First generation · 2003–2006

A well-reviewed, well-built truck that Subaru still couldn't sell.

Manufactured July 2002–April 2006 at Subaru of Indiana Automotive, the Baja was a 4-passenger coupe-utility based on the third-generation Legacy/Outback wagon platform, unibody-built and 150mm longer than a contemporary Outback, with a 1,050mm open bed. Its 'Switchback' feature folded the rear seat down with a bed-hatch section folding inward to extend usable cargo length to roughly 2.3m. Despite winning J.D. Power APEAL Awards (2003–2004) and Consumer Reports' highest reliability rating among 2006 pickups, Subaru's projected 24,000 units/year never materialized — actual sales totaled roughly 30,000 over the entire 4.5-year run, attributed to limited marketing and polarizing styling rather than any quality problem.