2005 Subaru Outback: Reliability Data
Source: NHTSA — 353 complaints
353
Total Complaints
85,000mi
Median Mileage
Suspension
Top Issue
20
Crash Reports
When Do Complaints Happen?
Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.
37,000
25th Percentile
85,000
Median Mileage
125,500
75th Percentile
What Fails?
Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.
Suspension
36
Air Bags
35
Vehicle Speed Control
32
Electrical System
26
Service Brakes
22
Rear
19
Exterior Lighting
15
Headlights
14
Steering
13
Fuel/Propulsion System
13
Severity Assessment
20
Crashes
6
Fires
19
Injuries
0
Deaths
Sample Complaint Reports
"CONSUMER FEEL THAT THE HEADLIGHT ARE POINTED TOO LOW TO THE GROUND. THIS CAUSES POOR VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE HEADLIGHTS COULD NOT BE ADJUSTED AND THAT IT MET THE SPECS.*AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT VISIBILITY WAS CUT IN HALF. ONLY..."
"IT WOULD BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO SEE DURING NIGHT TIME WITH THE FRONT GLASS HEADLIGHTS LENS. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK"
"THE HEADLIGHT ONLY ILLUMINATED 20 TO 25 FEET IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. *NM THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS ONLY ILLUMINATE ONE FOOT ON EITHER SIDE MAKING NIGHTIME DRIVING FRIGHTENING AND STRESSFUL. A DARK SHADOW APPEARS TO DROP 25 FEET IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. *TC"
Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.
When Were Complaints Filed?
Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.
When Does Each Component Fail?
Median mileage at complaint for top components.
Suspension
36 complaints
25th: 47,125 mi
Median: 84,597 mi
75th: 144,129 mi
Air Bags
35 complaints
25th: 60,000 mi
Median: 70,000 mi
75th: 125,000 mi
Vehicle Speed Control
32 complaints
25th: 64,272 mi
Median: 106,037 mi
75th: 129,739 mi
Electrical System
26 complaints
25th: 88,500 mi
Median: 110,812 mi
75th: 125,992 mi
Service Brakes
22 complaints
25th: 158,000 mi
Median: 183,000 mi
75th: 192,000 mi
Where Are Complaints Coming From?
Top states by complaint count.
NY: 34
CO: 30
MI: 27
CA: 25
PA: 20
WA: 15
MA: 14
MN: 14
NJ: 11
MD: 11
Who Files Complaints?
14.2%
Original Owners
85.8%
Second+ Owners
Subaru Outback — Other Years
See how this model compares across different model years.
Active Recalls (9)
Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.
Inflator Module
Campaign 20V002000 | 02/01/2020
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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 Assista
Inflator Module
Campaign 20V003000 | 02/01/2020
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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 Assista
Inflator Module
Campaign 20V001000 | 02/01/2020
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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
Switch
Campaign 19V297000 | 11/04/2019
The engine turning off unexpectedly can increase the risk of a crash. If a crash occurs under this condition, the air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 10, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUF-91.
Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings
Campaign 14V311000 | 10/06/2014
Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage. Fluid leakage may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will test the brake system by depressing the brake pedal and inspecting for brake fluid leaks. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected areas will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is observed, the brake lines will be r
Inflator Module
Campaign 15V323000 | 28/05/2015
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.
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. Owne
Air Bags
Campaign 14V763000 | 01/12/2014
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengers frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Subaru will notify their owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQP-51. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-471. This recall has been
Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings
Campaign 13V110000 | 27/03/2013
Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage. Fluid leakage may result in longer distances being required to slow or stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected area will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is observed, the brake lines will be replaced followed by rustproofing with anti-corrosion wax. These serv
Side/Window
Campaign 04V274000 | 09/06/2004
THIS MAY RESULT IN FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE INTENDED HEAD PROTECTION, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO A SEAT OCCUPANT.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAG MODULES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.
.
Extend Your Suspension Life
Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.
- Avoid potholes and speed bumps at high speed
- Replace shocks/struts every 50,000-75,000 miles even if they seem fine
- Get alignment checked if the car pulls or tires wear unevenly
- Don't overload the vehicle beyond its rated capacity
- Address clunking or bouncing immediately — worn suspension damages other components
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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.
Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.
Data through: 2026-03-28