2005 Subaru Wrx problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Fuel/Propulsion System (5) · Fuel System, Gasoline (5) · Suspension:rear (2)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Subaru Wrx model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (4)
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2023-02-13 · campaign 23V076000 · 130 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: An incorrectly installed inflator may not properly inflate the passenger air bag, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: 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. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRF-23.
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2020-01-02 · campaign 20V001000 · 258,813 vehicles
Defect: 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 passeng
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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.
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2020-01-02 · campaign 20V002000 · 127,547 vehicles
Defect: 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."
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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.
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2020-01-02 · campaign 20V003000 · 111,562 vehicles
Defect: 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." Thes
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (158)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-10-05 · SubaruNet Announcement (M · Other
this announcement provides information on a new software update for the midtronics dss and dca machines.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-18 · 13-109-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-15 · SubaruNet Announcement (C · Other
this announcement provides an update to all 2027 model year subaru warranty coverages for wear items and adjustments.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-14 · 15-333-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. this is an revised version of the original bulletin.
Electrical System 2026-09-14 · 15-304-22R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of infotainment concerns. this is an revised version of the original bulletin.
Electrical System 2026-08-20 · 15-308-23R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this service information bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experiencing battery drain when the ignition is off, leading to no-start conditions or frequent jump-starts.this is an revised version of the original bulletin.
Showing the 6 most recent of 158 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2015-02-20 · Fuel/Propulsion System · 176,315 mi“as i was driving this morning started smelling strong raw fuel odor. *tr…”
2015-01-12 · Fuel/Propulsion System · 42,000 mi“2005 sti, 42,000 miles..... cold mn weather caused my fuel system under the hood leak gas all over. inside of car smelt of gas very very bad. popped the hood, even stronger gas smell, located fuel leaks under the intake manifold drivers side. towed it to nearest subaru dealer do to fear of fire. not covered under the 2 warranties i purchased when i…”
2015-01-09 · Fuel/Propulsion System · 151,000 mi“during cold weather, there is a strong fuel smell in the cabin. rubber fuel lines on the passenger side leak, causing fuel to puddle on top of the engine block, creating an extreme fire hazard. *tr…”
2014-11-19 · Suspension · 82,000 mi“after investigating a small leak it was discovered that my front sway bar mount connected to my lower control arm( recall number "wvx-34 lower control arm) mount had snapped and separated. this could have cause serious injury to myself, family and others driving around me at the time is snapped. subaru confirms that the lower control arm has a corr…”
2014-10-02 · Fuel/Propulsion System · 48,000 mi“fuel smell inside passenger compartment in outside temperatures <20 degrees f. this is apparently a known problem, and a tsb was issued for 2002 and 2003 subaru wrx for a fuel leak, but not for the 2005. have been told the owner is responsible for repair costs. online search finds many identical complaints from other owners. *tr…”
2014-03-04 · Fuel System, Gasoline“on cold days, the car smells like gas - many reports online about fuel leaks in cold weather for subaru. *tr…”
2014-01-29 · Fuel System, Gasoline · 128,000 mi“strong raw fuel smell in cabin when starting in temps <30 degrees. fuel is clearly visible leaking from lines below manifold. *tr…”
2014-01-08 · Fuel System, Gasoline · 140,000 mi“when i started my car the other morning (~14 degrees f) i smelled a strong fuel odor in the cabin. i opened the hood of the car and also smelled it there as well. i drove the car about 2 miles and the smell went away. once stopped and idling, the odor returned. it is a very strong raw gasoline smell. upon further research, i found that many other …”
2013-01-05 · Fuel/Propulsion System · 95,000 mi“when started, temperatures under 20 degrees (f), vehicle will emit a strong gasoline odor under hood and will come in through heater vents. dealer says they know of the problem, but no current recalls. the previous model years had a recall for the same exact problem. subaru of america claims the model year i have has an update, but after researc…”
2011-02-28 · Fuel System, Other · 33,000 mi“fuel smell inside passenger compartment in outside temperatures <20 degrees f. this is apparently a known problem, and a tsb was issued for 2002 and 2003 subaru wrx for a fuel leak, but not for the 2005. have been told the owner is responsible for repair costs. online search finds many identical complaints from other owners. *tr…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.