IllustrationTHE LOCK/LATCH ON MY CAR'S PASSENGER DOOR IS DEFECTIVE AND THE RECALL 90V18400 DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE DOOR IS DIFFICULT TO OPEN AND COULD EASIY FAIL ANY DAY AND TRAP MY PASSENGER IN THE CAR. THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING TO THE FRONT DRIVERS DOOR. THE MANUFACTUER WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AT NO CHARGE. *AK
1990 Subaru Legacy
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1990 Subaru Legacy do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 77.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Legacy years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 2 of 81 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Latches/locks/linkages. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports2 fire reports4 injury reports
Latches/locks/linkages complaints
19 reportsTHE VEHICLE'S DOOR LOCKS EXPERIENCED THE DEFECT STATED IN RECALL 90 V 184 000 BUT IT'S VIN WAS OUTSIDE OF THE REMEDY SCOPE. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO REPAIR THE DOOR. *NLM
LOCKS ON DOOR WILL LOCK EVEN WHEN UNLOCKING DOORS. LOCKS WILL AUTOMATICALLY LOCK BACK UP. CONSUMER HAS TO HOLD LOCK U, AND THEN PUSH THE DOOR OPEN TO GET OUT OF VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK *YH
MFG REFUSED TO FIX REAR DOOR LATCHES UNDER NHTSA RECALL 90V18400. THE PROBLEM IS THE SAME AS WITH THE FRONT DOORS. FAILURE OF THE LATCHES WOULD NOT PERMIT EXIT FROM CAR IN A WRECK AND WHO IS LIKELY TO RIDE IN THE REAR..CHILDREN WHO WOULD PANIC. I WAS CHARGED $140 TO CORRECT THESE MANUFACTURE DEFECTS THAT HAD BEEN PART OF, IN …
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MFG REFUSED TO FIX REAR DOOR LATCHES UNDER NHTSA RECALL 90V18400. THE PROBLEM IS THE SAME AS WITH THE FRONT DOORS. FAILURE OF THE LATCHES WOULD NOT PERMIT EXIT FROM CAR IN A WRECK AND WHO IS LIKELY TO RIDE IN THE REAR..CHILDREN WHO WOULD PANIC. I WAS CHARGED $140 TO CORRECT THESE MANUFACTURE DEFECTS THAT HAD BEEN PART OF, IN MY OPINION, A SAFETY RECALL AS NOTED. WAS IT YOUR INTENT FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT THAT ALL LATCHES WERE TO BE REPAIRED ON THESE CARS OR JUST THE FRONT LATECHES??
DOOR LOCKS FAIL IN THE LOCKED POSITION AND WILL NOT STAY OPEN WITHOUT MANUALLY HOLDING THE LOCK OPEN. THE DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED UNLESS YOU USE ONE HAND TO HOLD THE LOCK OPEN AND THE OTHER TO PULL THE HANDLE. IF YOU CANNOT REACH THE DOOR LOCK WITH 2 HANDS YOU ARE A VIRTUAL CAPTIVE UNLESS SOMEONE HELPS FROM EITHER THE INSIDE OR OU…
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DOOR LOCKS FAIL IN THE LOCKED POSITION AND WILL NOT STAY OPEN WITHOUT MANUALLY HOLDING THE LOCK OPEN. THE DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED UNLESS YOU USE ONE HAND TO HOLD THE LOCK OPEN AND THE OTHER TO PULL THE HANDLE. IF YOU CANNOT REACH THE DOOR LOCK WITH 2 HANDS YOU ARE A VIRTUAL CAPTIVE UNLESS SOMEONE HELPS FROM EITHER THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE.
DOORS WOULD LOCK BY THEMSELVES. WHEN PUSHED OR PULLED FROM EITHER OUTSIDE OR INSIDE, DOORS WILL NOT OPEN PROPERLY. *AK
DOOR LOCKS ON ITS OWN PUSHING ON LOCK INSIDE. PULLING LEVER OUTSIDE DOOR LOCKS SOMETIMES WORKS. WOULD NOT OPEN PROPERLY DUE TO PROBLEM WITH LOCKS.*AK *ML
RIGHT PASSENGER DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE. THE DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. *AK CONSUMER STATES THIS WAS DUE TO A BROKEN INTERNAL LATCH ASSEMBLY OF THE RIGHT FRONT DOOR. *SLC
THE PASSENGER'S DOOR LOCKS THE PASSENGER IN THE CAR.IF DOOR IS IN THE UNLOCKED POSITION, IT MOVES ON ITS OWN TO THE LOCKED POSITION WHEN A PASSENGER ATTEMPTS TO OPEN DOOR.DEALER IS WAITING FOR PARTS. *AK
DOOR LOCK FAILED.
Official recalls
494V052000 · Power Train:manual Transmission
Mar 23, 1994
WHEN THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN CONTINUOUSLY UNDER EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURES (-22 DEGREES F.) AND HIGH HUMIDITY WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE TRANSMISSION BREATHING (AIR) VENT CAN BE BLOCKED DUE TO MOISTURE FREEZING AT THE OIL LEVEL GAUGE. IF THIS OCCURS, PRESSURE INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION CASE WILL INCREASE AND PUSH OUT THE REAR OIL SEAL, CAUSING TRANSMISSION OIL LEAKAGE. THE LACK OF LUBRICATION CAN BURN THE INTERNAL COMPONENTS OF THE TRANSMISSION, CAUSE THE TRANSMISSION TO SEIZE AND THE VEHICLE TO COME TO A SUDDEN STOP.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: SUDDEN STOPS WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING CAN CAUSE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS TO BE THROWN AROUND THE VEHICLE AND CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL WHICH CAN RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE OIL GAUGE PIPE AND MODIFY THE OIL LEVEL GAUGE (DIPSTICK) OR REPLACE IT, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF DIPSTICK IN THE VEHICLE.
91V082000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
May 30, 1991
UNDER CERTAIN LOAD CONDITIONS, THE PARK GEAR MAY NOT DISENGAGE IMMEDIATELY WHEN THE TRANSMISSION LEVER IS MOVED FROM PARK TO REVERSE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: DELAYED RELEASE OF TRANSMISSION FROM PARK CAUSES DELAYEDAND POSSIBLY ABRUPT VEHICLE MOVEMENT THAT COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLECONTROL AND AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy: INSTALL A MODIFIED PARKING BRAKE PAWL TO PREVENT DELAYED RELEASE INTO REVERSE GEAR.
90V184000 · Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Oct 16, 1990
TORQUE OF LATCH SCREWS ON FRONT DOORS MAY LOOSEN OVER TIME DUE TO A GAP BETWEEN THE LATCH BASE PLATE AND INNER DOOR PANEL UNDER THE SCREW HEAD.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE AFFECTED DOOR MAY NOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE,PREVENTING EXIT FROM THAT DOOR.
Remedy: REPLACE FRONT DOOR LATCH SCREWS WITH "LOCK-TIGHT" SCREWS.
90V110000 · Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System
Jun 4, 1990
THE DEFROSTER LEVER PIN OF THE DEFROSTER SHUTTER DOOR MAY BECOME DISLOCATED AND ALLOW THE SHUTTER TO CLOSE, PREVENTING DEFROSTER FROM FUNCTIONING.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: NON-FUNCTIONING DEFROSTER WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT DRIVERVISIBILITY.
Remedy: INSTALL A POSITIONING STOPPER DEVICE TO PREVENT DISLOCATION OF DEFROSTER LEVER PIN TO ASSURE DEFROSTER OPERATION.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2PE94051 · Hood Latch Failure
Opened Jun 29, 1994 · Closed Oct 31, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure
There is no summary currently available
PE91039 · Reverse Delayed Engagement
Opened Jan 23, 1991 · Closed May 30, 1991
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train:automatic Transmission
There is no summary currently available
Additional source detail variants (2)
Power Train:automatic Transmission
There is no summary currently available
Power Train:automatic Transmission
There is no summary currently available