2005 Subaru Outback Rear Problems
- 19
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
What owners report
- side side · 5 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 30–60k mi | 8 |
| 60–100k mi | 4 |
| 1–30k mi | 4 |
| 100–150k mi | 1 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Rear
Rear end of the vehicle fishtails when driving straight on an icy road. I have read many similar reports and experienced the issue somewhat, but today driving with a full passenger load was truly terrifying. The rear wheels would sway suddenly and completely without warning, sometimes feeling very close to the point of losing control on the interstate. I have lots of experience with driving various vehicles…
ODI 10375567
Rear
Driving on icy/snowy roads, the back end sways/"ghost walks" extremely dangerously probably 2-3" each way regardless of braking/turning/straightaway/accelerating. We were driving along with a 2wd vehicle from wi to mt which handled significantly better than the outback (which is supposed to be the top of the line winter car). Had brand new (300 miles) quality all weather tires and an alignment. The car actually…
ODI 10412158
Rear
2005 subaru outback exhibits a serious of stability when driving at a steady speed on the highway when there is the slightest degradation of traction. The rear of the vehicle will begin to sway from side to side on flat and straight road surfaces if the roads are wet from rain or even with a light dusting of snow. On december 3 2010 i was driving north on i-75 north of flint michigan, there was occasional light snow…
ODI 10383302
Rear
2005 subaru outback unstable rear suspension. This car is absolutely terrifying to drive at hwy speeds in adverse weather conditions. The rear end sways and hops and swings uncontrollably. I have stopped driving this car and it will have a new owner. I will not drive such a under engineered piece of japanese iron and have the life scared out of me. There's plenty of cars out there that are safer to drive than this…
ODI 10376812
Driveline · Electronic Stability Control · Rear · Traction Control System
We have a 2005 subaru outback that sways in the rear of car under the following conditions 1. Over bumps the rear will swing to the right and dip. When roads are slick it will almost spin the vehicle. If you are in a left hand curve, even at low speed, the condition is exaggerated more than you would expect sort of like it was pushed in addition to the normal inertia you would experience. 2. Rear end traction…
ODI 10324631
Rear
90 degree swing of rear end when traveling at only 10 mph on icy road with excellent snow tires. There may be a rear suspension problem because left rear is over an inch lower than right rear. There is no subaru recall. *tr
ODI 10339204
Rear
I'm a recent owner of a 2005 subaru outback xt with 58k miles and under certain adverse weather situations; the car's tracking/driving characteristics perform in a hazardous and potentially deadly manner. When traveling in snowy and or slushy conditions on paved roads, the car's rear tires move from side to side loosing directional stability (i.e. Oversteer) with no provocation from the driver or outside influence.…
ODI 10298417
Rear
I drive a 2005 subaru outback xt limited and have experienced the rear sway, unstable conditions that many other people seem to be experiencing. I have done much research on the problem and have found that subaru's rear sway bar and alignment specs. To be unmatched for the longer wheel-base and the weight of the vehicle. After the replacement of the rear sway bar to a heavier duty one and a better alignment my…
ODI 10296073
Rear · Unknown Or Other
I have several times experienced what is known as ghost walking while driving my 2005 subaru outback 2.4i. I have driven under the same conditions with the car minimally loaded. Only on the times that the car was loaded with more than 2 passengers and their belongings did i experience ghost walk. On those times i was driving my outback on snow or ice covered road. I was driving at a steady rate of speed with…
ODI 10323399
Rear
While driving on icy roads at speeds of 40 mph or more, the car sometimes "floats" to the side several inches. It feels different than fishtailing -- more like the car is being pushed by the wind. This occurs with no cross-wind, no acceleration, no cornering or braking, on flat straight icy roads while driving at a constant speed. The sideways slip is severe enough that you feel you may lose control and leave the…
ODI 10257268
Rear
In december of 2008 i drove from idaho to montana over christmas. Road conditions were broken ice and compact snow. Whenever the car would hit a bump in the road, the rear end would tend to kick from side to side. I was forced to reduce my speed to around 30 mph, even though all other vehicles could maintain higher speeds in a safe manner. I have experienced this problem on several later occasions, and it appears to…
ODI 10302444
Rear
2005 subaru outback, 2.5l, 4eat, awd vehicle feels"loose" at speeds greater than ~35 on highways with patchy ice, slush, and or icy ruts. Rear end feels like it wants to come around. Has occurred with two passengers and approx 250 pounds in cargo area and with one passenger and ~250 pounds in cargo area. *tr
ODI 10257117
Rear
Unstable car is extremely unstable on ice or slush cover roads. This has happened many times in the past 2 years. The rear fishtails from side to side. Had to slow down to very low speed to regain control. Other cars had no trouble and easily passed. Tires are good, alignment good. Car also floats from right to left on dry pavement if wheels hit pothole or large crack in pavement. Rear instability. *tr
ODI 10217490
Rear
Car is extremely unstable on slick roads. Specifically the rear of the vehicle "fishtails". *tr
ODI 10216494
Rear
My 2005 subaru outback xt limited does not handle well in snow/icy conditions. The rear end oscillates back and forth in a very uneasy, unsafe manor. I just had the rear end and front end aligned. The tires are only half way worn. I was traveling 45 mph and every car on the road was not having issues with the road. I had to slow down to about 10 mph in order to feel safe. *cn
ODI 10216398
Rear
Tl*the contact owns a 2005 subaru outback awd (na). While driving approximately 35 mph during snowy weather, the rear of the vehicle began swaying left and right as if it were about to spin. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who realigned the wheels. The failure occurred three times. The vehicle had not been repaired. The vin was unavailable. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000 and the current…
ODI 10374998
Rear
On snowy/icy road, the handling on my 05 outback xt was worse than everything else on the road that day. The rear-end of the car was unstable and sliding side to side. I have put new tires on and had an alignment. This is unsafe, especially in a car that is thought to be good in winter. *tr
ODI 10221038
Rear
While driving on icy roads, the rear end of the car pitches left & right at an oscillation of about 1hz, 2-3" constantly trying to throw the car off the road. It does not matter if it's off throttle, off brakes - in a straight line at almost any speed it does it. New tires and 2 alignments did not correct the issue. *tr
ODI 10216344
Rear
On an extended road trip (17000 mi), in our new 2005 outback, we went through two sets of tires. The dealership corrected the alignment, which was severely off the first time (after 5000 miles.) but then at about 16000 miles, the second set was severely worn out. We had the alignment redone at the dealership in whitehorse, canada but we did not replace the tires as the warranty was not honored at that dealership.…
ODI 10168092