What Owners Report NHTSA ODI · 2,175,102 complaints · MY1998–2026

2005 Subaru Impreza

No clear pattern

17.9% of complaints about the 2005 Subaru Impreza arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2005 vehicle, but with only 95 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is suspension (17 complaints), typically at 9.0 yr or about 80,235 miles.

Complaints: 95
Median age at failure: 9.0 yr
Median mileage: 72,000 n=81
Crash / fire / tow: 21.1% of reports
Safety recalls: 6

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Suspension

17 reports · 80,235 mi

9.0 yr

23.5%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

23V076000 2023-02-13

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.

An incorrectly installed inflator may not properly inflate the passenger air bag, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.

20V001000 2020-01-02

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, 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 de

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

20V003000 2020-01-02

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, 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 us

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

20V002000 2020-01-02

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, 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

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

15V323000 2015-05-28

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 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, c

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.

11V464000 2011-09-06

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, WISCONSIN, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IOWA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MAINE, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW JERSEY, OHIO, RHODE ISLAND, WEST VIRGINIA AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS MAY BREAK AT THE HANGER BRACKETS DUE TO CORROSION IF THE HANGER BRACKET IS EXPOSED

A BROKEN CONTROL ARM CAN RESULT IN THE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

In owners’ own words

Suspension 3,000 mi 3 mo in service

AFTER ~3,000 MILES ON MY 05 IMPREZA WRX STI A CLUNKING NOISE APPEARED IN THE REAR DRIVER SIDE SUSPENSION ASSEMBLY. I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS IS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS, BUT IT DEFINITELY IS AN ANNOYANCE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED IT AS A MISALIGNED SPRING AND CORRECTED THE PROBLEM FOR 3 DAYS, BUT THEN IT REAPPEARED. MANY OTHER OWNERS I'VE SPOKEN TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND IT'S SUPPOSEDLY A MFR DEFECT WITH THE STRUT ASSEMBLY. *AK

Suspension 10,000 mi 6 mo in service

THE LEFT REAR STRUT OF MY 2005 STI HAS FAILED TWICE IN LESS THAN 13K MILES. THE FIRST FAILED AT AROUND 10K AND THE SECOND AT 12.6K MILES. STRUT FAILURE ON A BUMPY ROAD AT HIGH SPEED COULD CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICHLE CONTROL AND COULD RESULT IN VERY SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. SUBARU SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL AND REMEDY THE PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY. ON A WEBSITE FOR STI OWNERS, THERE ARE OVER 100 OWNERS REPORTING THIS SAME PROBLEM.

Suspension 5,900 mi 1.0 yr in service

WITH AROUND 6,000 MILES ON MY 05 IMPREZA WRX STI A CLUNKING NOISE APPEARED IN THE REAR RIGHT SIDE SUSPENSION ASSEMBLY. THE DEALER INSPECTED AND FOUND A DAMAGED STRUT. *NM

Other Impreza model years

2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2009 2008 2007 2006 20052004 2002

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.