2005 Subaru Legacy
The Verdict
The 2005 Subaru Legacy has 182 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are engine (57 complaints) and electrical (43 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 58/100, it earns a "Proceed with Caution" rating. If you're shopping for a Subaru Legacy, consider the 2025 model year which has 96% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2025 has 96% fewer complaints
View the 2025 Subaru Legacy dashboard →
Klunk Score: Proceed with Caution
About average for complaint volume. Research the specific issues before buying.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
Recalls 4
Active safety recalls from NHTSA for this vehicle year.
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, Ill...
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.
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 o...
Reported Apr 11, 2026
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...
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.
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 custo...
Reported Nov 4, 2019
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 former...
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.
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...
Reported Oct 6, 2014
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 CO...
Risk
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 Sep 6, 2004
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Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
| Year | Body | Brakes | Electrical | Engine | Transmission |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 50 | 7 | 9 | 22 | 13 |
| 2001 | 36 | 7 | 4 | 31 | 2 |
| 2002 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 28 | 5 |
| 2003 | 15 | 4 | 17 | 21 | 5 |
| 2004 | 7 | 3 | 25 | 12 | 2 |
| 2005 | 42 | 29 | 43 | 57 | 11 |
| 2006 | 22 | 9 | 19 | 31 | 6 |
| 2007 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 9 | 1 |
| 2008 | 13 | 11 | 30 | 6 | 5 |
| 2009 | 13 | 9 | 32 | 9 | 2 |
| 2010 | 30 | 8 | 39 | 38 | 35 |
| 2011 | 40 | 11 | 46 | 31 | 39 |
| 2012 | 21 | 5 | 14 | 23 | 27 |
| 2013 | 15 | 2 | 17 | 21 | 11 |
| 2014 | 19 | 1 | 23 | 5 | 5 |
| 2015 | 68 | 9 | 35 | 36 | 11 |
| 2016 | 67 | 6 | 51 | 11 | 10 |
| 2017 | 68 | 4 | 35 | 7 | 4 |
| 2018 | 61 | 5 | 36 | 14 | 0 |
| 2019 | 75 | 2 | 34 | 10 | 1 |
| 2020 | 93 | 2 | 15 | 5 | 6 |
| 2021 | 16 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 2 |
| 2022 | 28 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
By Category
By Severity
Worst Problems
Complaints
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
182 total