2005 Subaru Forester Problems, Recalls & Reliability
105 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2005 Subaru Forester, alongside 1 recall campaign and 1 defect investigation. It scores 14/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Fuel system leads the reports, typically around 85,015 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2005 Subaru Forester has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2005 sits among all Forester years
What owners report
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 88 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 80,115 miles. Half of those reports fall between 41,600 and 138,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
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,…
Fix: 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…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 11V464000.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2005 Subaru Forester reliable?
The 2005 Subaru Forester drew 105 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 14/100, scored against the model's worst year (2019).
What are the most common 2005 Subaru Forester problems?
The top reported problems for the 2005 Subaru Forester are fuel system (23 complaints), suspension (21), and speed control (17).
At what mileage do 2005 Subaru Forester problems show up?
Owners most often report 2005 Subaru Forester problems around 80,115 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 41,600 and 138,000 miles.
Does the 2005 Subaru Forester have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2005 Subaru Forester. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.