2005 Subaru Legacy Problems

High Complaint Volume

Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2005 Subaru Legacy.

20042006
Complaints
247
per 10K Sold
28.1
US Sales
87,788
Crashes
22
Fires
7
Injuries
17
Fatalities
Recalls
8

Worst 2005 Subaru Legacy Problems

Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.

#125 complaints

Electrical Faults

Avg mileage:90,150 mi
Crash-related:1
Fires:3
#220 complaints

Brakes

Avg mileage:138,486 mi
#319 complaints

Airbags

Avg mileage:89,791 mi
Crash-related:5
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All Problems by Category

Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2005 Subaru Legacy.

Electrical Faults
25
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
3
Avg Miles
90,150
Brakes
20
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
138,486
Airbags
19
complaints
Crashes
5
Fires
Avg Miles
89,791
Fuel System
15
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
89,199
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine
13
complaints
Crashes
Fires
1
Avg Miles
60,651
Gasoline Fuel System
12
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
76,817
Unintended Acceleration
12
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
105,417
Headlight/Taillight Failures
11
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
84,430
Wipers & Visibility
11
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
109,025
Transmission / Drivetrain
8
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
72,849
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Turbo/Supercharger
6
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
32,153
Wheel Issues
6
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
68,912
Tire Defects
5
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
40,878
Engine Problems
4
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Engine & Cooling
4
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
Seat-Related Issues
4
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
2
Avg Miles
Hydraulic Brakes
4
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Suspension Failures
4
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
Avg Miles
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Seat Belts:Rear/Other
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Body Structure
3
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Air Bags:Frontal:Sensor/Control Module
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Electronic Stability Control
2
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Other Fuel Types:Turbo/Supercharger
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Interior Lighting
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
1
Avg Miles
Power Train:Clutch Assembly
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Manual Transmission
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles

Search Owner Complaints

Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2005 Subaru Legacy. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.

Recalls for 2005 Subaru Legacy

8 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~1,670,364 vehicles.

20V001000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
~258,813 affected

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

20V003000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
~111,562 affected

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

20V002000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
~127,547 affected

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

19V297000Electrical System:ignition:switch
~511 affected

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part. The ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.

15V323000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
~432,016 affected

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to July 21, 2004, 2004-2005 Impreza vehicles manufactured January 28, 2003, to May 31, 2005, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to May 2, 2008, 2003-2008 Subaru Outback vehicles manufactured February 18, 2003, to May 5, 2008, and 2005 Saab 9-2x vehicles manufactured February 11, 2004, to March 17, 2005. The affected vehicles are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture upon its deployment.

14V763000Airbags
~4,175 affected

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy and Outback vehicles, and 2003-2005 Baja vehicles sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity. Specifically, vehicles sold, or ever registered, in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Florida and adjacent counties in southern Georgia, as well as the coastal areas of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

14V311000Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
~461,338 affected

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy, 2008-2011 Impreza and 2008-2014 Impreza WRX/STI, and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines. Note that affected vehicles not currently, or formerly registered, in the salt belt states identified above are eligible for repair, at no cost to the customer, upon request.

13V110000Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
~274,402 affected

Subaru is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy vehicles manufactured from December 2003, through April 2009 and currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines.

Other Subaru Legacy Years

2005 Subaru Legacy — FAQ

Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.

Is the 2005 Subaru Legacy reliable?
Verdict: High Complaint Volume. The 2005 Subaru Legacy has 247 NHTSA complaints, 22 crash-related, and 8 recall campaigns. The most common issue is Electrical Faults with 25 complaints. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
What are common problems with the 2005 Subaru Legacy?
Top reported problems: Electrical Faults (25 complaints, avg 90,150 mi); Brakes (20 complaints, avg 138,486 mi); Airbags (19 complaints, avg 89,791 mi). Every complaint is filed by an owner with NHTSA — this is raw reported data, not editorial opinion.
At what mileage do problems start on the 2005 Subaru Legacy?
The weighted average mileage at time of complaint is about 89,352 miles. Some components fail earlier, some later — check the "All Problems by Category" table above for per-issue averages.
How safe is the 2005 Subaru Legacy?
NHTSA complaints for the 2005 Subaru Legacy include 22 crash-related reports, 7 fire reports, 17 injuries, and 0 fatalities. These are owner-reported incidents, not official crash-test ratings — a complaint being filed doesn't confirm a defect, but clusters around specific components are worth investigating.
Does the 2005 Subaru Legacy have any recalls?
Yes — 8 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 1,670,364 vehicles. Recalls are free to fix at the dealer. Always verify by VIN whether the specific car you're looking at has had its recalls addressed.
Should I buy a 2005 Subaru Legacy?
This year has a higher-than-normal complaint volume. It's not an automatic no, but focus inspection on the top reported issue (electrical faults) and verify open recalls have been addressed.

Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.

Wider context: See the full Subaru Legacy reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.

Check Your Specific 2005 Subaru Legacy

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