There are 11 owner-reported tires & wheels complaints for the 2005 Subaru Legacyin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
MICHELIN DEFENDER TIRES; ALL 4 TIRES ARE DRY ROTTING WHERE THE TREAD MEETS THE CASING AND BELTS . DEGRADATION OF THE TIRES OVER A LITTLE OVER 2 YEARS IS EXTREMELY PREMATURE CONSIDERING THESE TIRES ARE ADVERTISED TO GIVE 90,000 MILES AND WE PROBABLY ONLY PUT ON AROUND 8,000 MILES A YEAR . WE LIVE IN THE PITTSBURGH, PA AREA WHERE THEY USE SEVERAL DIFFERENT ICE MELTING CHEMICALS INCLUDING ROCK SALT THAT CAN ENTER THE LARGE CRACKS IN THE RUBBER AND EAT AWAY AT IT . I'M AFRAID TO TAKE THE CAR ON LONG TRIPS USING INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS AT HIGH SPEED FOR FEAR OF THE TREAD SEPARATING FROM THE CASING OF THE TIRE . WHAT'S IRONIC IS THAT LOOKING ON-LINE THERE ARE MANY OTHER PEOPLE ALSO COMPLAINING ABOUT MICHELIN TIRES DRY ROTTING PREMATURELY . I HAVE SEVERAL EXCELLENT CLOSE-UP PICTURES THAT I CAN EMAIL UPON REQUEST .
THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARING STARTED MAKING NOISE INDICATING IT WAS FAILING. THE LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILED AT ~ 42,000 MILES A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. SUBARU INDICATED THESE SHOULD LAST 80,000 MILES. YOUR PARTS SELECTION WON'T LET ME ENTER WHEEL BEARING. *TT
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SUBARU LEGACY. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL LUG NUT BOLTS HAD SHEERED AWAY FROM THE WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WAS LOOSE AND THE REAR DRIVER SIDE WHEEL LUG NUT BOLT WAS ALSO FRACTURED. THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL LUG NUT BOLT WAS REPLACED. THE REAR DRIVER SIDE LUG NUT BOLT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.
I JUST BOUGHT A USED 2005 SUBARU LEGACY GT. 20 MINUTES AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE I WAS DRIVING ALONG A SNOWY HIGHWAY AND ACCELERATED JUST AFTER A SET OF LIGHTS. THE REAR END OF THE CAR FELT VERY LOOSE AND THE CAR SQUIRRELED AFTER GAINING CONTROL AND ACCELERATING TO KEEP TRAFFIC MOVING THE REAR END SQUIRRELED OUT AND I WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL. THE CAR SPUN 180 AND SLAMMED INTO THE SNOW BANK SIDEWAYS. IT HAS THE STOCK POTENZA 205-45-17'S I HAVE NEVER LOST CONTROL OF A VEHICLE IN MY LIFE LIKE THAT 2WD OR 4WD. DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE WAS MINOR THE DRIVERS SIDE DOORS ARE BOTH CRINKLED AT THE BOTTOMS AND PART OF THE SHROUD UNDERNEATH WAS BROKEN OFF. PLAN IS TO REPLACE TIRES ASAP SHAME ON SUBARU PUTTING OUT A WINTER VEHICLE WITH POOR PERFORMANCE TIRES. VEHICLE AND STOCK TIRES HAVE 36000KMS. *TR
WHEN HAVING NEW TIRES PLACED ON THE CAR THERE WAS SO MUCH CORROSION ON THE WHEELS AND BRAKE HOUSING THE SERVICE PERSON HAD TO BREAK OFF THE CHUNKS OF RUST TO GET THE TIRES OFF. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME THE TIRES ARE CHANGED. THEY ADVISE EACH TIME THAT THIS NOT KNOWN TO HAPPEN ON A NEWER CAR. AT THE TIME THAT THIS WAS FOUND THERE WAS A RECALL FOR CARS IN OTHER STATES FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT WHEN I CALLED SUBARU ABOUT THIS I WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALL DID NOT EXTEND TO OUR STATE. THE MECHANIC I TAKE MY CAR TO SAID IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL THE WHEELS WILL FALL OFF DUE TO FAILURE FROM THE CORROSION. *TR
FRONT WHEEL BEARING FAILURE. *TR
RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BROKE. CAST WHEEL. FOUND TIRE AND RIM 30 FEET AHEAD OF VEHICLE AFTER CRASH DUE TO LOSS OF CONTROL. VEHICLE SPUN, ENTERED CULVERT FACING OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND IMPACTED TREE CAUSING IT TO ROLL TWICE. VEHICLE TOTALED. GEICE INSURANCE HAS POSSESSION OF VEHICLE BUT WILL LEAVE INTACT FOR ANOTHER 30 DAYS. HAVE PICTURES, BROKEN RIM AND PART OF SPOKE. WE'VE PURCHASED A SUBARU FORRESTER WITH SUBARU GIVING US A CUSTOMER LOYALTY REBATE. THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT IN OUR MINDS THAT THIS CASTING WAS DEFECTIVE AND MAY CAUSE MANY MORE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS WITH DEATH OR INJURY. WE WE'RE FRANKLY LUCKY. PICTURES AND COMMENTS CAN BE VIEWED AT HTTP://LEGACYGT.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?P=346119#POST346119.*JB
STANDARD EQUIPPED TIRES ON SUBARU LEGACY 2.5 WAGONS ARE BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE92 215/45/ZR 17, SUPPOSEDLY AN ALL YEAR TIRE. THIS TIRE SIZE DOES NOT APPEAR IN THE DROP DOWN MENU ON THE TIRE PAGE, THUS THE TIRE INDICATED ON THAT PAGE IS INCORRECT. THE TIRE IN QUESTION IS THE RE 92 215/45/ZR 17. THESE TIRES ARE DANGEROUS ON WET PAVEMENTS AND IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL ON SNOW. THEY SHOULD NOT BE SOLD IN THE NORTHERN US. I'VE HAD COUNTLESS INCIDENTS TRYING TO CONTROL THE CAR IN LOW SPEED STOPPING AND IN LOW TO MODERATE SPEED TURNING IN LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW CONDITIONS. I PURCHASED A 4 WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE SNOW CONDITIONS IN UPSTATE NY. INSTEAD I HAVE A CAR WITH TIRES THAT CANNOT HANDLE EVEN MODERATE WINTER CONDITIONS. THESE TIRES WILL ULTIMATELY RESULT IN SOMEONES INJURY AND/OR DEATH. *NM
OEM TIRES ON THE 2005 SUBARU LEGACY GT ARE DANGEROUS. JUST TWO MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING OUR VEHICLE WE WERE CAUGHT IN AN ICE STORM. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO NAVIGATE A GAS STATION AT EXTREMELY LOW SPEEDS THE CAR LOST TRACTION AND RAN INTO A POLE IN FRONT OF A FUEL PUMP. WE OWN A NON-AWD VEHICLE AND IT HAS NEVER LOST TRACTION AT SUCH LOW SPEEDS ON ICE. WE ALSO NOTICED IT DID NOT HANDLE WELL IN THE RAIN, THOUGH IN SNOW IT WAS MARGINALLY BETTER BUT STILL DANGEROUSLY EASY TO LOSE TRACTION IF THE SNOW WAS PACKED ANY. DECIDED TO PURCHASE SNOW TIRES BECAUSE TRAVEL IN THE WINTER WAS DANGEROUS. NOW, WE'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE OEM TIRES BECAUSE OF PREMATURE WEAR -- THEY HAVE LESS THAN 20,000 MILES ON THEM AND THE REAR TIRES ARE NEARLY BALD. ALL PAID FOR OUT OF POCKET -- SUBARU CLAIMS NO RESPONSIBILITY OVER THE TIRES SINCE THEY DON'T MANUFACTURE THEM AND THEY AREN'T COVERED BY WARRANTY AND CONTINUES TO PUT THEM ON THEIR VEHICLES. SUBARU NEEDS TO RECALL THE TIRES AND GIVE PEOPLE TIRES THAT CAN ACTUALLY HANDLE REAL-WORLD CONDITIONS. THE DROPDOWN MENU FOR THE TIRES IS INCORRECT -- THESE ARE 17" TIRES, STANDARD FOR THE GT LTD. *NM
THE TIRES DO NOT FUNCTION, AND HOLD TRACTION DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE CONTROL. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. OWNER STATED THAT VEHICLE WAS ALL WHEEL DRIVE AND BRAND NEW. THE CAUSE IS UNDETERMINED AT THIS TIME. *AK *NM
VEHICLE: 05 SUBARU GT LIMITED SEDAN (PURCHASED) 11/30/04) TIRE: BRIDGESTONE, POTENZA RE92 (215/45 ZR17. MY WIFE AND I SKIDDED AS WE APPROACHED A STOP SIGN ON A LEVEL, SNOW COVERED ROAD. I BROKE GRADUALLY AND MY SPEED WAS LOW, ABOUT 10 MPH AS I STARTED BRAKING). INSTEAD OF STOPPING, THE CAR JUST KEPT GOING EVEN THOUGH I APPLIED MORE BRAKE PRESSURE. IF THERE HAD BEEN A CAR AHEAD OF US, I WOULD HAVE REARENDED IT. I DISCOVERED VERY NEGATIVE REVIEWS OF THIS TIRE ON THE FOLLLOWING 2 CUSTOMER SURVEY BASES: TIRERACK.COM AND 1010TIRES.COM. THE MAJORITY OF CUSTOMERS RATED THIS TIRE AS POOR FOR WET TRACTION AND VERY POOR (DANGEROUS WAS USED IN SOME REVIEWS) FOR SNOW TRACTION. I HAVE CASE #S W/SOA & BRIDGESTONE. THEY AND THE DEALER HAVE REFUSED MY REQUEST TO CREDIT MY OE TIRES FOR NEW ONES. MANY CUSTOMERS (AVE OF 2.6 OUT OF 10) ANSWERED NO WHEN ASKED WOULD YOU BUY THIS TIRE AGAIN. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THERE IS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE RE92 FOR WET TRACTION, ESPECIALLY SNOW TRACTION. CONSIDERING THAT SUBARU AWD VEHICLES BUILT A REPUTATION AS A CAR THAT WILL BE SURE-FOOTED IN INCLEMENT WEATHER, WHY WOULD SOA EQUIP THIS CAR W/TIRES HAVING A 160 TREAD RATING? TIRE DEALERS I'VE SPOKEN TO ABOUT THIS ISSUE SAY THAT THIS TIRE IS THE EQUIVALENT OF A SUMMER TIRE. SOA SHOULD REPHRASE THEIR SLOGAN FOR CARS W/RE92S TO: FROM THE WHEEL THAT SLIPS TO THE TIRE THAT SLIPS.*AK
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