NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE03-029: BRAKING SYSTEM/ABS

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE03-029 on July 8, 2003 and closed it on November 19, 2003. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2002–2003 Subaru WRX for it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: PE03-029 (also written PE03029)
Investigation type: Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
Status: Closed November 19, 2003
Opened: July 8, 2003
Closed: November 19, 2003
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Subaru of America, Inc.
Component: Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Vehicles and equipment: 2002–2003 Subaru WRX

A recall appears here only when NHTSA's investigations file links one to the investigation; NHTSA's summary or record can name others.

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE03-029.

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.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE03-029. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.

Subaru

Subaru WRX
- 2002, 2003

All Subaru recalls

What an NHTSA investigation is

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.

An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Subaru VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for PE03-029

Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.