2005 Subaru Outback Reliability
The 2005 Subaru Outback has 273 owner complaints and 9 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about suspension and speed control / throttle. Compared with nearby Outback model years (2003–2007), it rates as a caution year: complaints run above the Outback's typical year, while the 2004 has a cleaner record.
By CarWhere Research · Updated 2026-11-04 · Source: NHTSA
273
NHTSA owner complaints
9
Recall campaigns
13
Complaints citing a crash
3
Complaints citing a fire
2005 Subaru Outback complaints by component
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2005 model year, filed between 2004 and 2026. A complaint can name more than one component.
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 56 | 21% |
| Speed control / throttle | 40 | 15% |
| Air bags | 38 | 14% |
| Service brakes | 31 | 11% |
| Exterior lighting | 30 | 11% |
| Electrical system | 28 | 10% |
| Powertrain / transmission | 17 | 6% |
| Engine & cooling | 16 | 6% |
2005 Subaru Outback recalls
9 recall campaigns on NHTSA record for the 2005 model year, by the date NHTSA received the manufacturer's report. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04V274000 | Jun 9, 2004 | Air bags — side/window | 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… |
| 13V110000 | Mar 27, 2013 | Service brakes — foundation components / hoses, lines/piping, and fittings | 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,… |
| 14V311000 | Jun 10, 2014 | Service brakes — foundation components / hoses, lines/piping, and fittings | 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,… |
| 14V763000 | Dec 1, 2014 | Air bags | 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… |
| 15V323000 | May 28, 2015 | 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… |
| 19V297000 | Apr 11, 2019 | 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… |
| 20V002000 | Jan 2, 2020 | 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… |
| 20V003000 | Jan 2, 2020 | 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… |
| 20V001000 | Jan 2, 2020 | 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… |
How the 2005 compares with nearby Outback years
Verdicts compare these Outback model years with each other.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 95 | 15 | Air bags | Solid |
| 2004 | 90 | 11 | Air bags | Solid |
| 2005 (this page) | 273 | 9 | Suspension | Caution |
| 2006 | 281 | 7 | Speed control / throttle | Caution |
| 2007 | 130 | 8 | Air bags | Solid |
Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA and are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, so they compare years of the same model rather than different models.
What to check on a used 2005 Subaru Outback
- Suspension: listen for clunks over bumps, look for leaking struts and uneven tire wear.
- Throttle and speed control: check for surging, hesitation or a reduced-power warning, and test cruise control.
- Air bags: make sure the air bag warning light goes out after start-up and that any air bag recall was completed on this VIN.
- Brakes: check pedal feel, pulling and grinding, and look at rotor and pad wear; ask when the brake fluid was last changed.
- Recalls: confirm each of the 9 campaigns above was completed on this VIN; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records, and have an independent mechanic inspect the car before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any 2005 Subaru Outback can be better or worse than its model year. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
2005 Subaru Outback reliability FAQ
Is the 2005 Subaru Outback reliable?
The 2005 Subaru Outback has 273 owner complaints and 9 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about suspension and speed control / throttle. Compared with nearby Outback model years (2003–2007), it rates as a caution year: complaints run above the Outback's typical year, while the 2004 has a cleaner record.
What are the most common 2005 Subaru Outback problems?
The most-reported problem areas in NHTSA owner complaints for the 2005 Subaru Outback are suspension (56), speed control / throttle (40), air bags (38), service brakes (31). One complaint can name more than one component.
Does the 2005 Subaru Outback have recalls?
NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for the 2005 Subaru Outback, including 04V274000 (air bags — side/window) and 13V110000 (service brakes — foundation components / hoses, lines/piping, and fittings). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How does the 2005 Subaru Outback compare with the 2004 and 2006 models?
By NHTSA records, the 2004 has 90 complaints and 11 recalls (solid); the 2006 has 281 complaints and 7 recalls (caution). The 2005 has 273 complaints and 9 recalls.
How do I check a specific used 2005 Subaru Outback?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
More Subaru Outback research
Other Subaru Outback model years:
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints (all body-style listings for the 2005 Outback, de-duplicated by complaint number) and NHTSA recall campaigns, retrieved 2026-11-04.