hey fellow i-club members!

im about to buy a 2003 subaru wrx but im debating on whether i should purchase a 2003 or a 2004? is there any problems in the 03 that are common and that i should know about before purchasing? cuz my friend has a 03 and he says he has tranny problems. anything helpful info can help! thanks!

 

the 2002 wrx's has weaker gears, but I think they made them wider for 03. All pre-05 wrx's had a slight problem going in to 1st or reverse due to the synchros, but all you have to do is put it in reverse (if trying to get into 1st) and then into 1st, doesn't do it all the time either, just sometimes, and that'll be on an 04 too. I think the 04/05's had open loop/closed loop problems too (it might have only been the 05's though) but thats not something I can go into in more detail because I know nothing about it.

 

The 5-speed is nearly identical from almost seven years of Impreza models, from 99 to current RS models; I think older ones had a flexier transfer case, but the weakness of that transmission carries through to more recent models. I'm at 220whp (02 WRX) and I can feel the entire transfer case flex (which shows up as movement in the shifter) at full torque in 3rd, 4rth and 5th gear. I'm still on the original factory clutch and have only had one syncro replaced in the history of the transmission, but others aren't so lucky. If you know how to shift and don't plan on adding much power, the 5MT is fine; I would be more worried about miles on the car itself than the model year.

 

both cars are pretty much similar. its just up to which body style because the interior did not change until 2005

 

Their tranny's both suck. Just don't peel out or abuse the car and you will be fine. in this situation just figure out which one you want best. Bugeyes or Peanut eyes?

 

oo wow thanks guys. do you guys know if the current models have the same problem? 06-07 wrx

 

the trannies are not the same for all the years. The 2002's notoriously have the weakest gears and a syncro problem getting into first. I'm pretty sure the weak gears were fixed for 03, maybe not until 04. The syncro problem was fixed for the 05 models

 

Of the three 02 and 03 models owned by myself or friends, all have had warranty work to swap out the first two synchros and in some cases the first two rings, essentially upgrading the transmission to 04-05 level. I've driven an 06 WRX as a test drive that definitely had problems getting into 1st above 5 mph, but it was still better than my 02 transmission. If I was going to buy any 5MT Subaru I'd want to see a complete repair history for the car, to see if those warranty repairs/recalls were made...

My dealership shop did a ton of transmission/differential work on my 02 with zero charge, they were able to file the paperwork with Subaru to get reimbursed; they made the argument to SOA that making the little changes would be cheaper than swapping in an entirely new 5MT :-)