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1991 Subaru Legacy

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1991 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

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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: 4 of 78 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.

  • Seat Belts. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Latches/locks/linkages. 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.

3 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports

Seat Belts complaints

19 reports
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Mileage unknown · Feb 16, 2016
Seat Belts

DRIVERS SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT DRIVE CABLE SLIPS OUT OF TRACK MAKING SEAT BELT USELESS AND DANGEROUS.

NHTSA ODI #10836466

176,000 miles · May 31, 2007
Seat Belts

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRIC SEAT BELT JAMS IN THE MIDDLE AND RENDERS THE SEAT BELT INOPERABLE. THE DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE FREE OF CHARGE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 176,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE SEAT BELT WAS REPLACED AND ON AUGUST 10, 2007 IT FA…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRIC SEAT BELT JAMS IN THE MIDDLE AND RENDERS THE SEAT BELT INOPERABLE. THE DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE FREE OF CHARGE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 176,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE SEAT BELT WAS REPLACED AND ON AUGUST 10, 2007 IT FAILED AGAIN. THE SEAT BELT WAS REPLACED AGAIN ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2007. UPDATED 09/27/07. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10192125

Mileage unknown · Mar 18, 2004
Seat Belts

CONSUMER NOTICED THAT DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WEBBING WAS SEPARATING. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, AND THAT CONSUMER HAD TO PAY FOR REPAIRS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10063507

Mileage unknown · Sep 25, 2002
Seat Belts

WITHIN ONE WEEK BOTH SEAT BELTS CAME APART. DEALER SAID IT WOULD COST $975.00 TO REPLACE THEM. DO I HAVE ANY OTHER RECOURSE? THANK YOU.

NHTSA ODI #767695

Mileage unknown · Aug 23, 2001
Seat Belts

FABRIC JOINT ON LAP BELT WAS PRINTED WITH A WARNING THAT THE BELT MUST BE REPLACED IF THE FABRIC IS BROKEN, PRESUMABLY IN A COLLISION. IT HAS WORN OUT THROUGH ABRASION FROM NORMAL USE, NO COLLISION IS INVOLVED. HOWEVER, IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED OTHERWISE A BASIC SAFETY COMPONENT REQUIRED BY LAW IS SIMPLY NOT THERE. WE FEEL STRONG…

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FABRIC JOINT ON LAP BELT WAS PRINTED WITH A WARNING THAT THE BELT MUST BE REPLACED IF THE FABRIC IS BROKEN, PRESUMABLY IN A COLLISION. IT HAS WORN OUT THROUGH ABRASION FROM NORMAL USE, NO COLLISION IS INVOLVED. HOWEVER, IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED OTHERWISE A BASIC SAFETY COMPONENT REQUIRED BY LAW IS SIMPLY NOT THERE. WE FEEL STRONGLY THAT SUCH A PART SHOULD NOT BE DESIGNED TO FAIL. HOWEVER, WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY ONE LOCAL DEALER THAT EVEN IF WE WANTED TO PAY TO HAVE IT FIXED, THAT THE PART FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A REASONABLE SITUATION.*AK

NHTSA ODI #751021

Mileage unknown · Oct 30, 1999
Seat Belts

AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT HAS FAILED - COST TO REPAIR: $500-700, I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS HAPPENING IN MOST SUBARUS. IS THERE SOMETHING BEING DONE? I AM AFRAID THAT I WILL BE SERIOUSLY INJURED IF I WERE TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU ARE DOING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THANKS.

NHTSA ODI #714116

Mileage unknown · Apr 26, 1999
Seat Belts

AUTOMATIC SEATBELT SYSTEM FAILED. KNOW OF MANY EXACT PROBLEMS WITH SYSTEM IN SUBARU FROM OTHER OWNERS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #705992

Mileage unknown · Nov 23, 1998
Seat Belts

DRIVER'S SHOULDER BELT IS STUCK IN THE FORWARD POSITION. DEALER CONTACTED AND IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ODI #831202

Mileage unknown · Nov 3, 1998
Seat Belts

FRONT SHOULDER PASSIVE RESTRAINT SEAT BELT WILL NOT AUTOMATICALLY COME BACK, IS INOPERABLE. DEALER CONTACTED, AND CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, CONSUMER'S COSTS TO REPAIR FRONT SHOULDER BELT WOULD BE $900. *AK

NHTSA ODI #830005

Mileage unknown · Nov 2, 1998
Seat Belts

AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT FAILED.

NHTSA ODI #542381

Official recalls

3

94V052000 · 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.

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

1

PE94051 · Hood Latch Failure

Opened Jun 29, 1994 · Closed Oct 31, 1994

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure

There is no summary currently available