- The problem
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2004-2005 Impreza and WRX vehicles that received replacement front passenger air bag inflators under a previous recall. The replacement air bag inflators may have been installed incorrectly.
- The risk
- An incorrectly installed inflator may not properly inflate the passenger air bag, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect the passenger inflator and if necessary, install a new inflator kit, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 14, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRF-23.
Vehicle safety record
2005 Subaru Impreza Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 75 complaints about the 2005 Subaru Impreza with NHTSA, most often about the fuel system (19) and the suspension (17). Those complaints describe 10 crashes, 1 fire, 3 injuries and 1 death. It is covered by 6 recalls, the latest in February 2023 for the inflator module. For comparison, the 2004 has 96 and the 2006 has 56.
NHTSA data checked
CAbout as many problems as a typical Impreza year, for its age
#130 most complained-about 2005 vehicle
- Complaints
- 75
- Recalls
- 6
- Crashes
- 10
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 3
- Deaths
- 1
Most common 2005 Subaru Impreza problems
Share of all 75 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2005 Subaru Impreza recalls 6
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- The fix
- Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-20.
- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- The fix
- Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-20.
- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- The fix
- Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-20.
- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
- The fix
- Subaru will notify their owners and General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The Subaru recall began on June 17, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. The Saab recall began on July 27, 2015. Owners of Saab vehicles may call 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is WQR-53. Note: The recall completely supersedes recall 14V-399 (WQL-48) and partially supersedes recall 14V-763 (WQP-51) in that model year 2004 through 2005 Subaru Impreza and model year 2005 Saab 9-2x vehicles are now only part of this campaign. Note: On December 18, 2015 Subaru informed NHTSA of an expansion of this recall to include certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy and 2003-2008 Subaru Outback vehicles.
- The problem
- Subaru is recalling certain model year 2002-2007 impreza, model year 2003-2008 forester, and model year 2005-2006 saab 9-2x vehicles manufactured from september 5, 2000 through november 26, 2007 originally sold, or currently registered in, massachusetts, maryland, michigan, new hampshire, new york, pennsylvania, vermont, wisconsin, connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, maine, minnesota, missouri, new jersey, ohio, rhode island, west virginia and the district of columbia. The front lower control arms may break at the hanger brackets due to corrosion if the hanger bracket is exposed to salty and humid environments such as roads containing snow melting agent.
- The risk
- A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Subaru will handle their vehicles and saab will handle theirs. Dealers will inspect the degree of corrosion of the front lower control arms, and will either rustproof or replace them. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during december 2011. Owners may contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Owners may contact saab at 1-800-955-9007.
What owners say
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75 complaints about the 2005 Subaru Impreza
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 3.
The dealership is refusing to fix my car free of charge on a recall they confirmed would be able to do and now they are refusing to do it due to price and have made me wait two months for this to be the answer while also not giving me any sort of pay for the inconvenience of waiting for so long, while also having already ordering the parts and they have decided to decline my recall repair
In April 2022 hood latch malfunctioned and caused hood to open while driving on interstate. Caused damage to Hood, Fenders, Windshield and Roof. I was able to get stopped safely without injury.
goodyear all season f1 p225/45 ZR 17 psgr right sidewall looks like a few chunks are missing and some tread from tire to sidewall is peeling
The contact owns a 2005 Subaru Impreza. The contact stated while her son was driving and approaching a stop sign, he heard an abnormal noise which caused him to lose control of the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to park on the side of the road. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to her residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V464000...
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(Suspension). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and was informed the recall was completed by the previous owner on 12/10/2011. The failure mileage was approximately 199,000.
The key intermittently gets stuck in the ignition switch when the gearstick is set in the 'park' position. The car can be turned off, but the key cannot be moved forward into the #1 position (lock/off) and cannot be removed from the ignition in the #2 position (accessory). This scenario retains the electrical in the 'on' position which potentially drains the battery and forces the driver to indefinitely remain with the vehicle to avoid a dead battery and/or vehicle theft. Subaru has acknowledged this issue in...
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service bulletin 16-112-18r (nhtsa id number: 10155220). The summary is as follows: 'this bulletin announces a design change to the cvt select lever (shifter) mechanism in response to isolated customer concerns of not being able to remove the key from the ignition switch when the vehicle is in park. The cause is contamination of the park-range switch internal components.' Many consumers believe that if this problem was serious enough to require a redesign to the cvt (continuously variable transmission), then it is serious enough to require a recall.' Please note that even though your incident report form requires the user to select "one date" when the incident happened, that this incident is only the first occurrence out of multiple occurrences. The problem is now ongoing and unresolved from the reported date forward.
2005 Subaru impreza outback sport on 8/23/2020 the brake light was illuminated. Upon returning home, the brake fluid was checked and found to be low. Noticed brake fluid on driveway under car. The car was not used until taking it to goodyear for an inspection on 8/27/2020. Good year identified that there is a leak in the brake line. They advised that there was a recall for subaru's for this issue, although they could not locate it for this vin#. I contacted subaru and opened a case regarding this issue. ...
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The case number is [[redacted]]. They advised me that the recall did not apply to my vehicle (wqk-47). When I questioned that it appears to be the exact same part that was affected by the recall in other cars that year, I was advised to take the vehicle to a subaru dealer for evaluation. The dealer would be responsible for contacting subaru regarding the issue. The car will be towed to subaru in the next day or so for evaluation. *Ln the consumer stated prior to the failure the vehicle was involved in an accident. *Js parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.S.C. 552(B)(6).
While my son was backing out of the driveway, his passenger side lower control arm snapped in 2. He struggled to get it even back into the driveway. I ran the vin number and it does no show that this car has a recall that needs to be done. Does this mean it was already done? Or is this car not covered for the recall?
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 subaru impreza. While the contact's wife was driving 40 mph, she heard a snap in the engine that caused her to lose control of the vehicle without warning. The vehicle was towed to the contact's father's home where he discovered that the front lower control arm was fractured. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 11v464000(suspension). The contact spoke with vic bailey mazda subaru (400 e daniel morgan ave, spartanburg, sc 29302, (864) 568-3338) and was informed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 158,000.
I believe my vehicle needs added to the safety recall: wqk47. Nhtsa campaign: 14v311000. I own a 2005 subaru impreza rs. Driving down residential street I lost all brake pressure coming to a stop. Problem was from brake line had leak from corrosion. It's the same problem and exact spot described in the recall for wqk47. Yes, I live in the salt belt. This needs to be looked into more and as soon as possible. Definitely a safety issue. Thank you.
While turning to back into driveway control arm broke. It is rusted
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 subaru impreza. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v323000 (air bags). The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to mark miller subaru midtown at (801) 268-3734 (3535 state st, salt lake city, ut 84115) where the front passenger side air bag was replaced. Soon after the recall repair was completed, the air bag indicator remained illuminated. The manufacturer stated that the recall was completed and the contact would be charged a diagnostic fee. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 161,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 subaru impreza. When the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for a yearly inspection, the technician noticed that the front subframe was corroded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to nhtsa. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
I was driving on the highway when I lost control of my car. I was able to safely pull off to the side, and have the car towed home. The control arm on the passenger side was rusted and snapped snapped while my car was traveling straight. My car is affected by the wvx34 front lower control arm (transverse link) corrosion recall, which was performed before I purchased the car. The control arms had anti-rust spray applied at that time, and were not replaced. The spray was not effective in preventing further damage. Fortunately I was unharmed because the highway was not very busy and traffic was minimal.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 subaru impreza. While driving 70 mph, the vehicle vibrated uncontrollably. As a result, the contact almost lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the front lower driver side control arm failed and would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was previously serviced per nhtsa campaign number: 11v464000 (suspension), but the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 99,260. ...Updated 12/06/16 *bf *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 subaru impreza. While driving 20 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that some codes needed to be cleared. The vehicle was repaired; however, after the repairs were performed, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle, but the failure recurred on numerous occasions. The contact spoke with a dealer and independent mechanic who stated that the vehicle needed to be idling for sometime in order to allow the vehicle relearn the idle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2005 subaru impreza. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v323000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. Updated 10/28/16*lj the consumer stated the vehicle was repaired on july 31, 2016. Updated 11/02/16.*Jb
Takata recall : I have a 2005 subaru wrx which has not been schedule for the recall, for over a year. I have been using the car without allowing anyone to sit in the front seat for a year now, waiting for the recall to be schedule. I am tired of being inconvenienced due to this recall.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 subaru impreza. The contact stated that nhtsa campaign number: 15v323000 (air bags) exceeded a reasonable time for repair. The dealer stated that the part was not available for repair. The manufacturer also verified that the part was not available for repair. The contact received the recall notification in june of 2015. The vin was unknown. The contact had not experienced a failure.
My concern is the unreasonable length of time it is taking to remedy the july safety recall. Four months now and the dealer simply tells me the parts are not available and more cars are being recalled with the same problem! Until the repair is performed, we are advised to not allow passengers to ride in the front passenger seat. A few weeks of not allowing passengers is one matter, four months is ridiculous. And there is no promise of repair any time soon. An appointment was made for the repair on 8/17 and...
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after waiting 2 1/2 hours I was advised they had run out of the parts. They were expecting more and I would be called by wednesday of that week. Having not been contacted by the dealer on 9/3 I contacted subaru of america. Grant noble with subaru of america contacted the dealer and advised me the part was expected in very soon. Now, two months later, no remedy!!! Perhaps, you can allow the airbag to be disabled since no passengers are allowed as it is. Can subaru provide another vehicle or compensate me for the inconvenience and extra expense of driving another vehicle during this time? I will need the awd subaru with winter weather.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 subaru impreza. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v323000 (air bags), however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Updated 12/03/15*lj; updated 4/9/18*jb the consumer stated repairs were made to the vehicle on october 28, 2015. *Tr
I own a 2005 subaru impreza, vin [[redacted]] and in july received a recall notice (15v-323) re. The wqr-53 recall campaign. The letter stated that the front passenger seat should not be used because of the safety hazard created by the defective air bag. Given the manner in which we use this car this presents are hardship for us. I called the subaru company (1-800-782-2783) as well a local subaru dealership and was unable to schedule an appointment for repair because the necessary parts are not available. At the...
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dealership I was told the parts would not come in before november at the earliest. I do not believe it is fair for the customer to have to have to live with the consequences of the delay without any remedy or compensation. I would appreciate if you could look into this matter. Thank you information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.S.C. 552(B)(6). *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 subaru impreza. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v323000 (air bags) however, the part needed to repair the vehicle was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 subaru impreza. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v323000 (air bags) however, the part needed to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Temporarily experience some fuel seepage at engine fuel delivery pipe/hose during cold engine start up in extremely cold outside temperatures. Vehicle occupants may notice the smell of fuel. The same issue is described in subaru campaign/recall wvk-21 issued for 2002-2003 model year subaru impreza vehicles. Service bulletin 01-170-09 http://www-odi.Nhtsa.Dot.Gov/acms/cs/jaxrs/download/doc/acm12948229/rcsb-09v468-1307.Pdf
I was driving and lost control of the car at 55mph. I struggled to pull the car off the road. The car was towed to my mechanic where he diagnosed a broken control arm due to corrosion.
Subaru Impreza: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 113 | 15 | D |
| 2008 | 209 | 15 | F |
| 2007 | 68 | 9 | C |
| 2006 | 56 | 10 | C |
| 2005 | 75 | 6 | C |
| 2004 | 96 | 8 | D |
| 2003 | 64 | 6 | C |
| 2002 | 296 | 6 | F |
| 2001 | 11 | 3 | A |
2005 Subaru Impreza vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Subaru Impreza | 75 | 6 | C | |
| 2005 Toyota Prius | 1,051 | 6 | F | Compare |
| 2005 Toyota Corolla | 944 | 10 | F | Compare |
| 2005 Honda Civic | 316 | 15 | D | Compare |
| 2005 Volkswagen Jetta | 248 | 7 | D | Compare |
| 2005 Nissan Sentra | 170 | 6 | F | Compare |
| 2005 Hyundai Elantra | 137 | 4 | C | Compare |
| 2005 Mazda MAZDA3 | 103 | 3 | C | Compare |
| 2005 Volkswagen Golf | 19 | 4 | C | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2005 Subaru Impreza
Does the 2005 Subaru Impreza have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 6 recalls for the 2005 Subaru Impreza: inflator module (February 2023); inflator module (January 2020); inflator module (January 2020); inflator module (January 2020) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Subaru Impreza?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the fuel system (19), suspension (17), airbags (12).
How many complaints has the 2005 Subaru Impreza had?
75 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on February 8, 2005 and the latest on January 24, 2025. Of these, 10 describe a crash and 1 a fire, and together they report 3 injuries and 1 death.
Is the 2005 Subaru Impreza a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 41 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as a typical Subaru Impreza year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Subaru Impreza years have the most complaints?
2002 (296), 2013 (251), 2012 (243). See every Subaru Impreza year compared.
What should I do if my 2005 Subaru Impreza has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data