NHTSA Safety Recalls
2005 Subaru Legacy Recalls
The 2005 Subaru Legacy has 9 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on January 2, 2020.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2005 Subaru Legacy. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 9
- Owner complaints
- 184
- Crashes reported
- 11
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★★
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
4 fires
frontal crash, no overall star before 2011
On a 2005 Subaru Legacy, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
9 recalls on the 2005 Subaru Legacy
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 20V001000
- Reported
- January 2, 2020
- Vehicles affected
- up to 258,813
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2003–2004, 2006–2014 Legacy, 6 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 20V002000
- Reported
- January 2, 2020
- Vehicles affected
- up to 127,547
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2003–2004, 2006–2014 Legacy, 6 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 20V003000
- Reported
- January 2, 2020
- Vehicles affected
- up to 111,562
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2003–2004, 2006–2014 Legacy, 6 other models
Electrical system: ignition: switch
- Campaign
- 19V297000
- Reported
- April 11, 2019
- Vehicles affected
- up to 511
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2006–2014 Legacy, 5 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 15V323000
- Reported
- May 28, 2015
- Vehicles affected
- up to 432,016
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash, injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2003–2004, 2006–2008 Legacy, 4 other models
Air bags
- Campaign
- 14V763000
- Reported
- December 1, 2014
- Vehicles affected
- up to 4,175
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash, injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2003–2004 Legacy, 2 other models
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- Campaign
- 14V311000
- Reported
- June 10, 2014
- Vehicles affected
- up to 461,338
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2006–2009 Legacy, 5 other models
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- Campaign
- 13V110000
- Reported
- March 27, 2013
- Vehicles affected
- up to 274,402
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2006–2009 Legacy, 1 other model
Air bags: side/window
- Campaign
- 04V274000
- Reported
- June 9, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 1,987
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury
- Same campaign
- also 1 other model
2005 Subaru Legacy complaints by year
NHTSA has received 184 owner complaints about the 2005 Subaru Legacy, the newest on August 12, 2026. Of these, 11 describe a crash (6%) and 4 a fire; owners reported 10 injuries.
In complaints about the 2005 Subaru Legacy, the component group named most often is the engine and engine cooling (16%), followed by the electrical system (14%) and the service brakes (12%).
1 of the 2005 Subaru Legacy's 9 recalls also concerns the electrical system.
Where 2005 Subaru Legacy owners gave the mileage (140 complaints), the median was 74,000 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Engine And Engine Cooling29
- Electrical System25
- Service Brakes22
- Air Bags21
- Fuel/Propulsion System15
- Vehicle Speed Control15
Complaints received, by year
| 2004 | 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 21 | |
| 2006 | 11 | |
| 2007 | 9 | |
| 2008 | 16 | |
| 2009 | 7 | |
| 2010 | 8 | |
| 2011 | 8 | |
| 2012 | 7 | |
| 2013 | 13 | |
| 2014 | 14 | |
| 2015 | 13 | |
| 2016 | 19 | |
| 2017 | 5 | |
| 2018 | 7 | |
| 2019 | 6 | |
| 2020 | 4 | |
| 2021 | 3 | |
| 2022 | 4 | |
| 2023 | 3 | |
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2026 | 3 |
Complaints about the 2005 Subaru Legacy peaked in 2005, when NHTSA received 21. 32% arrived between 2004 and 2008, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2005 vehicles, the 2005 Subaru Legacy drew 2.2× the complaints of the median Subaru Legacy year in the same window: 3rd highest of the 21 ranked years.
That makes 2005 one of the Subaru Legacy years to avoid by our method.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: none before 2011
- Frontal: 5/5
The 184 complaints about the 2005 Subaru Legacy are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
2005 Subaru Legacy crash tests and safety technology
For the 2005 Subaru Legacy, NHTSA lists no electronic stability control, forward collision warning or lane departure warning. Forward collision warning became standard on the Legacy with the 2019 model year, 14 years after this one.
Ratings, rollover risk and technology of the 2005 Subaru Legacy: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API, retrieved October 28, 2026; NHTSA terms of use. How the tests work
Subaru Legacy by model year
Other 2005 Subaru models
Newest record on this page: August 12, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted