2005 Subaru WRX Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2005 Subaru WRX, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Fuel system1254.5%
- Engine418.2%
- Suspension418.2%
- Transmission29.1%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
AS I WAS DRIVING THIS MORNING STARTED SMELLING STRONG RAW FUEL ODOR. *TR
2005 STI, 42,000 MILES..... COLD MN WEATHER CAUSED MY FUEL SYSTEM UNDER THE HOOD LEAK GAS ALL OVER. INSIDE OF CAR SMELT OF GAS VERY VERY BAD. POPPED THE HOOD, EVEN STRONGER GAS SMELL, LOCATED FUEL LEAKS UNDER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD DRIVERS SIDE. TOWED IT TO NEAREST SUBARU DEALER DO TO FEAR OF FIRE. NOT COVERED UNDER THE 2 WARRANTIES I PURCHASED WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR OR UNDER SUBARU RECALL OF 2003-2004 WRX/STI'S FOR THE SAME PROBLEM.....CHARGES WILL BE $600+...... BOUGHT THE CAR FROM A SUBARU DEALER HERE IN MN, SECOND OWNER, EXPENSIVE LOW MILES USED CAR, JUST PLAIN STUPID SUBARU DOES NOT FIX THIS..... *TR
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
DURING COLD WEATHER, THERE IS A STRONG FUEL SMELL IN THE CABIN. RUBBER FUEL LINES ON THE PASSENGER SIDE LEAK, CAUSING FUEL TO PUDDLE ON TOP OF THE ENGINE BLOCK, CREATING AN EXTREME FIRE HAZARD. *TR
WHEN I STARTED MY CAR THE OTHER MORNING (~14 DEGREES F) I SMELLED A STRONG FUEL ODOR IN THE CABIN. I OPENED THE HOOD OF THE CAR AND ALSO SMELLED IT THERE AS WELL. I DROVE THE CAR ABOUT 2 MILES AND THE SMELL WENT AWAY. ONCE STOPPED AND IDLING, THE ODOR RETURNED. IT IS A VERY STRONG RAW GASOLINE SMELL. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT MANY OTHER SUBARU OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME EXACT ISSUE. IT TURNS OUT TO BE A FAULTY CLAMP AND/OR HOSE, WHICH RESULTS IN LEAKING GASOLINE OUT OF THE FUEL LINE. THIS CONCERNS ME FOR NUMEROUS REASONS, BUT THE MAIN REASON IS THAT IT IS LEAKING GASOLINE IN THE ENGINE BAY, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A FIRE AND ULTIMATELY INJURY/DEATH. THE SMELL IT PRODUCES IN THE CABIN IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT CONCERNS ME, ESPECIALLY IF CHILDREN ARE IN THE CAR. THIS ONLY HAPPENS WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE VERY COLD, PROBABLY BELOW 20 OR 25 DEGREES F. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AND YOU WILL FIND MANY ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING WITH THEIR VEHICLES. THANKS *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
AFTER INVESTIGATING A SMALL LEAK IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT MY FRONT SWAY BAR MOUNT CONNECTED TO MY LOWER CONTROL ARM( RECALL NUMBER "WVX-34 LOWER CONTROL ARM) MOUNT HAD SNAPPED AND SEPARATED. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY TO MYSELF, FAMILY AND OTHERS DRIVING AROUND ME AT THE TIME IS SNAPPED. SUBARU CONFIRMS THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM HAS A CORROSION ISSUE BUT REFUSES TO COVER THIS PROBLEM DUE TO THE LOCATION OF THE BREAKAGE. *TR
SUBARU WILL NOT REPLACE/FIX STRUT CLUNK NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR. MANY OTHERS HAVE COMPLAIN AND THERE IS STILL NO SOLUTION. THIS CAN CAUSE THE OWNER $1350 FOR SOMETHING THAT ALL 2004+ SUBARU STI CARS EXPERIENCE. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
I OWN A 2005 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STI. I AM HAVING PROBLEMS SHIFTING INTO 5TH GEAR. THE TRANSMISSION GRINDS AND RESISTS GOING INTO GEAR. THIS IS ONLY A PROBLEM WITH 5TH GEAR, ALL OF THE OTHER GEARS ARE SMOOTH AND RESPONSIVE. SINCE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM, I HAVE DONE QUITE A BIT OF RESEARCH AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN 2004 AND 2005 STIS. APPARENTLY, SUBARU OF AMERICA PUT AN INFERIOR SYNCHRO IN 5TH GEAR. 1ST, 2ND, 3RD, 4TH, AND 6TH ALL HAVE UPGRADED SYNCHROS. STARTING IN 2006, SUBARU BEGAN PUTTING THE UPGRADED SYNCHROS IN ALL 6 GEARS. THE CAR ONLY HAS 34,000 MILES ON IT AND SO IT IS STILL UNDER FACTORY POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF SUBMITTING THIS FOR A WARRANTY CLAIM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT APPEARS THAT IT WILL MOST LIKELY BE DENIED. SUBARU OF AMERICA IS NOTORIOUS FOR DENYING CLAIMS ON ALL STIS ON THE BASIS THAT THEY WERE ABUSED, REGARDLESS OF THE TRUTH OF THIS ACCUSATION. I AM RATHER UPSET ABOUT THIS, AS I RECENTLY PURCHASED THE CAR WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT SUBARU WOULD HONOR THEIR WARRANTY - ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN ABUSED OR MODIFIED (OTHER THAN A REMOVAL OF THE LARGE, UNATTRACTIVE WING, A COSMETIC MODIFICATION ONLY). THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THESE SAME PROBLEMS, BOTH WITH THE FAILURE OF 5TH GEAR IN THEIR 2004 OR 2005 STI AND WITH SUBARU DENYING THEIR CLAIM AND CHARGING THEM HUGE FEES FOR DISASSEMBLING AND INSPECTING THE ENGINE. I CAN PROVIDE A LINK TO THE ONLINE RECORD (ON A SUBARU ENTHUSIAST WEBSITE), AS WELL AS CONTACT INFO FOR OTHER OWNERS AFFECTED. MY MAIN CONCERN IS THAT SUBARU OBVIOUSLY KNOWS THAT THERE IS A DEFECT WITH THE 5TH GEAR SYNCHRO, EVIDENCED BY THE FACT THAT THEY HAD TO UPGRADE THE SYNCHRO IN 2006+ MODELS, AND THAT THEY HAVE NOT ISSUED A RECALL OR SOME SORT OF WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM FOR CURRENT SUBARU STI OWNERS. *TR
UNDER NORMAL CITY DRIVING AND HIGHWAY COMMUTING THE TRANSMISSION AND CLUTCH PEDAL STOPPED DELIVERING POWER ON THE HIGHWAY. I MANAGED TO SAFELY GET OFF THE HIGHWAY AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. DEALER REFUSED TO COVER WORN CLUTCH UNDER WARRANTY DESPITE WEAR ITEMS COVERED UNDER THE 3 YEAR//36000 MILE COVERAGE. CAR WAS AROUND 20000 MILES. DEALER GAVE ME A FEELING THAT I WAS DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BECAUSE I WAS A YOUNG MAN WITH A SPORTY CAR, THEREFORE, I MUST RACE IT AND ABUSE IT. I HAVE OLD PARTS IN MY GARAGE. THEY DID, HOWEVER, COVER BRAKE PADS AT ANOTHER TIME.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .