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Fuel systemPart report

2005 Subaru Impreza Fuel system Problems

Complaints
19about this part
Share
25%of 75 total for the year
Median mileage
90,000miles
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 19 complaints about the fuel system of the 2005 Subaru Impreza, 25% of the 75 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 90,000 miles. 1 a fire, according to the filers.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“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

“Everytime I start the car in even the mildest to coldest temperatures, the car has an extreme gas smell in the cabin of the car. I have taken it to the shop and they claim they don't even smell it and cannot service it. There is a recall for model 02 and 03 of this car but does not cover my year. It's gotten to the point where the car is not drive-able during cold weather. The recalls also do not cover the state of maryland, which is ridiculous because we've been getting cold snaps putting us below 0. …”

NHTSA complaint #10704386, filed 2015-04, 90,000 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

“I own a 2005 Subaru Impreza wrx sti, upon starting vehicle, idle, and driving there's strong fuel smell under the hood and inside the cabin. I have popped the hood and confirmed is coming from back passenger side of intake manifold where the fuel lines, rails, and injectors are. I have confirmed this to be relating to soa's recall for the 02-03 Impreza wrx's hard fuel line / rubber hose leaking issues. I live in southern california so appears extreme cold weather not the cause. Leaking fuel is a huge safety issue!”

NHTSA complaint #10672422, filed 2015-01, 91,000 miles

“On jan 12 2011 my 2005 Subaru Impreza wrx started to have a raw fuel smell coming into the cabin area when it was cold outside no matter if it was in a garage or outside. On further inspection I could see raw fuel streaming out of the fuel lines onto a hot engine block. There is a recall for 02-03 Subaru imprezas with the same problem, but it does not cover any newer models with the same fuel delivery system problems. Nothing was done to correct it by the dealer because it was not covered by the recall. …”

NHTSA complaint #10403795, filed 2011-05, 97,345 miles

Related service bulletins

Fuel system: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
202426%
201963%
201754%
201623%
201523%
201422%
201352%
201273%
2011610%
2010613%
200988%
200853%
200723%
2006713%
20051925%
20043739%
20032642%
20029934%
200119%
200037%
199929%
199615%
1995817%
1993515%

Other parts of the 2005 Subaru Impreza

Suspension
17 complaints
Air bags
12 complaints
Brakes
6 complaints
Body and structure
6 complaints
Engine
5 complaints
Other or unknown
5 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
5 complaints
Vehicle speed control
4 complaints
Engine cooling
3 complaints
Steering
3 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
3 complaints
Electrical system
2 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2005 Subaru Impreza

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology