2005 Subaru Legacy Electrical System Problems

NHTSA component category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · data through 07/14/2026

25Electrical System complaints

13.7%Of all 182 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How electrical system ranks on this vehicle

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM25 · 13.7%

SERVICE BRAKES21 · 11.5%

AIR BAGS19 · 10.4%

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM15 · 8.2%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE13 · 7.1%

Share of the 182 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2005 Subaru Legacy overview page.

What owners report

“MY TAILGATE WILL NO LONGER LOCK OR UNLOCK. AFTER A LOT OF READING ONLINE IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. I TOOK…”NHTSA complaint 10622481 — filed 08/15/2014

“THE WIRING HARNESS ON THE REAR LIFT GATE (STATION WAGON) KEEPS BREAKING AND SHORTING OUT. THIS IS A DANGEROUS DEFECT, AS REAR LIGHTS CAN GO…”NHTSA complaint 10555531 — filed 12/10/2013

“REAR WIPER STOPPED WORKING. THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO A BROKEN WIRE INSIDE THE PASSENGER'S SIDE ACCORDION BOOT FOR THE REAR HATCH OF THE WAGON…”NHTSA complaint 10547770 — filed 10/13/2013

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Electrical System complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2005 Subaru Legacy have electrical system problems?

Electrical System is the most-reported problem area on the 2005 Subaru Legacy: 25 of 182 complaints on file (13.7%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2005 Subaru Legacy have in total?

182 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 11 involved a crash, 4 involved a fire, 10 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's electrical system category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the ELECTRICAL SYSTEM category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.