Most common 2005 Subaru Impreza problems
Share of the 75 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Subaru Impreza complaints by model year
Best Impreza years: 2023, 2021, 2022. Years to avoid: 2012, 2013, 2019, 2018, 2017. Compare all years →
2005 Subaru Impreza recalls (6)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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.
Remedy: 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.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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,…
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.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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,…
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.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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,…
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.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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…
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.
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower arm
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,…
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2005 Subaru Impreza:
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Front suspension control arm failure
On September 6, 2011, Fuji Heavy Industries USA, Inc, on behalf of Subaru of America, Inc notified the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) it would be conducting a safety recall of certain model year (MY) 2002 through 2007 Subaru Impreza, MY 2003 through 2008 Subaru Forester, and MY 2005 through 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold or currently registered in one the salt belt states including the District of…
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
What 2005 Subaru Impreza owners say
Fuel & propulsion system
On jan 12 2011 my 2005 Subaru Impreza wrx started to have a raw fuel smell coming into the cabin area when it was cold outside no matter if it was in a garage or outside. On further inspection I could see raw fuel streaming out of the fuel lines onto a hot engine block. There is a recall for 02-03 Subaru imprezas with the same problem, but it does not cover any newer models with the same fuel delivery system problems. Nothing was done to correct it by the dealer because it was not covered by the recall. It should have been covered by some type recall because of found defects in just slightly older models but the same engine configuration and fuel system.
Everytime I start the car in even the mildest to coldest temperatures, the car has an extreme gas smell in the cabin of the car. I have taken it to the shop and they claim they don't even smell it and cannot service it. There is a recall for model 02 and 03 of this car but does not cover my year. It's gotten to the point where the car is not drive-able during cold weather. The recalls also do not cover the state of maryland, which is ridiculous because we've been getting cold snaps putting us below 0. Considering the problem is detectable even in 40 degree weather, this does not seem reasonable.
Suspension
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 (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 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
Air bags
I was travailing 40-45 MPH on a 2 lane road in my 2005 Subaru wrx sti. I came out of a small s curve and went over a rough patch of road, and the tail end of the car started sliding out to the right, the next thing I knew I had ran into the bank and I was facing traffic, I hit the bank at least 40 MPH, there was a car in front of me and one behind me, and one coming in the other lane of traffic. It felt like the tail of the car had tightened up and sent power to the rear wheels and kept me sliding until right before I hit the bank it swung the car around like it had sent all power to the front witch in turn put me into the bank. Nothing worked. No air bags deployed. …
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 ([phone]) as well a local Subaru dealership and was unable to schedule an appointment for repair because the necessary parts are not available. At the 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
2005 Subaru Impreza engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 20 / 27 / 23 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 20 / 26 / 22 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 17 / 24 / 20 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 18 / 25 / 20 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Subaru Impreza a good car?
Based on 75 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 Impreza rates average: 14% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Impreza at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Subaru Impreza?
The fuel & propulsion system — 19 complaints, 25% of all complaints for this model year, most often about fuel injection system. Next are the suspension (17) and air bags (12).
How many recalls does the 2005 Subaru Impreza have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2005 Subaru Impreza, the most recent from February 13, 2023 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Subaru Impreza?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2023, 2021 and 2022. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2012, 2013, 2019, 2018 and 2017. See the full Subaru Impreza years comparison.
At what mileage do 2005 Subaru Impreza problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 72,000 miles; 38% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.