IllustrationLOCK ON VEHICLE DOESN'T WORK. CONSUMER STATED THAT WINDOW WILL BE LEFT DOWN IN ORDER TO GET INSIDE OF VEHICLE. ALSO, GEAR SHIFT GOES UP AND DOWN. *AK
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
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: 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
What owners actually said
78 reportsVEHICLE WOULD ONLY MOVE FOR SHORT DISTANCES, THEN WILL STOP. CONSUMER FEELS THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISION. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
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
THE DOOR LOCKS ON THE FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE ARE PERMANENTLY LOCKED.
A REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELD IS LEAKING. CONSUMER HAS TAKEN VEHICLE TO BLOOMFIELD GLASS COMPANY TO HAVE IT REPLACED. *AK CONSUMER RETURNED TO SHOP AFTER WINDOW WAS REPLACED DUE TO A LEAK, DEALER STATED LEAK WAS DUE TO TAPE, SO THE TAPE WAS REMOVED, HOWEVER THERE WAS STILL AN AIR LEAK, NEW TAPE WAS PUT ON AND THIS DID NOT REMEDY …
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A REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELD IS LEAKING. CONSUMER HAS TAKEN VEHICLE TO BLOOMFIELD GLASS COMPANY TO HAVE IT REPLACED. *AK CONSUMER RETURNED TO SHOP AFTER WINDOW WAS REPLACED DUE TO A LEAK, DEALER STATED LEAK WAS DUE TO TAPE, SO THE TAPE WAS REMOVED, HOWEVER THERE WAS STILL AN AIR LEAK, NEW TAPE WAS PUT ON AND THIS DID NOT REMEDY PROBLEM EITHER, CONSUMER WAS TOLD THIS IS HIS PROBLEM. *SLC
OIL LEAK. *AK PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE RELEASE FAILED. *YH
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
AIR CONTROL VALVE IS SLOW CAUSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO BE HARD TO PRESS. NLM
THERE IS NO POWER COMING FROM THE LIGHTER SOCKET, DEALER REPLACED SOCKET AND ELEMENT. *SLC
CONSUMER DETECTED THAT EXHAUST FUMES WERE SEEPING INTO THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER FELT IT'WAS A DESIGN FLAW.*AK
Official recalls
394V052000 · 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
1PE94051 · Hood Latch Failure
Opened Jun 29, 1994 · Closed Oct 31, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure
There is no summary currently available