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Transmission and drivetrainPart report

2005 Subaru Impreza Transmission and drivetrain Problems

Complaints
5about this part
Share
7%of 75 total for the year
Median mileage
7,500miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2005 Subaru Impreza, 7% of the 75 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 7,500 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

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

“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

“Was driving the vehicle within a residential area, around 35 MPH and transmission just died. Engine and power were working, however the clutch and transmission were not responding. Car was picked up and towed to nearest Subaru dealer. Dealership reported the clutch was worn out by driver and needed replacement. At only 9,000 miles.”

NHTSA complaint #10149282, filed 2006-02, 9,000 miles

“The contact stated the transmission stopped working without warning. The contact was driving at highway speeds when the vehicle suddenly lost power. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road safely. Then it was towed to the local dealer who determined the manual transmission needed to be replaced.”

NHTSA complaint #10147110, filed 2006-01, 6,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2005 Subaru Impreza. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle began to decelerate. The contact shut the vehicle off and regained acceleration after restarting. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic. The technician was unable to diagnose the failure but suggested that the throttle body be replaced. The throttle body was replaced but the failure continued after the repair. The vehicle was not further repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 99,000.”

NHTSA complaint #10438848, filed 2011-12, 99,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Transmission and drivetrain: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2025240%
202426%
2022429%
202117%
201942%
201853%
201754%
20161317%
20151114%
201498%
2013239%
20122611%
2011610%
2010511%
20093029%
20085934%
2007812%
2006713%
200557%
200499%
200312%
2002259%
20001024%
1999418%
1998930%
1997517%
199512%
1994338%
199339%

Other parts of the 2005 Subaru Impreza

Fuel system
19 complaints
Suspension
17 complaints
Air bags
12 complaints
Brakes
6 complaints
Body and structure
6 complaints
Engine
5 complaints
Other or unknown
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