Selling a Subaru Baja that's done

If your Baja has reached the end, a Baja can be sold exactly as it is. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and you sell the whole car as it sits.

A four-year truck

Wikipedia calls the Baja a compact utility pickup, related to the Legacy and Outback and built from July 2002 to April 2006 at Subaru of Indiana in Lafayette. All-wheel drive came on every Subaru Baja. Its gearbox was either a 5-speed stick or a 4-speed automatic. Subaru stockpiled 2006 models before production ended, so dealers sold new ones as late as February 2008.

Across those four model years, NHTSA's file showed 117 owner complaints on October 10, 2026, plus 15 recall campaigns. Recall totals below cover each full campaign, and several stretch to other Subarus.

2003-2004: the EJ251 trucks

Wikipedia lists the 2.5-liter EJ251 flat-four for these years. They have 56 complaints.

The 2003 has 38. Power train leads (7), then hydraulic service brakes (5) and air bags (5). It also has the most crash reports of any Baja year (5), three fire reports and seven people injured.

Three non-air-bag recalls hit these years:

• Transmission parking rod (02V282). On 2003 automatics, the parking rod was made wrong, so Park may not hold. The campaign's 172,564 vehicles include other Subaru models.
• Water pump pulley (02V240). The pulley's center hole was machined wrong on 555 four-cylinder vehicles. Dealers replace the water pump.
• Oil control valve bolts (04V473). On 26 vehicles, the 2004 included, the bolts may be loose and leak oil.

The 2004 has 18 complaints, and 6 name the fuel system.

2005-2006: the EJ253 trucks

These years switched to the 2.5-liter EJ253 and have 61 complaints. The 2005 has 37: air bags (7), the gasoline fuel system (6) and the fuel and propulsion system (5). The 2006 has 24, led by engine and engine cooling (4) and engine (4).

The fuel pump bracket recall, 09V277, is the one aimed at these trucks alone. Dealers replace the bracket and its nipples with a stronger part.

The air bag inflator campaigns

Eleven of the 15 campaigns replace the passenger air bag inflator: 14V763, 15V323, 16V358, 16V359, 16V361, 17V014, 17V016, 17V026, 20V001, 20V002 and 20V003. Each covers a different slice of years and states. 14V763, for one, covers cars sold or registered where absolute humidity runs high. The largest, 15V323, counts 432,016 vehicles across Subaru and Saab models. Run your VIN to see which ones apply.

Complaints and recalls by model year

A campaign that spans years counts in each one.

Fix it or sell it?

1. Clear the free work first. Check NHTSA's recall lookup. A fuel smell on a 2005-2006 points to the bracket recall.
2. Price the rest. With a truck that's 20 years old, get the repair estimate on paper and hold it up against what a running Baja costs. Repairs cost more than it's worth shows how to compare.
3. Engine trouble? Overheating or coolant loss belongs under head gasket.

Getting it picked up

1. Have the VIN, mileage and title handy, and know whether it's the manual or the automatic.
2. Ask for an offer online or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Say whether it rolls. If an automatic won't come out of Park, mention it. We offer free pickup anywhere in the US.
4. Leave the bed and the parts as they are. If the tonneau, wheels or tailgate have gone missing, tell us.

More on trucks: junk truck or SUV. Related Subarus: the Outback, Legacy and Tribeca, or all Subaru models.