall may need to be expanded to include a wider range of vins before listed production dates in recall order.
While driving, three dash lights turn on-ABS light, traction control light, and hill assist light. When this happens, anti-lock brakes no longer function along with traction control and hill assist, furthermore, the brake lights do not illuminate.the part was replaced by subaru when under warranty. It has happened numerous other times since being replaced. However, the dash lights will reset when the car is turned off, but they always come back at some point.the part replaced was the brake light stop switch. I have researched this problem online and found that many subaru wrx drivers experience the same problem. This is unsafe and needs to be addressed by subaru.
In *extremely* cold weather - below of - the vehicle will start successfully however the stability/traction control, anti-lock brakes, and "hill-assist" (part of the ABS system) trouble indicator lights will light and stay lit. Based on the instruction manual if this occurs, I should cycle the ignition to see if the code clears. This is an unacceptable solution because the car's battery is already extremely stressed due to the cold temperature and may not restart the vehicle. However, on one occurrence I did cycle the ignition and the problem remained. While I recognize that a more vicious brake fluid is needed in a performance vehicle of this type, if the ABS pump's orifices were larger this issue might not occur. The other possibility is the brake fluid used during assembly is already supersaturated with moisture and the cold temps allowed the suspended water to fall out of suspension and freeze in the hydraulic lines. Vehicle was safe to drive, the brake's mechanical action was unaffected by the fault. The brake and clutch pedals (which I believe to use the same fluid) it did feel like I was pushing through mud. I did confirm the ABS was not functional.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 subaru wrx. While driving approximately 30 MPH the contact attempted to apply the brakes and the ABS activated. He was unable to bring the vehicle to a rapid stop. He stated that it was luck that the vehicle in-front turned left; and he was able to avoid a crash. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that they would not assist with the repair, because the ABS failure warranty expired at 36,000 miles. The failure mileage was 119,000 and the current mileage was 120,000. Updated 02/09/11*lj updated 02/28/11
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
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.
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Impreza, 2008-2014 WRX and STI, and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia that were remedied under recall 14V‑311 prior to December 23, 2014. The brake lines may experience brake line corrosion due to salt water splashing on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector.
- Risk
- Brake fluid may leak due to the brake line corrosion and may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will apply an anti-corrosion wax to the four-way joint connector area of the brake line system, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑800‑782‑2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQQ-52. Notes: This recall is specific to affected Forester, Impreza, WRX, and STI customers who had their car remedied under the federal safety agency recall no. 14V‑311 prior to December 23, 2014. Subaru has determined that this remedy was inadequate due to incomplete repair instructions provided to dealers. Affected Forester, Impreza, WRX, and STI vehicles that were not repaired under the federal safety agency recall no. 14V‑311 prior to December 23, 2014 will continue to be processed under the federal safety agency recall no. 14V‑311. Affected vehicles not currently, or formerly, registered in the salt belt states identified in this recall are eligible for repair, at no cost to the customer, upon request.
Recall number 14V830000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy, 2008-2011 Impreza and 2008-2014 Impreza WRX/STI, and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines. Note that affected vehicles not currently, or formerly registered, in the salt belt states identified above are eligible for repair, at no cost to the customer, upon request.
- Risk
- Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage. Fluid leakage may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will test the brake system by depressing the brake pedal and inspecting for brake fluid leaks. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected areas will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is observed, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. These services will be performed free of charge. The recall began July 2014 and second notifications will run through November 2014. Owners may contact Subaru at 1‑800‑782‑2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQK-47. Note: This recall supersedes recall 13V‑110 which applied to certain 2005-2009 Legacy/Outback vehicles. Vehicles that were remedied under the previous campaign still need additional areas rust-proofed.
Recall number 14V311000 · Recall details
Questions about the Subaru WRX abs
Why does the abs come on in the Subaru WRX?
Owners who report it most often also describe brake failure, adaptive cruise control problems and check engine light, and the codes they mention most are P0420 and P0016.
Which Subaru WRX years have aBS light or ABS activating problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2002 (60 complaints), 2003 (17 complaints) and 2024 (2 complaints).
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