2005 Subaru Impreza Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe a gasoline smell in and around the car on cold starts, and front suspension problems — clunking, sagging rear struts, and corroded front lower control arms that snap or fracture. Brake-line corrosion with fluid loss also appears in the sample, and many reports arrive at higher mileage, though strut and transmission complaints show up on nearly new cars.

1. 1
   Fuel system

   Fuel smell on cold start (fuel line seepage)

   • 18 complaints (24%)
   • median 90,500 mi at 8.2 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2005–2015

   Owners describe a strong raw gasoline odor under the hood and inside the cabin, most often right after a cold start, fading once the engine warms. Some report seeing fuel drip or seep from the lines near the intake manifold, fuel rails or injectors, while others were told by a dealer to have hoses or clamps tightened, and the smell returned afterward. Several owners note the fix was not covered and point to a similar campaign on earlier model years of the same car. Commonly reported on cold starts in winter temperatures, from cars with a few hundred miles up to about 180,000 miles.

   What to check: Start the car from cold, ideally on a cold morning, and smell around the engine bay and vents; look for damp or weeping lines near the intake manifold and fuel rails. Ask whether any fuel-line or clamp work has been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Fuel lines shrink under temperatures of 30 degrees. A strong odor of fuel coming from the engine bay. Seems like a very dangerous situation that may result in a explosion or fire. I took my car to the dealership and they wanted to charge me $900 to replace 2 rubber fuel lines that are 3 inches long. There is a recall on the 03 Subaru Impreza for the same issue. I don't know why there is no recall on the 04/05 Subaru Impreza.”

   NHTSA complaint #10549905, filed 2013-10, 98,000 miles

   “Exact to the Subaru recall issued in '09 (2002-2003 Impreza only), my 2005 Subaru Impreza wrx smells terribly of gas on cold morning when I start the vehicle. The smell is so bad that I cannot sit in the car without feeling faint if I do not roll the windows down, and cannot have any passengers in the car at startup until the car is warm and driven around the block for five minutes, which is the worst considering the cold winters I face in connecticut. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10443962, filed 2012-01, 88,085 miles
2. 2
   Suspension

   Front lower control arm corrosion and breakage

   • 13 complaints (17%)
   • median 87,000 mi at 10.8 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • filed 2005–2021

   Complaints describe a snap or clunk followed by loss of steering control, traced to a corroded or fractured front lower control arm. Several owners say the car had already been through the control-arm corrosion campaign, with an anti-rust treatment applied rather than parts replaced, and the arm failed afterward; others were told their car was not covered by that campaign. Separately, owners report clunking or a damaged strut at low mileage, often at the rear. Mostly at 70,000 miles and up for control-arm corrosion; strut noise reported as low as 3,000-13,000 miles.

   Recall 11V4640003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Have the front lower control arms inspected for corrosion, especially if the car spent time in a salt-belt state, and ask whether the vehicle was ever included in the control-arm campaign and what remedy was performed. Listen for rear clunking on a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While my son was backing out of the driveway, his passenger side lower control arm snapped in 2. He struggled to get it even back into the driveway. I ran the VIN number and it does no show that this car has a recall that needs to be done. Does this mean it was already done? Or is this car not covered for the recall?”

   NHTSA complaint #11291060, filed 2019-12, 115,000 miles

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #10116084, filed 2005-03, 3,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Passenger airbag inflator recall and long waits

   Mentioned in 6 of 60 sampled complaints

   Several owners describe receiving notice that the front passenger airbag should not be used while waiting for parts, and some waited a year or more without a repair appointment. A few report the airbag warning light staying on after a replacement was performed, and one describes airbags not deploying in a collision. Others simply note the recall remains open on their car. Reports span low-mileage cars in the teens of thousands of miles up to about 160,000 miles.

   Recall 15V323000Recall 20V001000Recall 20V002000Recall 20V003000Recall 23V0760005 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the VIN against open recalls and ask for paperwork showing the passenger inflator was replaced and by whom; note that one campaign covers inflators installed incorrectly during an earlier repair. Confirm the airbag warning light goes out after startup.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was travailing 40-45 MPH on a 2 lane road in my 2005 Subaru wrx sti. I came out of a small s curve and went over a rough patch of road, and the tail end of the car started sliding out to the right, the next thing I knew I had ran into the bank and I was facing traffic, I hit the bank at least 40 MPH, there was a car in front of me and one behind me, and one coming in the other lane of traffic. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10118595, filed 2005-04, 5,000 miles

   “Takata recall : I have a 2005 Subaru wrx which has not been schedule for the recall, for over a year. I have been using the car without allowing anyone to sit in the front seat for a year now, waiting for the recall to be schedule. I am tired of being inconvenienced due to this recall.”

   NHTSA complaint #10854861, filed 2016-04, 19,000 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   Corroded brake lines leaking fluid

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the brake warning light coming on, low fluid, and a puddle under the car, traced to a corroded brake line leaking where it runs along the frame near a rear wheel. In some cases pedal pressure was lost while driving or leaving a driveway. Owners in salt-road states say the shops they used pointed to a Subaru brake-line campaign, but they were told their vehicle was not covered. Reported from about 86,000 to 145,000 miles, mostly on cars used where road salt is common.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Look at the brake lines along the frame and above the rear axle for rust and seepage, check the fluid level, and ask whether any brake lines have been replaced. A pre-purchase inspection that includes the lines is worth requesting.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I believe my vehicle needs added to the safety recall: wqk47. Nhtsa campaign: 14v311000. I own a 2005 Subaru Impreza rs. Driving down residential street I lost all brake pressure coming to a stop. Problem was from brake line had leak from corrosion. It's the same problem and exact spot described in the recall for wqk47. Yes, I live in the salt belt. This needs to be looked into more and as soon as possible. Definitely a safety issue. Thank you.”

   NHTSA complaint #11267693, filed 2019-10, 145,000 miles

   “As I was about to take my 17 year old son out for a driving lesson. The right rear brake line blew as we were leaving our driveway. Thankfully we were not going fast and had enough braking to stop at which point I took over and used the parking brake to get the vehicle back to our house. After further inspection I discovered the right rear break line corroded and leaking as it exits the internal frame of the vehicle just prior to a junction in front of the rear wheel. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10671598, filed 2015-01, 86,810 miles
5. 5
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Manual transmission and clutch failure at low mileage

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   A handful of owners describe sudden loss of drive: the engine still runs but the car will not move, sometimes on the highway. In some cases the dealer replaced the manual transmission, while another owner was told the clutch was worn and needed replacement at around 9,000 miles. Some also mention whining or failed bearings in the transfer case. Reported mostly under 10,000 miles, including one at highway speed.

   What to check: On a manual car, test for smooth engagement through all gears, listen for whine or rumble from the gearbox and transfer case, and ask whether the clutch or transmission has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My brother was driving his 2005 wrx sti on a clear morning on dry pavement and lost control. The car slid off the shoulder of the road and then crossed back over the road where it collided sideways with a tree. The vehicle made contact with the tree on the driver's door post, killing him instantly and injuring the passenger. Upon inspection of the car, we found that the driver's side ball joint seperated from the a-arm. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10206154, filed 2007-10, 12,400 miles

   “I was researching this site for something else when I came upon complaints about the toxic smell of gasoline/fuel when starting up certain subarus on extremely cold days. I live in colorado and the smell of fuel is awful when the car is started in the winter and I can sometimes smell it while operating the car. I have a 2005 Subaru Impreza wrx. My car has had so many problems: bearings in the transfer box failing twice, the fuel pump failed (on the highway no less, where I was almost hit by a truck because my car lost power so quickly). …”

   NHTSA complaint #10504706, filed 2013-03, 105,000 miles

Buying note. Inspect the front control arms and brake lines for corrosion on any example that lived where roads are salted, and confirm the passenger airbag recall work is complete. Starting the car cold is the quickest way to check for the fuel smell owners describe.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.