aaron... if you have had that bad of a creak/rattle why dont you take it back to the dealership? Its most likely covered by warranty.

 

Got my 04 back in September and have 5300 miles on it. It drives well. The only problems I have are a lot of interior rattles(glovebox, DS dash, PS door panel, rear dash), my clutch pedal squeaks(have to get that to the dealer), the paint chips like mad, and the electrical system sucks(I can turn the stock premium stereo to about 10 and watch ALL the lights dim with each hit of bass). I added grounding wires in the engine which seemed to get rid of the hesitation I was having under load in 2nd and 3rd, but did not help the dimming of the lights.

I get my first power mod in a few week, Accessport from Cobb. Already wheels and tires, and cleared the amber out of the headlights.

 

I got my 04 sedan on New Year's eve and I hav almost 2,000 miles on it, No problems so far. The only complaints i have is the paint, i had to take it back to the dealership because I got these really bad spots on my hood after it rained. I tried to wash them off twice, they didn't come off, and They tried clay bar, that didn't work either, and yes the paint does chip easily, that reminds me I need to go buy some touchup paint.

 

got my 04 on jan 4th with 25 miles on it. today is jan 22nd and she has 820 miles!!?? well, i think thats alot of driving considering i live on oahu... only problem i think i have is ac noise and yeah, sometimes reverse would be kinda hard to get into gear but just gotta apply some force

 

damm, im about to buy an 04 and im a little bit worried about this paint problem, is it really that bad?

 

I got my 04 the week before christmas. No problems at all so far at just under 1500 miles. Had to leave it at home when I went back to school because I go to school in Pittsburgh and I didnt want my baby sitting on the street. I found a garage spot and I'm going home to pick it up this weekend. My dad has been driving it for me so that it doesnt sit all week. He seems to think there is a problem in that it puts on speed way to fast . But he is used to his Chevy Silverado and Saturn commuter car (101hp) so I'll let him get away with that.

 

I had no problems with the 04 sounds nice looks great and runs like a champ. Had no problems mechanically with the wrx( knock on wood)... I think I need to go to a driving school so I dont make the car look bad. ANyways my only problem is I keep getting people trying to race everytime I come to a stop light. Posers!
But, I know the rules. dont worry. Fun! just like all the other WRX/STI any year Subaru decides to make.

 

I got my o4' in Nov. I really like it. It is my first subby. It is also the firts fun car I've had since high school. I have not had paint chip problems but the paint is an issue. I bought the car on a saturday night about 9pm. Th dealer closed at 9pm. They told me to set up an app for the next week to have it cleaned well. I noticed the next day in the sun that there were alot of swirl marks in the paint and I mean alot. It is java so I know the paint won't be that forgiving. I called my dealer on Monday and told the salesman, manager. They said that when i brought the car in for cleaning they would also "detail" the exterior. Little did I know that "detail" to them meant wash. After they were done i still had bad swirl marks. I told the sale manager right away. He siad that they could fix it but it would take several hours. I did not have time to leave it but when I had the first oil change i would leave it all day. He said fine. When i went back for my oil change I learned that the sales manager and the service manager had quit.I said something to the service writer and he again said that they would fix it but they had no one to do it. I don't know what to do. I am going to call the dealership one more time. After that i guess i'm SOL. Sorry about the book. Needed to vent. Everything else is great other wise.

 

RE: the paint issue with WRX...

Sorry guys, this is not a WRX or Subaru-specific problem. I've got a good friend who works at a paint/body shop, and he says minor paint blemishes and weak paint (especially on the hood) is common to a lot of 2000-2004 cars; in fact, he says he sees more cars that are 2000+ models than he sees cars that were from the 1990s and 80s. This is in Arizona, a state which is REALLY tough on paint!

In the middle 80s and late 90s, the US EPA and the WHO both mandated the use of less toxic materials in car paint; thus, according to him, a lot of the auto paints switched from tolulene- and solvent-based paints to less toxic paints with a much larger particle size. With a bigger particle size, the paint "clumps" together and has a better chance of forming air bubbles; it also has larger "pores" which can take stains more easily.

My dealership MANDATES that you use a spray-on protector called AutoMate; if you don't do it every 6 months for the first 3 years you own the car, they void your paint warranty! So the dealership themselves are taking action to protect the weak paint. However, they also do this for their Mazdas, Volkswagens and and 02-03 trade-ins.

 

Heh I totally agree with you. Was looking into Team o'Neil rally school, but it's a tad expensive. Got my WRX in August, currently have around 4500 mi. on it. Love the car, it runs like a charm. Of course, I still haven't really opened it up too much, but no major problems. It actually got much easier to shift and seemed to run much smoother after the first oil change. Then again, it is my first MT and my first Scooby, so...

-C