IllustrationFUEL PUMP WIRING SHORTED OUT IN THE GAS TANK. *TR
1994 Subaru Legacy
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1994 Subaru Legacy do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 77.
Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.
About this comparison →60Owner complaints
Model-year median: 77
0Recall campaignsView recall details →
0InvestigationsView investigation details →
Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Inspection summary
1994 Subaru Legacy
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 60 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.
Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.
Top reported categories (up to 5)
- Seat Belts: 26 reports
- Air Bags: 5 reports
- Power Train: 5 reports
- Engine And Engine Cooling: 4 reports
- Fuel System, Gasoline: 4 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
No recall campaigns in this snapshot.
Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.
How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Legacy years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure 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: 11 of 60 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 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports4 fire reports5 injury reports
Fuel System, Gasoline complaints
4 reportsWHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY, DRIVER OBSERVED SMOKE COMING FROM REAR OF VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER EXITED SAFELY, AND OBSERVED FLAMES COMING FROM THE AREA UNDER THE REAR OF THE CAR (STATION WAGON BODY, AWD MODEL) ABOVE THE DIFFERENTIAL AND NEAR THE GAS TANK. RESPONDERS …
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WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY, DRIVER OBSERVED SMOKE COMING FROM REAR OF VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER EXITED SAFELY, AND OBSERVED FLAMES COMING FROM THE AREA UNDER THE REAR OF THE CAR (STATION WAGON BODY, AWD MODEL) ABOVE THE DIFFERENTIAL AND NEAR THE GAS TANK. RESPONDERS QUENCHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED AND FOUND THAT THE WIRING FOR THE FUEL PUMP HAD THE INSULATION MELTED OFF, THE FUEL PUMP GASKET WAS COMPRIMISED, AND THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF FLAMES HAVING BEEN IN THE AREA. FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN SHORT DISTANCES, THE DIFFERENTIAL BECAME "RED HOT". THE AXLE WAS REPLACED, AND THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES ON BOTH INTERSTATES AND SECONDARY ROADS, AFTER WHICH THE DIFFERETIAL WAS SEEN SMOKING FROM THE HEAT THAT HAD BUILT UP. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE AXLE A SECOND TIME, WITH THE SAME OVERHEATING OBSERVED. IT IS THE MECHANICS' OPINION THAT THE INITIAL FIRE WAS CAUSED BY THE OVERHEATING DIFFERETIAL. FURTHER, HIS RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THE OVERHEATING IS CAUSED BY A FAULTY CLUTCH PACK AND SELENOID IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED FLAME SHOOTING OUT OF FILLER NECK UPON TAKEN OFF GAS CAP. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER TO TAKE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL DEALER. DEALER CLAIMED THAT NOTHING COULD BE FOUND, AND DEALER'S TECHNICIAN INFORMED CONSUMER THAT STATIC FROM CONSUMER'S HAND MAY HAVE TRIGGERED FLAMES. PLEASE FILL FREE TO…
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VEHICLE EXPERIENCED FLAME SHOOTING OUT OF FILLER NECK UPON TAKEN OFF GAS CAP. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER TO TAKE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL DEALER. DEALER CLAIMED THAT NOTHING COULD BE FOUND, AND DEALER'S TECHNICIAN INFORMED CONSUMER THAT STATIC FROM CONSUMER'S HAND MAY HAVE TRIGGERED FLAMES. PLEASE FILL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK
NO PAST PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR, BUT NOW HAS A LEAKING GAS TANK
Recall campaigns
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
Defect investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.