MajorCommonBody & Rust

Subaru Impreza: Rust in JDM imports — rear arches, sills and underbody

Rust in JDM imports — rear arches, sills and underbody is a common body & rust fault on the Subaru Impreza on the 2000–2011 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $500 to $3,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 44 documented faults on the Subaru Impreza.

Vehicle: Subaru Impreza
Years: 2000–2011
System: Body & Rust

This page covers the Subaru Impreza as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Subaru Impreza faults44 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Body corrosion yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

Most NZ Imprezas of this era are ex-Japan imports, and cars from snowy prefectures spent winters on salted roads. Rust shows in the rear wheel arch lips, sill seams, around the fuel filler, boot floor seams and on suspension components underneath. Surface rust on subframes is common and manageable; bubbling arch lips and crusty sill seams mean expensive panel work and can become WoF issues. Border checks catch the worst, but plenty of borderline cars are on NZ roads.

What you would notice

Bubbling paint on rear arch lips
Crusty seams under the sills
Heavy surface rust on subframes and suspension arms
Rust stains weeping from panel seams

How to check it

Where to look. Rear wheel arch lips, sills, boot floor, rear subframe and underbody

Run a finger inside each rear wheel arch lip feeling for bubbles.
Kneel and check the sill seams and jacking points.
Get the car on a hoist or use your phone torch/camera under the rear subframe, fuel tank straps and suspension arms.
Lift the boot carpet and check the spare wheel well seams.
Ask if it is a fresh import and check the import year on the vehicle's registration record.

Parts involved: Body corrosion.

What it costs to put right

$500 to $3,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“What year was it imported from Japan?”
“Has it had any rust repairs for compliance or WoF?”

Now check the Subaru Impreza you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

ClubSUB (NZ) JDM import rust discussions
NZTA border inspection corrosion criteria for used imports
Trade Me motors buying guides for JDM Subarus

Subaru Impreza buyer questions

Is rust in jdm imports — rear arches, sills and underbody serious on a Subaru Impreza?

We rate it major and common on the Subaru Impreza. Most NZ Imprezas of this era are ex-Japan imports, and cars from snowy prefectures spent winters on salted roads. Rust shows in the rear wheel arch lips, sill seams, around the fuel filler, boot floor seams and on suspension components underneath. Surface rust on subframes is common and manageable; bubbling arch lips and crusty sill seams mean expensive panel work and can become WoF issues. Border checks catch the worst, but plenty of borderline cars are on NZ roads.

How much does it cost to fix on a Subaru Impreza?

$500 to $3,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Subaru Impreza years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2000–2011 Subaru Impreza. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Run a finger inside each rear wheel arch lip feeling for bubbles. Kneel and check the sill seams and jacking points. Get the car on a hoist or use your phone torch/camera under the rear subframe, fuel tank straps and suspension arms. Lift the boot carpet and check the spare wheel well seams. Ask if it is a fresh import and check the import year on the vehicle's registration record. Look here: Rear wheel arch lips, sills, boot floor, rear subframe and underbody