RecallMyCar

2005 Subaru WRX Recalls, Complaints & Specs

4 safety recalls list the 2005 Subaru WRX, and owners have filed 19 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

4
safety recalls
19
owner complaints to NHTSA

4 safety recalls for the 2005 Subaru WRX

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Inflator module (air bags)

    NHTSA 23V076000 Reported 130 vehicles potentially affected Subaru of America, Inc.

    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.

    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…

  2. Inflator module (air bags)

    NHTSA 20V001000 Reported 258,813 vehicles potentially affected Subaru of America, Inc.

    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…

    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…

  3. Inflator module (air bags)

    NHTSA 20V002000 Reported 127,547 vehicles potentially affected Subaru of America, Inc.

    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,…

    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…

  4. Inflator module (air bags)

    NHTSA 20V003000 Reported 111,562 vehicles potentially affected Subaru of America, Inc.

    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,…

    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…

19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2005 Subaru WRX have filed 19 complaints with NHTSA. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 68,733 miles. Complaints peaked in 2014 with 5 filed that year.

Most-reported components

What owners are reporting

“As i was driving this morning started smelling strong raw fuel odor. *tr”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, February 20, 2015 · Fuel/propulsion system

“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 lea”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, January 12, 2015 · Fuel/propulsion system

Compare Subaru WRX model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Subaru WRX model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
2002 Subaru WRX1427
2003 Subaru WRX160
2004 Subaru WRX442
2005 Subaru WRX419
2006 Subaru WRX314
2007 Subaru WRX30
2008 Subaru WRX765
2009 Subaru WRX1041
2010 Subaru WRX121
2011 Subaru WRX114
2012 Subaru WRX122
2013 Subaru WRX117
2014 Subaru WRX106
2015 Subaru WRX352
2016 Subaru WRX331
2017 Subaru WRX153
2018 Subaru WRX243
2019 Subaru WRX230
2020 Subaru WRX117
2021 Subaru WRX113
2022 Subaru WRX125
2023 Subaru WRX18
2024 Subaru WRX013
2025 Subaru WRX02

Checking a specific 2005 Subaru WRX

How do I know if my 2005 Subaru WRX has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 4 campaigns currently list the 2005 Subaru WRX; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Subaru dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 20V001000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Subaru models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.