- 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.
Vehicle safety record
2005 Subaru Legacy Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 184 complaints about the 2005 Subaru Legacy with NHTSA, most often about the engine & cooling (33) and the brakes (31). Those complaints describe 11 crashes, 4 fires and 10 injuries. It is covered by 9 recalls, the latest in January 2020 for the inflator module. For comparison, the 2004 has 49 and the 2006 has 87.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical Legacy year, for its age
#74 most complained-about 2005 vehicle
- Complaints
- 184
- Recalls
- 9
- Crashes
- 11
- Fires
- 4
- Injuries
- 10
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2005 Subaru Legacy problems
Share of all 184 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2005 Subaru Legacy recalls 9
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 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 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.
- The risk
- The engine turning off unexpectedly can increase the risk of a crash. If a crash occurs under this condition, the air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
- The fix
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 10, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUF-91.
- 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 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.
- The risk
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengers 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. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQP-51. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-471. This recall has been partially superseded by 15V-323. All 2005 model year Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles will now be repaired under recall 15V-323.
- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage. Fluid leakage may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will test the brake system by depressing the brake pedal and inspecting for brake fluid leaks. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected areas will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is observed, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. These services will be performed free of charge. The recall began July 2014 and second notifications will run through November 2014. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQK-47. Note: This recall supersedes recall 13V-110 which applied to certain 2005-2009 Legacy/Outback vehicles. Vehicles that were remedied under the previous campaign still need additional areas rust-proofed.
- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage. Fluid leakage may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected area will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is observed, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. These services will be performed free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQG-43.
- The problem
- The left and right side curtain air bags in certain vehicles involved in this campaign may not fully deploy rapidly enough when activated in a side impact collision. During a side impact test conducted by the insurance institute for highway safety (iihs), the test results indicated that there was a difference between the iihs test results and the result of side impact tests conducted by fhi.
- The risk
- This may result in failure to provide the intended head protection, increasing the risk of injury to a seat occupant.
- The fix
- Dealers will replace the left and right side curtain air bag modules. The recall began on june 11, 2004. Owners should contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783. .
What owners say
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184 complaints about the 2005 Subaru Legacy
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 8.
The contact owns a 2005 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard. The contact downshifted to slow down, and the vehicle came to a stop. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The contact inspected the vehicle and became aware that at the rear of the vehicle there was brake fluid leaking onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to...
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the residence. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V311000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); in 2014. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.
While driving to work, my brake pedal went to the floor and I lost 90% of braking power. After managing to get the car back home, and topping up brake fluid, I noticed a puddle of it right in front of the passenger rear wheel. After doing research, found that this was a problem for this car, covered under recall WQK-47. Having bought this car used a few months ago, I checked and apparently this recall had been performed, but was obviously not successful in preventing the failure of my brakes. After researching the...
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recall, found that there were 2 remedies depending on the inspection performed by the dealer when the car was brought in for the original recall work. According to the service records, the application of a protective rustproofing wax material was performed, which was supposed to prevent the deterioration of the brake lines. The other remedy for the recall was to replace the brake lines, which was not done on my vehicle. After this issue happened, I brought my vehicle to my Subaru dealer, and contacted Subaru of America to open a case. After a week and minimal communication or information from Subaru of America, I received a call stating they would not cover my brake lines under the recall, even though they failed at the exact point specified by the safety recall, showing that the repair previously done was not effective in ensuring the safety of the vehicle.
Brake lines were definitely not replaced even though known to be defective and prone to corrosion and leaks. Almost got into a accident because the known recalled area let go on the highway
The contact owns a 2005 Subaru Legacy. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V311000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the dealer refused to perform the recall. The contact stated that the dealer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, while braking for a traffic light, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. The contact was able to stop the vehicle and had...
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the vehicle towed to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the rear passenger side brake line had corroded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired by the dealer since the dealer stated the vehicle was not registered in the listed states on the recall notification. The failure mileage was 229,126. Parts distribution disconnect.
The vehicles brake lines have corroded and started to leak, resulting in the stopping distance increasing and the vehicle not being safe to drive. When getting the airbag recall performed at the Subaru dealership 3 years ago I mentioned the brake line recall. They stated they inspected the lines, and no issue was present. There is now an obvious issue with the brake line corroding and failing. Subaru is telling me there is no active recall.
I noticed a small puddle of fluid by the right rear wheel and immediately brought the vehicle over to Premier Subaru of Fremont, CA for an inspection. Premier Subaru diagnosed the problem as the right rear hard brake line failure and leak due to excessive corrosion. Premier Subaru provided a repair estimate of $3,997.17; stating that this issue needs immediate attention. Back in 2014, there was a service campaign to address this issue; #14V311000 and my car received this service. I've contacted Subaru of...
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America (SOA), Customer Advocacy, about this issue and they are not willing to provide any assistance to address this current issue, even though it is directly related to the 2014 campaign. I am the second owner of this car purchasing it in 2011. The car is in excellent mechanical condition having only 135,000 miles (averaging ~7,100 miles/year) and has spent the last 7 years in the San Francisco, CA area. Pictures of the undercarriage of the car are available should you need them.
The contact owns a 2005 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that the hydraulic brake lines were leaking. The brake warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that there was rust covering the subframe of the vehicle and fuel tank. The dealer declined to complete a recall repair under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V311000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.
While driving, cruise control and check engine light comes on and then the car won't accelerate. Engine revs really high and when pushing accelerator pedal, car will not move. The check engine code states "throttle position sensor". This has happened more than 20 times
The rear brakes on the above referenced vehicle failed due to environmental corrosion. This is aligned with recall WQK47-2 which was open for the effected vehicle. The vehicle was transported to Suburban Subaru of Vernon CT for recall resolution. The dealership service department was not willing to complete the repair for different reasons. The vehicle was returned to me, with the rear brakes inoperable, but upon review of NHTSA.gov and Subaru's recall lookup, the recall was marked as Completed. The Service Writer...
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communication with me and the provided Service Invoice from Suburban Subaru of Vernon CT clearly state that the recall was not completed. This is in direct conflict with the reporting to Subaru and NHTSA with regards to Recall Compliance. I reached out to Subaru Customer Advocacy for resolution of this documentation compliance but there was no direct path to re-open the recall and rectify the situation.
Car is a Subaru Legacy GT 2005 Brake lines were corroded and burst and almost caused major accident on highway. Subaru is not taking responsibility of the recall since the car is in Florida now. Originally it was in New Hampshire which was designated as a recall state I called their customer recall line and they refused to repair it. this was part of a 200,000 + recall. Car only has 20,000 miles. Subaru is putting everyone's safety at risk by not taking care of their recalls.
A combination of high temperature and exposure to sunlight is causing dashboard to become sticky/melted. The center for auto Safety is calling on car makers and the federal govement to address melting dashboards. The melting plastic coupled with sun glare makes it difficult to see through the windshield under certain conditions. I have the same issue that has been documented in the Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, Mazda 3, Lexus IS 250 and the Lexus 350 according to the GibbsLaw Group. Upon contacting Subaru, I...
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was offered a $500 credit to have the dashboard replaced. This may only be 25% of the cost for replacement. As a safety issue, this should be paid for in full under a manufacturers recall.
The contact owns a 2005 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated while driving 30 mph and approaching a red light, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floor. The brake warning light was illuminated. The contact continued driving to the residence. The contact checked the brake fluid reservoir and noticed that the brake fluid was low. The brake fluid was topped off however, several days later the warning light reappeared. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the...
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brake lines above the gas tank were leaking. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the vehicle was previously repaired in 2014 under NHTSA campaign number: 14V311000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but declined to offer a second free repair. The failure mileage was 160,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated while driving 60 mph, the brake pedal would go all the way to the floorboard while depressed. The contact became aware that there was brake fluid leaking onto the floor from the brake line near the rear passenger's side tire. The dealer and manufacturer were made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that there was a recall repair performed on the service brakes, hydraulic in 2014, where the affected areas were rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was 180,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 subaru legacy. The contact stated that while driving at low speeds, the brake pedal failed and depressed to the floorboard. The contact continued to drive with the parking brake applied. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called an independent mechanic and was informed about nhtsa campaign number: 14v311000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.
Driving southbound on hwy 17 at 60mph 11/15/2020 engine suddenly went to idle. Throttle became unresponsive. Check engine light illuminated. I drifted to safety off the highway. Engine still idling, throttle unresponsive. After checking under the hood, I restarted the car and normal throttle response returned. I cautiously drove home and read the code for the cel: p2138 -- throttle position sensor voltage correlation. A quick search found others have solved this problem by changing throttle control to an updated version that uses hall effect method instead of a rheostat. I inquired with previous owner of this car and found it had happened once before.
Previous recall issue with brakes was never fixed correctly, resulting in a large leak in the rear right side brake line that caused my brakes to almost completely go out. Previous issue, which was supposedly fixed in 2014, was only a stopgap measure that didn't prevent the brake line from completely corroding away.
The cd player turns on by itself when radio is on. Nothing specifically makes it happen like hitting a bump or anything it does it while car is still. Car was takin on to be looked at but they said nothing could be done. Also, gear shift doesn't always lock in place. Which makes the car not able to start and/or move if on a slightly hill.
I recently noticed that some elements of my rear hatch on my subaru legacy wagon were not working. Specifically, the lights that illuminate the license plate, the rear defroster, center brake light, hatch locking mechanism, and radio antenna were not working. An inspection of the area where the wires enter the hatch door from the body of the vehicle reveals that several of the wires in the harness were broken completely with some wires in various states of deterioration. I believe this is an unusual failure and not...
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a typical wear item. I am concerned as I have lost the ability to properly lock and secure my vehicle, to clear frost and ice from the rear glass for proper visibility, lost the ability to illuminate my license plate which could result in being pulled over by law enforcement. Over time, continued deterioration will result in the inability to use my rear wiper and reverse lights. They're seems to be a defect with the wiring used in this area. It was not capable of withstanding normal use repetitions of opening and closing the hatch door. There are many members of the subaru legacy and outback communities that have had this issue occur. I believe that this will happen to all subaru legacy or outback models 05-09 given enough time.
I was driving my 2005 subaru legacy and was approaching a turn. While braking at maybe 30% brake force I felt a slight loss of brake pressure. I knew right away something was very wrong and tried to lightly feel for brake pressure to see if I would be able to emergency stop if necessary. I was able to downshift and knew the roads very well to decrease speed. Once stopped I was able to modulate the brake and look under the car. I observed brake fluid pouring from the underbody tray directly in front of the rear...
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passenger wheel. These brake lines were treated by subaru as a part of a previous recall approx. 2 Years prior with a anti-corrosive rust solution. I'm lead to believe there was a second recall notice regarding the same issue, but whether it was completed by the dealership at that time I don't know for sure. I don't believe it was though. I took my subaru to the dealership 6 days ago and they have ordered parts to fix the issue, and I'm lead to believe it'll be paid in-full by the dealership. This was a sudden and bad situation, stopping distance was greatly and quickly reduced. I'm certain there are other drivers would not have noticed the issue until much later.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 subaru legacy. When the vehicle was started, the contact heard an abnormal noise. The contact associated the failure with nhtsa campaign number: 19v297000 (electrical system). The vehicle was taken to subaru of jacksonville (located at 10800 atlantic blvd, jacksonville, fl 32225, (904) 641-6455) to be diagnosed, but the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 105,000.
2005 Subaru legacy. Consumer writes in regards to brake failure. *Ld the consumer stated the brakes failed while driving. The failure was due to corrosion. *Js
The dash is melting and creating such a glare and a reflection on the windshield that it obstructs the drivers view and poses a safety risk.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 subaru legacy. The contact stated that the brake lines were structurally unsound and contained extensive rust and corrosion. Day apollo subaru (5450 university blvd, moon, pa 15108, (412) 264-9222) installed a coating and performed the remedy for nhtsa campaign number: 13v110000 (service brakes, hydraulic), but the failure recurred soon afterwards. The vehicle was unable to be driven due to the risk of the brake lines fracturing. The contact felt that the manufacturer needed to develop a more robust metal and remedy. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and did not assist. The approximate failure mileage was 88,948.
Dealer (suburban subaru vernon, ct) performed brake like recall wqk-47r in september 2014 and "applied anti corrosion wax" in january 2019, the rear brake lines rusted through at the junction box next to the fuel tank which is a known failure location in the recall. This resulted in a fluid leak, I was able to notice the leak before the reservior fully emptied and the brakes would have failed completely. Dealer/subaru refused to cover under the recall and tried to charge me for looking at the car.
Hydraulic brake failure while driving. Upon brake application, pedal went to floor, had to use parking brake to stop vehicle. Inadequate, ineffective preventive recall done to brake lines as a rust proofing measure was done twice and lines still rusted through and perforated in rear near fuel tank. No evidence of wax sealant application present on areas of brake lines specified in recall. Dealership is refusing to perform recall repair procedure for brake line replacement . Manufacture customer relations representative contacted
Subaru Legacy: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 65 | 13 | C |
| 2008 | 65 | 9 | C |
| 2007 | 33 | 9 | B |
| 2006 | 87 | 7 | C |
| 2005 | 184 | 9 | F |
| 2004 | 49 | 11 | C |
| 2003 | 62 | 15 | C |
| 2002 | 58 | 5 | C |
| 2001 | 80 | 8 | C |
2005 Subaru Legacy vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Subaru Legacy | 184 | 9 | F | |
| 2005 Nissan Altima | 1,091 | 2 | F | Compare |
| 2005 Toyota Camry | 721 | 5 | F | Compare |
| 2005 Honda Accord | 686 | 24 | D | Compare |
| 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid | 686 | 0 | F | Compare |
| 2005 Hyundai Sonata | 165 | 1 | C | Compare |
| 2005 Mazda MAZDA6 | 153 | 6 | D | Compare |
| 2005 Volkswagen Passat | 148 | 4 | C | Compare |
| 2005 Kia Optima | 144 | 0 | B | 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 Legacy
Does the 2005 Subaru Legacy have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 9 recalls for the 2005 Subaru Legacy: inflator module (January 2020); inflator module (January 2020); inflator module (January 2020); switch (April 2019) 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 Legacy?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the engine & cooling (33), brakes (31), fuel system (27).
How many complaints has the 2005 Subaru Legacy had?
184 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on November 1, 2004 and the latest on August 12, 2026. Of these, 11 describe a crash and 4 a fire, and together they report 10 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2005 Subaru Legacy a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 24 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Subaru Legacy 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 Legacy years have the most complaints?
1995 (186), 2005 (184), 2011 (167). See every Subaru Legacy year compared.
What should I do if my 2005 Subaru Legacy 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