2005 Subaru Outback problems
The 2005 Subaru Outback has 354 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (16%) concerns suspension. Next are cruise control (11%) and air bags (11%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 354 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Suspension 16% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 20 and 6
- Injuries and deaths
- 19 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 85,000 miles 280 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 41 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 30 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 23 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 33 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 38 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 33 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 21 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 14 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 21 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 17 |
| 200k+ miles | 9 |
What the data shows
Of the 280 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 85,000 miles. For suspension specifically, the median reported mileage is about 60,000 miles (50 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 20 complaints mention a crash; 6 complaints mention a fire; 19 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2005 ranks 16th most-complained-about out of 31 model years of the Subaru Outback with enough data (146 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 9 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl*the contact owned a 2005 subaru outback. The contact stated that the brakes failed to engage and the vehicle crashed into a tree and caught fire. The air bags did not deploy. Four people were injured and police and fire reports were filed. A month prior to the accident, the vehicle was inspected and no failures were found. The vehicle was inspected after the crash and it was discovered that the tumbler system was defective. The VIN was unavailable at the time of the complaint.
2005 subaru outback will not track straight in slippery conditions at all. The term 'ghost walking' is being used for this and is very accurate. I do not feel secure driving in any snowy conditions in this vehicle. I had a 1995 subaru before this that was rock steady in snow, this car is very unpredictable. Tire changes do not solve problem nor does alignment to oem specs. Has been on going since I bought the car new.
I was driving home from work on the highway when I pressed the brake pedal as normal to slow down and the pedal went soft and I had no brakes. I was able to make it home using the emergency brake to stop. Upon inspection the lines were leaking from the same place repaired in recall wqk47, NHTSA campaign 14v311000. Visual inspection could confirm that the initial recall wqk47 repair completely failed causing serious danger to my life.