| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
2005 Subaru Legacy repairs by problem area
Engine (35%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (12%)
Brakes and Traction Control (5%)
Suspension and Steering (25%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (14%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (4%)
Other (5%)
Chart based on 471 repairs.
2005 Subaru Legacy engine repair cost distribution
$2500+ (8%)
$1000 - $2499 (19%)
$500 - $999 (20%)
$100 - $499 (32%)
< $100 (22%)
Chart based on 145 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2005 Subaru Legacy
Engine not specified
| 93620 mi C $240 |
#3 Cylinder coil needed to be replaced |
2005 Subaru Legacy 4dr Wagon
turbocharged 250hp 2.5L H4 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 82200 mi US $125 |
Vehicle exhibits whine from vicinity of turbo under acceleration, smoke test revealed leak in turbo boot. |
| 104000 mi US $3100 |
New radiator needed. Radiator replaced due to a leak. Coolant changed. Power Steering pump replaced as it was leaking. |
| 149 mi US $1600 |
Turbo charger blown. New turbo and assorted accessories (recommended by Subaru when the turbo is replaced) were installed. |
| 157000 mi US $600 |
One fuel injector needed replacement, due to clogging / poor engine performance. |
| 164000 mi US $3000 |
fuel intake system was in need of cleaning, as turbo did not function smoothly. |
| 38440 mi C $400 |
turbocharger blew, billowing smoke, nursed it to dealer. after MANY letters and LOADS of patience, dealer agreed to reimburse cost of the parts (about $1500, so I paid about $400 in labour). |
| 47740 mi C $124 |
Engine running VERY rough. Diagnosed as a leaky vacuum hose under the intake manifold. |
| 47000 mi US $75 |
Need to replace turbo wastegate actuator solenoid. Considered "emissions" so not covered under extended warranty. Has not affected car's driveability. Part is in stock and have appointment on Friday. |
| 83700 mi | Wastegates in turbocharger had issues, and turbocharger was overboosting. The entire turbocharger was replaced under powertrain warranty. |
| 76000 mi US $500 |
Radiator was leaking. Turns out it had cracked. New replacement radiator installed. |
| 83000 mi US $600 |
Valve Gasket cover leaking - replaced |
| 35000 mi US $2500 |
Turbo completely died and blew seals. Oil was thrown into the exhaust system and destroyed both catalytic converters. Cats were covered under emissions warranty, but needed new turbo and related parts. |
| 5000 mi | Replaced defective factory oil filter with re-designed part. Burnt oil fumes were entering the cabin when the vehicle was stationary, and only after the engine had warmed to operating temperature. A known problem with some 2005 Legacy's the dealer cover |
| 79000 mi US $415 |
Strong raw fuel smell in and around car; suspected fuel line/fuel injector leak. Dealer's pressure test and visual inspection showed "no problem". No fuel smell at pickup at dealer. |
| 56500 mi US $127 |
thermostat replaced, coolant flushed |
| 42000 mi US $155 |
Turbocharger failure. Subaru did a "goodwill" coverage for the costs because I had extensive receipts for maintenance. |
| 86000 mi US $50 |
oil dipstick gasket replaced. Solved oil leak. |
| 51000 mi | Turbo Charger died around 52,875K. It was in the shop for 7 days. (partly because of the Holiday and parts had to come from Manufacturer). |
| 102000 mi US $520 |
Replaced exhaust system from cat back |
| 102000 mi US $80 |
Turbo Blew. I took it to the shop to have them look at it and estimate the cost of repair. The estimate was $1800 for a new turbo installed, with another $1400 for stripping down the engine to check for internal damage, and to clean out metal fragments in the engine. The oil showed a lot of metal from the turbo which had most likely spread through out the engine. A new rebuilt engine was also recommended as an option. I had them put it back together and sold the car. |
| 128900 mi US $4976 |
Head gasket failure. Replaced. Valves reground. |
2005 Subaru Legacy 4dr Wagon
turbocharged 250hp 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 52000 mi US $100 |
Burned out coil. Replaced Spark plugs |
| 64000 mi US $300 |
Replaced exhaust pipe. (front crossover pipe) |
| 136000 mi | Ignition switch (tumbler)had to be replaced due to ignition switch sending signal that key was always in ignition switch and therefore could not use key fob, lock doors using electric door lock, etc. |
| 108000 mi US $1300 |
Leaking (oil) valve cover. |
| 123000 mi US $120 |
Idler for accessory belt was noisy in cold weather. Replaced and fixed. |
| 44000 mi | Blown turbo due to clogged oil filter on line leading to turbo. Apparently common problem on the 2005 Legacy GT's. Replacing unit with aftermarket turbo. |
| 72000 mi US $200 |
Heat only worked on driver side. Required flush of heater core to resolve. |
| 116700 mi US $80 |
Heater core clogged again. Had to back-flush twice before it started heating the passenger side consistently. |
| 124000 mi US $400 |
Radiator inlet hose popped off while driving, possibly due to a leak or clamp fatigue. Radiator and clamps replaced. |
| 125700 mi US $400 |
Radiator inlet deteriorated and hose slipped off, dumping engine coolant while driving. Bad injector replacement. Car has always had bad idle (roughness), and finally fixed properly with new injectors. |
| 135000 mi US $500 |
Replacement of valve cover gaskets. Existing gaskets caused leakage of oil onto exhaust. |
| 72000 mi US $40 |
Coolant overflow/failed rad cap problem fixed per TSB 09-52-08 |
| 75000 mi | Oil consumption >1L per 1000mi. Leakdown and compression test. 60% loss -- 105 psi (normal 175-145psi). Suspect piston ring failure. Note: passed later test, now suspect turbo. |
| 84000 mi US $1100 |
Radiator had a blockage. Rodded out radiator and replaced coolant. Shop also found intercooler leaking ($800 of repair in parts, replaced with aftermarket part). This was likely caused by aftermarket parts. |
| 96100 mi US $5400 |
Two blown up piston rings |
| 98000 mi US $800 |
Fluid filled mount was leaking. Replaced. Dealer had never seen anything like it. (Tracked car) |
| 108200 mi US $240 |
Replaced squealing AC tensioner. |
| 116000 mi | Found oil leak in a hose. Put over to order parts. Possible warranty item from engine replacement. |
| 117000 mi | Leak in hose repaired. Had to replace intake hose as well as it was looking rough. Massive boost leak. Shop had to repair stripped threads on intercooler caused by previous work. Vacuum hose may have popped off as well, or my have not been attached correctly at last visit. |
| 135000 mi US $2300 |
During clutch job, dealer noticed a rear seal leak. |
| 135000 mi US $150 |
Leaky valve covers (both sides) |
| 73900 mi US $700 |
Clutch required replacement. The lining wore out. I replaced clutch, pressure plate, flywheel, and throwout and pilot bearings, using the later 07+ single-mass flywheel design. I did not experience the grooving of the quill reported by others on LegacyGT. |
| 157700 mi C $14570 |
Replace short block due to oil separator failure. Replace turbocharger. Replace driveshaft. |
| 112000 mi US $700 |
Low compression #3 cylinder due to leaking exhaust valve. Valve slowly deforming creating leak. |
| 114000 mi US $1600 |
Low compression due to leaking exhaust valve in #3 cylinder. Removed and disassembled engine. Rebuilt both heads: machine valves and new seals. Reassemble and reinstall engine. |
| 127 mi US $300 |
Replace rear O2 sensor. |
| 81000 mi US $20 |
Power steering/alternator belt replaced. |
| 111000 mi US $1420 |
Clutch was slipping upon boost (but not without). New clutch, throw-out bearing and rear main engine seal installed, and flywheel re-surfaced. |
| 152000 mi US $100 |
Got infamous P0011/P0021 codes for this model suggesting oil flow problems in engine, usually indicative of clogging of filter screen in banjo bolt of oil supply line to turbo. No poor idle or power problems indicative of OCV solenoid clogging/sticking. Banjo bolt was replaced as existing one was clogged despite religious oil/oil filter changes. I flushed the oil in the engine and then did an oil/filter change. Will have to see if codes return in the future. Hope that this does not portend turbo failure, although at 150K on original turbo am planning the possibility if codes return or hear increasing turbo whine/ whistle. |
| 162000 mi US $1000 |
Oil leak issues. Several oil lines and vacuum hoses replaced. |
| 20000 mi | Black sooty buildup at exhaust pipe tips. Dealer said this is normal. Our other car, with a turbocharged engine alos, does not have any evidence of soot at the tail pipe. After driving ~ 15-20 minutes to get to interstate, exhaust smokes so you can't see out the rearview mirror accelerating onto the freeway in cold weather. Dealer says this is normal. Car hesitates or misses, occaisionally when driving 35-40 mph in 3rd gear, cruise on or not. They reflashed the engine contol module. It helped decrease the frequency, but did not eliminate the problem. |
| 42000 mi US $176 |
OBD reported "system too lean", inspected/cleaned injectors, checked/adjusted all intake connections and junctions. |
| 54000 mi | A bolt backed out of the tensioner for the accessory drive belt that runs the alternator and power steering. Alerted by belt squeal, I repaired this myself in a Wal-Mart parking lot because the bolt was still present, just loose from the tensioner. |
| 102500 mi US $1350 |
Replacing leaking valve cover gaskets on both sides to eliminate oil leakage onto exhaust manifold. Also check/correct wheel alignment after installing new tires. Replacing leaking valve cover gaskets on both sides to eliminate oil leakage onto exhaust manifold. |
| 123000 mi US $350 |
Turbo uppipe developed a crack. replaced with aftermarket version. no problems since. |
| 55300 mi US $1200 |
Replace worn clutch. Also required flywheel replacement. |
| 68000 mi US $1900 |
Worn tranny/engine mounts Oil leak. |
| 84000 mi US $475 |
Leaking valve gasket |
| 91000 mi | Ignition coil to cylinder 4 failed. |
| 39000 mi | replace turbo |
| 118000 mi US $750 |
radiator leaking, replaced, |
| 141000 mi US $278 |
Check engine light from #4 cylinder with stumbling idle. Removed fuel injectors and took to a cleaning shop. One injector was replaced as it was flowing out of spec. |
| 145000 mi US $5500 |
Check engine light came on about a misfire on cylinder 4. Turns out a bad injector and intake breather valve caused lean condition which damaged exhaust valves and piston rings. Complete replacement. |
| 121000 mi US $90 |
Replaced driver side oil control valve. Starting to fail, although no significant problem with engine (yet). |
2005 Subaru Legacy 4dr Wagon
168-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 85020 mi C $600 |
Gas tank leak due to rust in top front passenger side corner (ridiculously bad design of the tank, poor corrosion prevention, and expensive to replace). Tank was replaced by a used one. |
| 96900 mi | Replacement gas tank leaks (just like the original). While this was not a new tank, it was installed as a used tank in good condition, for a fraction of the cost of a new one. Inspection only - no work was authorized due to cost/history. |
| 116560 mi C $470 |
Radiator leak. Replaced rad, pressure cap, coolant, clamps. |
| 119660 mi C $530 |
Failed oxygen sensor; replaced for $530! Engine stalling at idle. |
| 119960 mi C $1050 |
Check engine light (again) > led to replacing the catalytic converter. OEM dealer price was $1800; I opted for an aftermarket one through AutoPro. Part was about $650, remainder was labour. |
| 94000 mi US $700 |
Previously had complained on temporary severe engine miss after wet sitting in wet weather but dealer could not find. I finally left car until they found. Was bad coil pack. Because of several other expensive repairs this year, Subaru most. |
| 65000 mi US $290 |
1 of 3 catalytic converters failed |
| 71000 mi | Dealer mechanic discovered minor oil leak in head gasket, will keep an eye on it and fix with extended warranty when it gets worse. |
| 80000 mi US $250 |
Small oil and Coolant leak from head gasket, gasket replaced under extended warrenty. mechanic discovered thermostat was sticking, they replaced thermostat, at my cost for the part. idler pulley for timing belt going bad, replaced under extended warranty, I had to pay for a new timing belt. |
| 123300 mi US $150 |
Cruise kicks off, then engine pings, and surges, after about a minute it acts normal. NO CODES! Replaced spark plugs and knock sensor. It still has the problem. |
| 125000 mi US $400 |
Engine still pings, misses, surges, stalls, has no power, or has great power while still doing the above. On a rare occasion it will run perfectly for a few min. Subaru said it was my gas and wouldn't look further. After 30 tanks of gas! |
| 126000 mi US $220 |
Local shop put in a used computer, 3 months of problems are now fixed. |
| 198000 mi US $140 |
Replaced sparkplugs |
| 198000 mi | It was time for a timing belt again and it needed some oil leaks fixed. |
| 136000 mi | Head gasket leaked, oil pump leaked |
2005 Subaru Legacy 4dr Wagon
168-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 141000 mi US $3200 |
Leaking head gasket replaced. Belts and water pump replaced at the same time. |
| 135000 mi US $240 |
My check engine light cam on and my cruise control light continues to flash "cruise". This disables the use of the cruise control. Both the O2 and speed sensors were checked but the problems persists. |
| 138300 mi C $400 |
removing the protecting sheild of the exhaust line. |
| 136460 mi C $400 |
Engine had been firing on 3 cylinders. Engine light on. Ignition coil was arcing. Replaced coil package. |
| 137000 mi US $600 |
Symptoms: check engine light; rough idle after engine warm. Solution: Valve ring went bad; reworked valve guide, replaced head gasket. |
2005 Subaru Legacy 4dr Sedan
turbocharged 250hp 2.5L H4 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 87000 mi US $1400 |
Scheduled maintenance. Timing belt, water pump, and thermostat. |
| 130300 mi US $100 |
Found radiator was leaking from joint of plastic top to aluminum fins. Replaced radiator, upper hose, fan belts. |
| 161000 mi US $200 |
Intercooler had separated, allowing charge air to escape. Turbo Inlet, or intake had a slight tear. Removed intake manifold and replaced turbo inlet. 12+ hours of work for me. |
| 190000 mi US $1200 |
Turbo failure. Replaced turbo with aftermarket Replaced down pipe Replaced all oil fittings with internal filters |
| 112000 mi US $3600 |
Fueling and electrical issue caused by a previous shop in Boise Idaho. |
| 102920 mi C $1689 |
Both valve cover gaskets. |
| 104000 mi US $2463 |
valve cover leak main seal leak accessory belt, worn, not prematurely, replaced to save on labor costs later. timing belt tensioner |
| 107000 mi US $500 |
radiator end tank cracked, radiator replaced. |
| 63200 mi US $850 |
Car was overheating on highway. Radiator was mostly empty. Towed to a mechanic |
| 137640 mi C $600 |
Plastic end tank on radiator cracked while driving, once up to temperature/pressure it sprayed all over the engine. The car went up on a flatbed to the dealer to have a new rad installed. After picking car up from radiator replacement, the car was surging badly, turned out to be a bad O2 sensor, very odd timing since nothing has failed in the last 70,000k |
| 100000 mi US $150 |
Leaking fuel line connections at fuel injectors. Retightened clamps. |
| 114700 mi US $660 |
Valve cover gasket leaking |
| 126000 mi US $600 |
Rough idle, check engine light indicated running lean. Solution: loose battery terminal, fixed battery terminal and recalibrated throttle body. Slight crack in intercooler. Replaced intercooler. |
| 129300 mi US $500 |
There was a crack in the plastic top part of the radiator, replaced radiator. |
| 131300 mi US $270 |
Rough idle, check engine light indicating misfire on cylinders 1-3. Found/reattached a loose vacuum line (the culprit) and replaced spark plugs. |
| 65000 mi US $600 |
Engine gasket worn out and leaking oil. Gasket replaced. Coolant tubing and connector deteriorated and was leaking coolant. Radiator thermostat soaked in coolant and also replaced as a precaution. |
| 130000 mi US $100 |
Steering belt slipping--replaced belt, problem gone for a few weeks. Returned, belt tightened, problem has been gone for >1 month so far. |
| 134000 mi US $190 |
Cylinder 4 ignition coil was causing misfire and needed replacement. The actual repair took 1 day, the other days were for troubleshooting. Car in and out of shop (~1 day/week) for about a month to identify cause of misfire. |
| 168000 mi US $1000 |
When engine warm, would turn over and the cut out upon restart. Immediate subsequent restart required letting the engine turn over several times before it would catch |
| 171300 mi US $1765 |
Turbocharger catastrophic failure, required replacement. |
| 182000 mi US $500 |
Valve and cam cover oil leaks, requiring repair and replacement of timing belt. |
| 189000 mi US $600 |
Engine overheating, replaced thermostat (cost includes synthetic oil change) Fuel injectors required replacement |
| 194000 mi US $1300 |
Timing belt idler bearing failed, required replacement and replacement of timing belt |
| 77800 mi C $444 |
CEL P0011, inspected, oil changed (5,500 km), part ordered, changed AVCS solenoid. |
| 96460 mi C $75 |
Original exhaust gasket blown |
| 106640 mi C $350 |
CEL code P0442 on vacation 1,600 miles from home. High repair estimate from dealer, decided to wait until return to home dealership. |
| 109740 mi C $2087 |
Replaced rusted fuel tank to address CEL code PO442. |
2005 Subaru Legacy 4dr Sedan
turbocharged 250hp 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 124600 mi US $900 |
Engine front seal leak. |
| 71000 mi US $610 |
could not fill fuel tank, fuel nozzle would click off. Tech found charcoal vapor canister in emissions system had fuel in it & needed replacement. |
| 153000 mi US $1500 |
Head gaskets again. Used Tomei Racing reinforced gaskets along with ARP head studs this time. |
| 29000 mi | Originally brought car in for check engine light and the Turbo Fan Relay recall. The car ran rough at idle and studdered at 2800rpm. Dealer replaced the ECM(computer). |
| 34000 mi | Rough idle again and poor performance. Dealer replace #2 injector, but did not solve the problem. Possibly another injector is defective along with a needed ECM reflash dealer didn't have time to complete last visit. Bringing back to dealer to fix again. |
| 37000 mi US $500 |
Rough idle and poor performance still exist, dealers dianostic computer was down and could not determine which injector was bad. Must go back to dealer, AGAIN! Rough idle and poor performance problem still. Different dealer(out of town) did not find anything wrong with the injectors but had fouled up plugs. Preformed 30,000 service which included new plugs, carbon cleaning, etc. Ran great for about 100 miles the |
| 41000 mi | Replaced the number 4 injector and the car has been running great. |
| 51000 mi US $86 |
I had the turbo banjo bolt removed after reading a TSB that the banjo filter could become clogged and starve the turbo of oil causing it to seize. Dealer recommended removal of filter rather than cleaning every 3000 miles at a cost of $90 in labor. |
| 92000 mi US $1500 |
Valve cover gasket leak. Typical expensive repair on all subaru's around 100k. Had them replaced along with I minor oil leak from the oil filter attachment. |
| 42000 mi US $50 |
Faulty fuel injector, causing misfire in cylinder 3. |
| 100000 mi US $2000 |
Slipping clutch, replaced clutch and flywheel |
| 51000 mi | Had to replace alternator belt as the old one came of the pulley and was damaged. |
| 57000 mi US $1500 |
After the car has been sitting idle for two years: AC pulley got loose and cut open my timing belt cover. Main alternator pulley got dry rotted and had to be replaced. Downpipe O2 sensor had to be changed. All four brakes and rotors replace. |
| 90000 mi US $260 |
Misfire in #1 cylinder. Plug fouled due to short created by plug wire rubbing on fuel injection control wire. |
| 109651 mi US $2935 |
Took vehicle to dealer for check engine light/poor performance. First trip revealed only blown fuse. When condition repeated dealer found bad mass air sensor. Because of age of car, part had to be ordered. |
| 174000 mi US $800 |
Engine misfire |
| 99000 mi US $10000 |
turbo went ruined engine,during repairs with new engine and turbo did upgraded fuel and exhaust and intercooler ect |
| 64300 mi | water pump leak |
| 106000 mi US $1100 |
diagnose and replace car computer |
| 124000 mi US $1200 |
Blown turbo - replaced with a rebuilt turbo |
| 96960 mi C $1000 |
Car had slight hesitation on power and vibration on idle. Replaced all 4 coil packs with Subaru OEM parts. Replaced MAF and O2 sensor with Denso (Subaru's OEM). |
2005 Subaru Legacy 4dr Sedan
168-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD
| 74400 mi | Vibration between 2-2.5k RPM. Turned out to be a loose exhaust heat shield; all that was required was a quick tightening. |
| 93000 mi C $300 |
Valve gasket leaking removed and replaced. |
2005 Subaru Legacy 4dr Sedan
168-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 65000 mi US $350 |
Replaced valve cover gaskets. |
| 69500 mi US $75 |
Broken radiator cap. Replaced & topped off coolant. |
| 97000 mi US $800 |
Replace the catalytic converter. |
| 101000 mi | Just a few weeks after having had the catalytic converter replaced, the check engine light came on again. Now the "Fuel Trims" are out of adjustment. My mechanic has not been able to fix this yet. They are doing research. |
| 101800 mi US $180 |
The first catalytic converter replacement failed within a few days. Had replace it with a more expensive one. I won't get a bill for this until the next time I take it in for service. |
| 116000 mi US $1200 |
Head gasket, timing belt and water pump replacement. |
| 129000 mi US $900 |
Muffler replacement |
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