Recall Register

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2005 Subaru Legacy

NHTSA register · 9 recall campaigns · 163 complaints · 2 investigations · filed by Subaru of America, Inc.

1,672,351 units across its campaigns11 complaints reported a crash4 reported a fire

NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for the 2005 Subaru Legacy, covering air bags, electrical system and service brakes, hydraulic, and 163 consumer complaints received since 2004.

The component named most often is engine and engine cooling: 133.3 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 58.1 per 1,000 across all 2005 model-year vehicles and against 85.6 per 1,000 for the Subaru Legacy line as a whole.

That is more than the average of 59.9 complaints per model year across the 37 Subaru Legacy model years on this register; 11 complaints reported a crash and 4 a fire.

Complaints were received in the largest number in 2005 (21); the most recent in the file is dated 25 Mar 2019.

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened 2 investigations naming this model year.

Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 29 Sep 2026.

Recalls by model year:

1987019880198901990419913199221993119940199521996319975199841999320003200172002420031420041020059200672007920089200913201018201116201216201312201410201532016320172201832019320206202132022220232

Recall campaigns

  1. 20V002000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULEReported 2 Jan 2020 · 127,547 units

    Defect, as filed: 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 recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

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

    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. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-20.

    Filed by Subaru of America, Inc. (manufacturer campaign TKB-20).

  2. 20V003000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULEReported 2 Jan 2020 · 111,562 units

    Defect, as filed: 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 using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

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

    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. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-20.

    Filed by Subaru of America, Inc. (manufacturer campaign TKC-20).

  3. 20V001000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULEReported 2 Jan 2020 · 258,813 units

    Defect, as filed: 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 design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

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

    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. Subaru Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-20.

    Filed by Subaru of America, Inc. (manufacturer campaign TKA-20).

  4. 19V297000ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCHReported 11 Apr 2019 · 511 units

    Defect, as filed: 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. The ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.

    Consequence: 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 customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUF-91.

    Filed by Subaru of America, Inc. (manufacturer campaign WUF-91).

  5. 15V323000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULEReported 28 May 2015 · 432,016 units

    Defect, as filed: 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, could cause the inflator to rupture upon its deployment.

    Consequence: 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.

    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. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. The Saab recall began on July 27, 2015. Owners of Saab vehicles may call 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is WQR-53. Note: The recall completely supersedes recall 14V-399 (WQL-48) and partially supersedes recall 14V-763 (WQP-51) in that model year 2004 through 2005 Subaru Impreza and model year 2005 Saab 9-2x vehicles are now only part of this campaign. Note: On December 18, 2015 Subaru informed NHTSA of an expansion of this recall to include certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy and 2003-2008 Subaru Outback vehicles.

    Filed by Subaru of America, Inc. (manufacturer campaign WQR-53).

  6. 14V763000AIR BAGSReported 1 Dec 2014 · 4,175 units

    Defect, as filed: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy and Outback vehicles, and 2003-2005 Baja vehicles sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity. Specifically, vehicles sold, or ever registered, in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Florida and adjacent counties in southern Georgia, as well as the coastal areas of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

    Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengerÂ’s frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQP-51. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-471. This recall has been partially superseded by 15V-323. All 2005 model year Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles will now be repaired under recall 15V-323.

    Filed by Subaru of America, Inc. (manufacturer campaign WQP-51).

  7. 14V311000SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGSReported 10 Jun 2014 · 461,338 units

    Defect, as filed: 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 formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines. Note that affected vehicles not currently, or formerly registered, in the salt belt states identified above are eligible for repair, at no cost to the customer, upon request.

    Consequence: 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 be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is observed, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. These services will be performed free of charge. The recall began July 2014 and second notifications will run through November 2014. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQK-47. Note: This recall supersedes recall 13V-110 which applied to certain 2005-2009 Legacy/Outback vehicles. Vehicles that were remedied under the previous campaign still need additional areas rust-proofed.

    Filed by Subaru of America, Inc. (manufacturer campaign WQK-47).

  8. 13V110000SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGSReported 27 Mar 2013 · 274,402 units

    Defect, as filed: 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, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines.

    Consequence: 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 observed, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. These services will be performed free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQG-43.

    Filed by Subaru of America, Inc. (manufacturer campaign WQG-43).

  9. 04V274000AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOWReported 9 Jun 2004 · 1,987 units

    Defect, as filed: 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 conducted by the insurance institute for highway safety (iihs), the test results indicated that there was a difference between the iihs test results and the result of side impact tests conducted by fhi.

    Consequence: 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. .

    Filed by SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. (manufacturer campaign WWR02).

Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Complaints by component

Component mentions per 1,000 for the 2005 Subaru Legacy (black) against all 2005 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.

Per 1,000 component mentions2005Legacy lineAll 2005 vehicles
Engine and Engine Cooling133.385.658.1
Electrical System97.873.3122.7
Air Bags97.8123.985
Fuel/Propulsion System66.72527.9
Power Train62.295.9117.3
Vehicle Speed Control57.860.653
ComponentMentionsPer 1,000LineAll 2005
Engine and Engine Cooling30133.385.658.1
Electrical System2297.873.3122.7
Air Bags2297.8123.985
Fuel/Propulsion System1566.72527.9
Power Train1462.295.9117.3
Vehicle Speed Control1357.860.653
Exterior Lighting1253.325.740
Fuel System, Gasoline1253.333.250.7
Service Brakes1148.923.623
Visibility/Wiper1044.424.34.5
Wheels731.1139.2
Suspension731.141.142
Tires626.731.516.2
Visibility626.722.922.9
Seats626.713.413.7
Seat Belts626.745.510.7
Service Brakes, Hydraulic626.758.533
Unknown or Other417.833.223.7
Engine417.842.142.1
Steering313.332.575.5
Structure313.343.165.3
Interior Lighting28.91.41.6
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)28.94.810.5
Equipment14.412.310.3
Traction Control System14.412.1

163 unique complaints, 225 component mentions; 10 injuries and 0 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.

Complaints by year received

04
06
08
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
24
26
Complaints about the 2005 Subaru Legacy by the year NHTSA received them. Reporting rises after recalls and press coverage; a model year keeps drawing complaints for a decade or more.

Investigations

ActionTypeSubjectComponentOpenedClosedRecall
EA15001Engineering analysisAir Bag Inflator Ruptureair bags:frontal24 Feb 2015open14V668
PE14016Preliminary evaluationAir Bag Inflator Ruptureair bags:frontal11 Jun 20142 Mar 201513V172000

Other Subaru Legacy model years

Model yearRecallsComplaintsUnits in campaigns
1987 NHTSA01—
1988 NHTSA01—
1989 NHTSA01—
1990481292,039
1991378211,039
199225540,795
199317731,295
1994059—
19952182275,673
19963123305,115
19975138309,673
19984113441,679
1999393422,293
2000393170,142
2001773477,572
2002449471,396
200314511,916,339
200410421,580,644
200591631,672,351
20067801,666,189
20079251,783,031
20089471,783,031
200913441,988,974
2010181133,242,605
2011161173,115,845
201216582,142,573
201312462,061,376
201410341,944,601
201539675,369
201634254,963
201721848,873
2018320475,806
201935366,282
202060504,336
202130214,735
202220214,553
202320100,141

Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.

All Subaru Legacy model years · Subaru: 29 model lines

Questions and answers

How many recalls does the 2005 Subaru Legacy have?

9 NHTSA recall campaigns name this model year; the most recent, 20V002000, was reported to NHTSA on 2 Jan 2020 and concerns air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module. Across all model years the Subaru Legacy line has 81 campaigns.

Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 2005 Subaru Legacy?

NHTSA's investigation file lists 2 actions naming this model year; the table above shows each action's opening and closing dates. An action with no closing date was still open when the file was produced.

What component do owners of the 2005 Subaru Legacy complain about most?

Engine and Engine Cooling: 30 of 225 component mentions (133.3 per 1,000). Next is electrical system with 22. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.

How do I get a recall repaired?

NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

Where does this data come from?

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 29 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.

Provenance

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 29 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.