2005 Subaru Legacy Tires Problems
- Complaints
- 6about this part
- Share
- 3%of 184 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 19,750miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 6 complaints about the tires of the 2005 Subaru Legacy, 3% of the 184 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 19,750 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.
“Michelin defender tires; all 4 tires are dry rotting where the tread meets the casing and belts . Degradation of the tires over a little over 2 years is extremely premature considering these tires are advertised to give 90,000 miles and we probably only put on around 8,000 miles a year . We live in the pittsburgh, pa area where they use several different ice melting chemicals including rock salt that can enter the large cracks in the rubber and eat away at it . …”
NHTSA complaint #10725175, filed 2015-06, 84,233 miles“I just bought a used 2005 Subaru Legacy gt. 20 minutes after purchasing the vehicle I was driving along a snowy highway and accelerated just after a set of lights. The rear end of the car felt very loose and the car squirreled after gaining control and accelerating to keep traffic moving the rear end squirreled out and I was unable to regain control. The car spun 180 and slammed into the snow bank sideways. It has the stock potenza 205-45-17's I have never lost control of a vehicle in my life like that 2wd or 4wd. …”
NHTSA complaint #10375327, filed 2011-01, 38,000 miles“Oem tires on the 2005 Subaru Legacy gt are dangerous. Just two months after purchasing our vehicle we were caught in an ice storm. While attempting to navigate a gas station at extremely low speeds the car lost traction and ran into a pole in front of a fuel pump. We own a non-awd vehicle and it has never lost traction at such low speeds on ice. We also noticed it did not handle well in the rain, though in snow it was marginally better but still dangerously easy to lose traction if the snow was packed any. Decided to purchase snow tires because travel in the winter was dangerous. …”
NHTSA complaint #10180818, filed 2007-01, 1,500 miles“The tires do not function, and hold traction during inclement weather, causing the vehicle to lose control. Manufacturer was contacted. Owner stated that vehicle was all wheel drive and brand new. The cause is undetermined at this time.”
NHTSA complaint #10111104, filed 2005-03“Standard equipped tires on Subaru Legacy 2.5 wagons are bridgestone potenza re92 215/45/zr 17, supposedly an all year tire. This tire size does not appear in the drop down menu on the tire page, thus the tire indicated on that page is incorrect. The tire in question is the re 92 215/45/zr 17. These tires are dangerous on wet pavements and impossible to control on snow. They should not be sold in the northern us. I've had countless incidents trying to control the car in low speed stopping and in low to moderate speed turning in light to moderate snow conditions. …”
NHTSA complaint #10150916, filed 2006-02Tires: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 3% |
| 2020 | 1 | 1% |
| 2019 | 1 | 1% |
| 2018 | 2 | 2% |
| 2017 | 1 | 1% |
| 2016 | 2 | 1% |
| 2015 | 2 | 1% |
| 2012 | 2 | 2% |
| 2011 | 1 | 1% |
| 2010 | 1 | 1% |
| 2009 | 2 | 3% |
| 2008 | 2 | 3% |
| 2005 | 6 | 3% |
| 2004 | 1 | 2% |
| 2003 | 4 | 7% |
| 2002 | 5 | 9% |
| 2001 | 8 | 10% |
| 2000 | 17 | 18% |
| 1999 | 5 | 5% |
| 1998 | 6 | 5% |
| 1997 | 1 | 1% |
| 1996 | 3 | 2% |
| 1995 | 6 | 3% |
| 1994 | 2 | 3% |
| 1993 | 8 | 10% |
| 1992 | 5 | 9% |
| 1991 | 1 | 1% |
| 1990 | 1 | 1% |
Other parts of the 2005 Subaru Legacy
31 complaintsEngine cooling
29 complaintsFuel system
27 complaintsElectrical system
25 complaintsAir bags
21 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
17 complaintsVehicle speed control
15 complaintsExterior lighting
13 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
13 complaintsSuspension
7 complaintsOther or unknown
6 complaintsSeat belts
6 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2005 Subaru Legacy
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