2005 Subaru Impreza/Outback Sport
The Verdict
Worst problem area
Fuel System
Fuel System leads by volume: 19 of 75 complaints (25%) mention it. Complaints mentioning Suspension, Wheels & Tires include more deaths (1) than those mentioning any other identified area.
Complaints filed fell from 96 in 2004 to 75 in 2005.
Data last changed . Sources: NHTSA complaints and recalls, EPA fuel economy data. Methodology
Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History
| Category | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | vs. 2005 Subcompact Cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fuel cost ($) | 2,950–3,900 | 2,850–4,300 | 2,700–4,300 | 2,850–4,300 | 2,850–4,100 | |
| Combined MPG | 20–21 | 18–22 | 18–23 | 18–22 | 19–22 | |
| City / Highway MPG | 17–19 / 24–25 | 16–19 / 22–26 | 16–20 / 22–27 | 16–20 / 22–27 | 17–20 / 23–26 | |
| CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi) | 423–444 | 404–494 | 386–494 | 404–494 | 404–468 | |
| Complaints filed | 62 | 96 | 75 | 56 | 68 | |
| Recalls issued | 6 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 9 | |
| Crash-involved complaints | 8 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 6 | |
| Fire-involved complaints | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| Injuries reported | 13 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 7 | |
| Deaths reported | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Configurations compared | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Not compared: this database has no vehicle sales or registration figures, so a raw count mostly reflects how many were sold, not how safe the vehicle is.
Common questions
How many recalls does the 2005 Subaru Impreza/Outback Sport have?
6 NHTSA recall campaigns as of Sep 16, 2026. Check your VIN with NHTSA to see whether one applies to your car.
What is the most common complaint about the 2005 Subaru Impreza/Outback Sport?
Fuel System: 19 of 75 NHTSA complaints (25%) mention it.
What gas mileage does the 2005 Subaru Impreza/Outback Sport get?
EPA rates it 18–23 MPG combined.
How much does it cost to fuel a 2005 Subaru Impreza/Outback Sport?
EPA estimates $2,700–$4,300 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.
Similar Vehicles
EPA-Rated Configurations (9)
| Configuration | Transmission | Cylinders | Displacement | Drivetrain | Fuel Type | Vehicle Class | City | Highway | Combined | Annual Fuel Cost | CO₂ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Configuration 1 | Automatic 4-spd | 4 | 2.0L | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | Premium | Subcompact Cars | 17 mpg | 24 mpg | 20 mpg | $3,900 | 444 g/mi |
| Configuration 2 | Manual 5-spd | 4 | 2.0L | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | Premium | Subcompact Cars | 18 mpg | 25 mpg | 20 mpg | $3,900 | 444 g/mi |
| Configuration 3 | Automatic 4-spd | 4 | 2.5L | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | Regular | Subcompact Cars | 20 mpg (high) | 26 mpg | 22 mpg | $2,850 | 404 g/mi |
| Configuration 4 | Manual 5-spd | 4 | 2.5L | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | Regular | Subcompact Cars | 20 mpg (high) | 27 mpg (high) | 23 mpg (high) | $2,700 (low) | 386 g/mi (low) |
| Configuration 5 | Manual 6-spd | 4 | 2.5L | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | Premium | Subcompact Cars | 16 mpg (low) | 22 mpg (low) | 18 mpg (low) | $4,300 (high) | 494 g/mi (high) |
| Configuration 6 | Automatic 4-spd | 4 | 2.0L | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | Premium | Small Station Wagons | 17 mpg | 24 mpg | 20 mpg | $3,900 | 444 g/mi |
| Configuration 7 | Manual 5-spd | 4 | 2.0L | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | Premium | Small Station Wagons | 18 mpg | 25 mpg | 20 mpg | $3,900 | 444 g/mi |
| Configuration 8 | Automatic 4-spd | 4 | 2.5L | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | Regular | Small Station Wagons | 20 mpg (high) | 26 mpg | 22 mpg | $2,850 | 404 g/mi |
| Configuration 9 | Manual 5-spd | 4 | 2.5L | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | Regular | Small Station Wagons | 20 mpg (high) | 27 mpg (high) | 23 mpg (high) | $2,700 (low) | 386 g/mi (low) |
Complaints by Category
| Category | Complaints | Crash-Involved | Fire-Involved | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Transmission & Drivetrain | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel System | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brakes | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension, Wheels & Tires | 19 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Airbags & Restraints | 12 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Driver Assistance & Speed Control | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Body, Seats & Latches | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Visibility & Lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.
Recalls (6)
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · Campaign 23V076000 · Feb 14, 2023
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2004-2005 Impreza and WRX vehicles that received replacement front passenger air bag inflators under a previous recall. The replacement air bag inflators may have been installed incorrectly.
Consequence: An incorrectly installed inflator may not properly inflate the passenger air bag, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the passenger inflator and if necessary, install a new inflator kit, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 14, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRF-23.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · Campaign 20V003000 · Jan 3, 2020
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-20.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · Campaign 20V001000 · Jan 3, 2020
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-20.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · Campaign 20V002000 · Jan 3, 2020
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-20.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · Campaign 15V323000 · May 28, 2015
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to July 21, 2004, 2004-2005 Impreza vehicles manufactured January 28, 2003, to May 31, 2005, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to May 2, 2008, 2003-2008 Subaru Outback vehicles manufactured February 18, 2003, to May 5, 2008, and 2005 Saab 9-2x vehicles manufactured February 11, 2004, to March 17, 2005. The affected vehicles are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture upon its deployment.
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners and General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The Subaru recall began on June 17, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. The Saab recall began on July 27, 2015. Owners of Saab vehicles may call 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is WQR-53. Note: The recall completely supersedes recall 14V-399 (WQL-48) and partially supersedes recall 14V-763 (WQP-51) in that model year 2004 through 2005 Subaru Impreza and model year 2005 Saab 9-2x vehicles are now only part of this campaign. Note: On December 18, 2015 Subaru informed NHTSA of an expansion of this recall to include certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy and 2003-2008 Subaru Outback vehicles.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM · Campaign 11V464000 · Sep 8, 2011
Defect: SUBARU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2002-2007 IMPREZA, MODEL YEAR 2003-2008 FORESTER, AND MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 SAAB 9-2X VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 5, 2000 THROUGH NOVEMBER 26, 2007 ORIGINALLY SOLD, OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN, MASSACHUSETTS, MARYLAND, MICHIGAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, VERMONT, WISCONSIN, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IOWA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MAINE, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW JERSEY, OHIO, RHODE ISLAND, WEST VIRGINIA AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS MAY BREAK AT THE HANGER BRACKETS DUE TO CORROSION IF THE HANGER BRACKET IS EXPOSED TO SALTY AND HUMID ENVIRONMENTS SUCH AS ROADS CONTAINING SNOW MELTING AGENT.
Consequence: A BROKEN CONTROL ARM CAN RESULT IN THE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: SUBARU WILL HANDLE THEIR VEHICLES AND SAAB WILL HANDLE THEIRS. DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DEGREE OF CORROSION OF THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS, AND WILL EITHER RUSTPROOF OR REPLACE THEM. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING DECEMBER 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SAAB AT 1-800-955-9007.