There are 3 owner-reported steering complaints for the 2005 Subaru Imprezain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I WAS DRIVING AND LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AT 55MPH. I STRUGGLED TO PULL THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO MY MECHANIC WHERE HE DIAGNOSED A BROKEN CONTROL ARM DUE TO CORROSION.
ALL OF A SUDDEN I WAS UNABLE TO STEER THE CAR. SPECIFICALLY, ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC THE O-RING FAILED IN THE STEERING PUMP RETURN HOSE. THIS CAUSED AN AIR LEAK IT IS A GOOD THING I WAS ONLY GOING SLOWLY. THE CAR HAD LOW MILEAGE. THE O-RING THAT FAILED WAS MADE OF PLASTIC AND BECAME WARPED DUE TO ENGINE HEAT OVER 9 YEARS. THIS FAILURE COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR CRASH AND DEATH TO THE OCCUPANTS IN THE CAR. I AM SURE THAT MY CAR WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THE O RING FAILURE. CHECK AT YOUTUBE. IN MY OPINION THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS CAR. *TR
STEERING IN MY CAR WOULD LOCK WHILE TRYING TO TURN MY CAR. THIS WOULD HAPPEN PERIODICALLY AND AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. IT HAPPENED 5-6 TIMES BEFORE I TOOK IT IN AS I WAS AFRAID AN ACCIDENT MIGHT HAPPEN DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO TURN MY CAR. SUBARU DEALER SAID MY POWER STEERING PUMP WAS FAILING. DEALER ALSO STATED THAT A NEWER DESIGN POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD BE INSTALLED. THIS INDICATED TO ME THAT SUBARU HAD AN ISSUE WITH THIS, OTHERWISE WHAT WOULD BE THE REASON FOR A NEW DESIGN. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026