Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Subaru Outback owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Parasitic Battery Drain: When the vehicle is in use, the CAN system in the car relies on an electrical current to be operated as intended. When the vehicle is not being driven, the CAN system should enter a sleep mode in which it stops drawing significant electrical current. However, vehicle does not enter sleep mode when the car turns off, resulting in a "parasitic battery drain." Local Subaru dealer maintenance department has not been able to determine any way to fix. Battery drains completely after approx 1 week of nonoperation (and sometimes sooner) leaving me (owner) stranded and unable to start vehicle without obtaining a jump start. Has also required recurring battery replacement at a cumulative significant cost. Not sure what to do and do not want to sell to another person that would inherit this ongoing issue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving 25 MPH on numerous occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 112,000. ..updated 05/05/17 the consumer stated the failure was caused by the pedal assembly. The consumer repaired the vehicle. Updated 8/25/2017
Wiring located on the rear passenger side between the hatch door and body (in the protective boot) was severed as a result of poor quality wiring and design. Wires were stress-severed and nearly severed by normal operation of opening/closing the wagon rear door. Apparently this is a common issue as discovered by visiting online forums.
The wiring of the rear hatch door electrical components is faulty and the wires between the car roof and the hatch break over time, due to normal hatch functions (e.g. Opening/closing). Depending on which wires break, rear-windshield wipers, license plate lights, back-up lights fail, causing a safety concern.
The wiring for the license plate lights failed in the upper right hatch hinge boot causing the license plate lights to not operate. The purple wire had broken inside the boot area. The purple wire is extremely small gauge for a location that is opened and closed often.
Rear hatch harness wires are broken/ frayed. Backup lights do not work, and the rear wiper works intermittently. Every now and them rear defroster doesn't work. Hazard a lot of 2005-2009 outbacks have.
Without any accident, under normal usage, the vehicle's license plate lights failed. The problem was traced to a break in a conductor (wire) contained in a wiring harness that connects the vehicle to the rear hatch through a rubber bellows. Once the bellows was retracted, the broken wire was found along with twelve (12) other wires that were all nearly broken: their insulation was cracked and several wires ultimately broke completely upon further flexing. These other wires fed the brake lights, turn signals, running lights, hatch lock, and all other electrical circuits on the rear hatch. It appears that the insulation on this wire does not hold up in this environment and will ultimately fail in the course of several years. This poses a safety problem as the vehicles rear lights (turn signals, brake lights, etc.) can fail at any moment.
Just after getting off I-43 near sheboygan on frontage road my car lost all power and no acceleration on gas pedal. Check engine light came on and cruise control light was blinking. I had to shift to neutral and pull over to a shoulder. Turned the car off for couple of minutes while I check under the hood. Started the car just fine but check engine light was still on and cruise was blinking. Subaru mechanic read error code p2138 throttle/pedal position sensor/switch 'd'/'e' voltage rationality. They said it was caused by bad contacts on tps sensor by the gas pedal. He reset the code and it has not appeared again for almost a week. I am afraid of it going off again while my wife and kids are driving it on the highway. Does someone need to die before Subaru takes action on this.
While driving my Outback lost suddenly lost all acceleration. The check engine light immediately came on and the cruise control light began to blink. The car continued to move forward but decelerated to about 15 MPH which nearly resulted in my being rear ended. I was able to get to the side of the road where I turned the car off and turned it back on. After doing this the car behaved normally expect the check engine and cruise control lights stayed on. After about an hour, both lights went off. Since then, this problem has recurred multiple times. I recently took the car to be repaired where the problem was diagnosed as a bad pedal assembly. However, I'm concerned that this problem will reoccur at speed and cause an accident.
It started with the dome light sometimes working and other times not,then the remote to open doors. I changed battery and fuse, did not help. So everything is locked and unlocked manually. Next it was the seat belt bell. It will go on when your driving when belt is on. Now it won't chime at all just the light flashes. Next it was the head lamps. Changed one, then immediately the other went out. The head lamps are not equal in positioning. And now the stereo only has the right side working (not sure if that's connected to electrical) it's been a nightmare. Today the dome light decided to work. I would never buy another Subaru again and want to spruce this one up an get rid of it.
Related recalls
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
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.
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.
Electrical complaints in other Outback years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2005 Subaru Outback?
NHTSA has 28 complaints about the electrical system of the 2005 Subaru Outback, 10% of the model year's 273 complaints. The component named most often is 12v/24v/48v battery (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Subaru Outback electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 19V-297 (switch, Apr 11, 2019). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2005 Subaru Outback electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 111,000 miles, and 12% before 25,000 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.