2005 Subaru Outback Suspension Problems
Owners have filed 56 complaints with NHTSA about suspension problems on the 2005 Subaru Outback, 21% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 60,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “rear end” (36% of reports).
- 56suspension complaints
- 60,500median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 21%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Rear end: mentioned in 20 of 56 complaints (36%)
- Ghost walking: mentioned in 11 of 56 complaints (20%)
- Snow tires: mentioned in 10 of 56 complaints (18%)
- Icy conditions: mentioned in 5 of 56 complaints (9%)
At what mileage do suspension problems happen?
Based on 50 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 56 complaints, 1 mention a crash.
Subaru Outback suspension complaints by model year
| Model year | Suspension complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Outback | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2024 Outback | 3 | 3% | 26,966 |
| 2022 Outback | 3 | 1% | — |
| 2021 Outback | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2020 Outback | 3 | 0% | 6,400 |
| 2019 Outback | 7 | 1% | 13,900 |
| 2018 Outback | 9 | 1% | 2,500 |
| 2017 Outback | 6 | 1% | 45,000 |
| 2016 Outback | 1 | 0% | 60 |
| 2015 Outback | 5 | 1% | 15,750 |
| 2014 Outback | 5 | 2% | 11,500 |
| 2013 Outback | 15 | 5% | 1,000 |
| 2012 Outback | 4 | 1% | 10,500 |
| 2011 Outback | 21 | 3% | 9,300 |
| 2010 Outback | 26 | 7% | 2,000 |
| 2009 Outback | 5 | 5% | 22,400 |
| 2008 Outback | 12 | 5% | 31,500 |
| 2007 Outback | 14 | 11% | 81,147 |
| 2006 Outback | 37 | 13% | 57,500 |
| 2005 Outback | 56 | 21% | 60,500 |
| 2004 Outback | 4 | 4% | 128,000 |
| 2003 Outback | 9 | 10% | 84,000 |
| 2002 Outback | 4 | 3% | 161,000 |
| 2001 Outback | 19 | 11% | 157,000 |
| 2000 Outback | 24 | 12% | 127,462 |
| 1999 Outback | 13 | 12% | 109,000 |
| 1998 Outback | 3 | 2% | 150,000 |
| 1997 Outback | 4 | 5% | — |
| 1996 Outback | 4 | 9% | 169,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists suspension for the 2005 Subaru Outback. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
There should be a recall for front suspension on this vehicle if not the entire suspension. Mine has been garage kept since day 1, is in showroom condition, not driven in salt on roads during snow, therefore no reason for the suspension to be in this condition. In 2019 at 74,000 miles I had to have…
Driving in light snow or mixture of slushy snow the vehicle rear drifts left and right at speeds of 20 mph. Dangerous if the speed is exceeded. Car pass me all the time because they have not problems with the road at high speeds. I understand this is called ghost walking. The first time this…
On any wet or snowy pavement car is ghost walking, like the rear end has marbles under it. Speed of 35 mph, straight driving, on wet pavement. Like a cat walking on its nails.terrified. Had alignment, new tires, new rear struts, sway bar, transmission wiring harness. Disabled abs so at least i…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2005 Subaru Outbacks have suspension problems?
No. NHTSA has 56 owner complaints about suspension for the 2005 Subaru Outback (21% of the 273 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Subaru Outback suspension?
No recall currently lists suspension for this vehicle.
At what mileage do suspension problems start?
The median reported mileage is 60,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about suspension problems on the 2005 Subaru Outback?
The most frequent phrase is “rear end”, in 20 of 56 complaints, followed by “ghost walking” (11).
See all 2005 Subaru Outback problems or suspension problems across all Outback years.