2005 SUBARU LEGACY Complaints

SUBARU LEGACY GT WAGON - TURBO FAILURE DUE TO OIL STARVATION AT 51,000 MILES. OIL ALWAYS CHANGED AT 3,000 MILES/ 3 MONTHS. EXPLANATION FROM MECHANIC IS THAT SUBARU INSTALLED OIL SCREEN IN LINE LEADING TO TURBO, BUT THIS IS NOT CHECKED OR CHANGED ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER MAINTENANCE RECOMMENDATIONS. OVER TIME, SCREEN CLOGS AND LEADS TO OIL STARVATION AND TURBO FAILURE. TURBO REPLACED BY SUBARU UNDER POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. NO REMEDY FOR SCREEN WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY CLOG AGAIN. *TR

WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON THE FREEWAY AND THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. WE THOUGHT THAT A BELT HAD BROKEN OR SOMETHING. SHE WAS ON HER WAY TO THE MECHANIC WHEN IT SEEMED AS THOUGH THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND WAS MAKING A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE IN THE ENGINE BAY, ALL OF THE GAUGES STOPPED WORKING. THE ABS, SPORT SHIFT AND E-BRAKE LIGHTS ON THE DASH ALL TURNED ON EACH TIME SHE STOPPED. THE CAR DIED JUST PAST AN INTERSECTION AND WAS PUSHED INTO THE OPEN AREA OF A PARKING LOT. SINCE IT WAS HOT SHE, MY DAUGHTER AND MY DOG ALL GOT OUT AND WENT INTO THE SHADE OF SOME NEARBY TREES. WITHIN 5 MINUTES A BYSTANDER POINTED OUT THAT THERE WAS A FIRE UNDERNEATH THE CAR AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED. THEY ARRIVED WITHIN THE NEXT 10 MINUTES AND THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE CHIEF SAID THAT IT WAS A COMPLETE LOSS AND THAT THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED IT. *TR

I WAS STOPPED IN TRAFFIC ON A BRIDGE WHEN A PICK UP TRUCK BEHIND ME DID NOT AND HIT MY CAR IN THE REAR. THE CAR SUSTAINED ABOUT $9600 IN DAMAGE. THE CAR WAS A 2005 SUBARU LEGACY. I SUSTAINED INJURY TO MY BACK, MY HEAD, LEFT ELBOW AND LEFT CALF. THE CAR WAS NOT GOING OUTRAGEOUSLY FAST. THE BRIDGE TRAFFIC WAS NOT MOVING THAT FAST TO BEGIN WITH. THE BACK OF THE SEAT FRAME ON THE LEFT SIDE GAVE AND BENT. THIS I BELIEVE CAUSED OR WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BULK OF MY INJURY. *TR

2005 SUBARU LEGACY VIN# (LAST 8)54327514. CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY BUT SUBARU IS REFUSING TO FIX THE TURBO. SUBARU HAS A BULLETIN # 02-103-07 OUT ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITH TURBO'S OIL STARVATION DUE TO FACTORY OIL FEED BANJO BOLT. I ALSO USED AMSOIL OIL AND THEY INDICATED THAT VOIDS THE WARRANTY. THE LAW PASS BY CONGRESS "MAGNUSON-MOSS ACT" SAID THAT SUBARU CAN'T VOID THE WARRANTY. *TR

TURBO CHARGER AND ENGINE BLOWN WITH 63,000 MILES. HAPPENED ON A FREEWAY WHILE TRAVELING AT A STEADY (NOT ACCELERATING OR DECELERATING) 45 MPH. PURCHASED EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM DEALERSHIP AT TIME OF PURCHASE, BUT AM TOLD THAT THEY WILL NOT COVER THE DAMAGES BECAUSE I CHANGED THE OIL (FULL SYNTHETIC) MYSELF AT THE TIME OF LAST OIL CHANGE, WHILE I WAS DOING A BRAKE JOB. IT TOOK THE DEALERSHIP OVER TWO WEEKS TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND WAS NOT INITIALLY GIVEN A RENTAL OR LOANER. AFTER CONTACTING SUBARU OF AMERICA, I WAS APPROVED FOR A RENTAL FOR 3 DAYS, BUT HAD TO RETURN THE CAR AFTER THAT TIME PERIOD. IT HAS NOW BEEN MORE THAN A MONTH AND A HALF, AND I STILL DO NOT HAVE MY VEHICLE, OR A RENTAL. *TR

TURBO CHARGER SEIZED AND FAILED @ 32,000 MILES WITH APPROXIMATELY $2000 IN DAMAGE. VEHICLE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2000 MILES OVERDUE ON OIL CHANGE (100% SYNTHETIC) PER OWNERS MANUAL, AND THEREFORE SUBARU WILL NOT HONOR POWERTRAIN WARRANTY AND CLAIMS NO RESPONSIBILITY. TURBO FAILURE IS A DOCUMENTED PROBLEM NOT ONLY WITH THE LEGACY, BUT ALSO WITH SEVERAL OTHER SUBARU MODELS EQUIPT WITH THIS TURBO. A RECENT SUBARU TECHINICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (#02-103-07) ADDRESS' THIS ISSUE. *CN

THE HEATED SEATS IN THE SUBARU LEGACY GT LIMITED HAVE AN ELEMENT THAT "ARCS" ON TO ITSELF. MINE HAD A BURN HOLE IN THE FABRIC UPON REPLACEMENT. THIS REPRESENTS A FIRE HAZARD. POSSIBLE SYMPTOMS ARE BOTTOM OF THE SEAT HEATING, BUT NOT THE BACK, AND VICE VERSA. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SUBARU LEGACY. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE ANTILOCK BRAKES FAILED. THE CONSUMER WANTED THE DEALER TO DISCONNECT THE ABS (ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM) BUT STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO PERFORM THAT TYPE OF REPAIR AT THE OWNER'S REQUEST. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 34,000. UPDATED 02-14-08 *BF UPDATED 02/14/08 *TR

CRUISE CONTROL RANDOMLY DISENGAGES WHILE DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS, CAUSING A SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED LOSS OF VEHICLE SPEED. *TR

AT 14,000 MILES EXPERIENCED SUDDEN, SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF BRAKING POWER AND MAJOR VIBRATIONS IN 2005 SUBARU LEGACY AND WAS BARELY ABLE TO SLOW CAR. DEALER RESURFACED BRAKE ROTORS. EXPERIENCED IDENTICAL PROBLEM WHILE DESCENDING STEEP MOUNTAIN GRADE AT 26,000 MILES. DEALER FOUND FRONT ROTORS WARPED AND BRAKE PADS WORN AND REPLACED BOTH. I AM FEARFUL THAT THIS PROBLEM WILL REOCCUR WITHOUT WARNING, POTENTIALLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I SUSPECT THAT ABS IS MALFUNCTIONING, CAUSING ABNORMAL WEAR ON ROTORS AND PADS. DEALER CLAIMS PROBLEM IS "NORMAL." *TR