2005 Subaru LEGACY: complaints, problems and recalls

MY 2005 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STI HAS BEEN LOSING OIL AT A RATE OF ~2 QTS PER 1000 MILES SINCE THE DAY IT WAS PURCHASED WITH 37 MILES. I HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO A SUBARU DEALERSHIP SEVEN TIMES. THE DEALERSHIP CAN NOT FIND THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM, THOUGH, AFTER TWO OIL CONSUMPTION TESTS, THEY CAN CONFIRM THAT THE CAR LOSES OIL AT AN ABNORMAL RATE.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10098112 at NHTSA ↗

VEHICLE: 05 SUBARU GT LIMITED SEDAN (PURCHASED) 11/30/04) TIRE: BRIDGESTONE, POTENZA RE92 (215/45 ZR17. MY WIFE AND I SKIDDED AS WE APPROACHED A STOP SIGN ON A LEVEL, SNOW COVERED ROAD. I BROKE GRADUALLY AND MY SPEED WAS LOW, ABOUT 10 MPH AS I STARTED BRAKING). INSTEAD OF STOPPING, THE CAR JUST KEPT GOING EVEN THOUGH I APPLIED MORE BRAKE PRESSURE. IF THERE HAD BEEN A CAR AHEAD OF US, I WOULD HAVE REARENDED IT. I DISCOVERED VERY NEGATIVE REVIEWS OF THIS TIRE ON THE FOLLLOWING 2 CUSTOMER SURVEY BASES: TIRERACK.COM AND 1010TIRES.COM. T…

Owner-reported narrative. 400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10104400 at NHTSA ↗

THE CLUTCH OR SOME PART OF THE CAR SMELLS BAD (LIKE SULPHUR) WHEN THE CLUTCH SLIPS AS THE CAR STARTS ROLLING AND GAS IS APPLIED. IT IS AWFUL AND I HAVE READ THAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO AWAY B/C ITS A NEW CAR..... WELL I HAVE ALMOST 4K MILES ON IT NOW AND IT IS STILL THERE. SUBARU NEEDS TO RECALL THE CAR AND REPLACE THE PART. MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE ISSUE AND SUBARU IS NOT RESPONDING.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10106165 at NHTSA ↗

THE WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED A TOTAL OF SIX DIFFERENT TIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. THIS COULD BE DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE WINDSHIELD COULD BREAK IN THE DRIVER'S FACE. TAKEN TO DEALER FOR REPAIR TWICE. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10107354 at NHTSA ↗

THE TIRES DO NOT FUNCTION, AND HOLD TRACTION DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE CONTROL. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. OWNER STATED THAT VEHICLE WAS ALL WHEEL DRIVE AND BRAND NEW. THE CAUSE IS UNDETERMINED AT THIS TIME. *AK *NM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10111104 at NHTSA ↗

NO FAILURE OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT BUT VEHICLE DESIGN PROMOTES OPERATION AT NIGHT WITH NO TAIL LIGHTS. WHEN THE LIGHT SWITCH IS TURNED OFF, THE HEADLIGHTS (DRL) AND INSTRUMENT LIGHTS REMAIN ON. THIS MAKES THE OPERATOR THINK ALL EXTERIOR ILLUMINATION IS FUNCTIONING, WHEN ONLY THE HEADLIGHTS AND INSTRUMENT LIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 3,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10114053 at NHTSA ↗

THE CLUTCH ON THIS VEHICLE SEEMS TO SLIP DURING NORMAL DRIVING, CAUSING THE WORST SMELL. IT SMELLS LIKE A SEWAGE TEREATMENT PLANT IN THE SUMMERTIME, AND NORMALLY DISSIPATES AFTER A FEW MINUTES. THE CLUTCH SLIPS DURING NORMAL DRIVING, SUCH AS STARTING ON A MILD GRADE, OR EVEN DURING BUMPER-TO-BUMPER TRAFFIC. THIS LAST ONE IS PARTICULARY ANNOYING AS THIS IS AN EVERYDAY OCCURENCE FOR MANY OF US. NORMAL DRIVING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC CAUSES A PROLONGED OVERWHELMING SMELL IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, CAUSING OCCUPANTS TO BECOME SICK TO THEIR STOM…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10119903 at NHTSA ↗

PURCHASED 2005 SUBARU LEGACY GT WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SEVERAL WKS AGO WITH ABOUT 5,000 MILES ON ODO, SOLD TO ME AS "NEW" WAS SALES MGRS CAR. WHEN ACCELERATING HARD ON THE HIGHWAY, CABIN FILLS WITH ACRID SULPHER SMELL. CAN BE DUPLICATED. IF THIS IS RESIDUE IT SHOULD HAVE BURNED OFF BY NOW, SINCE THE CAR WAS PLACED IN SERVICE AUGUST 2004.

Owner-reported narrative. 5,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10121278 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2004-06-09 (June 9, 2004)

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.

Consequence: THIS MAY RESULT IN FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE INTENDED HEAD PROTECTION, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO A SEAT OCCUPANT.

Remedy: 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. .

Reported: 2013-03-27 (March 27, 2013)

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.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Reported: 2014-06-10 (June 10, 2014)

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.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Reported: 2014-12-01 (December 1, 2014)

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.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Reported: 2015-05-28 (May 28, 2015)

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.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Reported: 2019-04-11 (April 11, 2019)

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.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Reported: 2020-01-02 (January 2, 2020)

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.

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: 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.

Reported: 2020-01-02 (January 2, 2020)

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.

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: 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.

Reported: 2020-01-02 (January 2, 2020)

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.

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: 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.