IllustrationWHILE DRIVING ABOUT ANY MPH VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, AND THERE WAS A LOSS OF STEERING. THIS WOULD HAPPEN MORE OFTEN IN COLD WHEATHER.*AK
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.
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: 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
What owners actually said
60 reportsTHE CONSUMER WOULD FILL IN THE INFORMATION CONCERNING GEAR STEERING BOX FAILURE. *AK
WHEN CONSUMER APPLIES BRAKES PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, AND THERE IS AKNOCKING NOISE. *AK
TRANSMISSION IS GOING OUT, AND THE VEHICLE IS STALLING AND THERE IS A LOSS OF POWER. *AK
DOES NOT ENGAGE ON START-UP, RANDOM ENGAGE WHILE DRIVING, SAFETY IS THE MANUFACTURER'S RESPONSIBILITY! HAD MECHANIC DISENGAGE MOTOR, NOW OPERATES MANUALLY. EST. COST OF REPAIR- $200-$350.
THE AUTOMATIC SEATBELT ON THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE FAILED. THE CABLE HAS COME OUT OF THE TRACK AND THE ANCHOR (AROUND THE DOOR) NO LONGER MOVES, ALTHOUGH THE BELT MOTOR STILL WORKS, THE BELT CANNOT BE MOVED INTO A FULL BACK POSITION. THIS SYSTEM SHOULD NOT FAIL AND IN MY OPINION SHOULD BE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MANUFACTUR…
Read full complaint
THE AUTOMATIC SEATBELT ON THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE FAILED. THE CABLE HAS COME OUT OF THE TRACK AND THE ANCHOR (AROUND THE DOOR) NO LONGER MOVES, ALTHOUGH THE BELT MOTOR STILL WORKS, THE BELT CANNOT BE MOVED INTO A FULL BACK POSITION. THIS SYSTEM SHOULD NOT FAIL AND IN MY OPINION SHOULD BE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MANUFACTURER. SUBARU HAS NOW, AFTER SOME CALLS, OFFERED PAY FOR THE PARTS IF I PAY THE LABOR FOR INSTALLATION OF A COMPLETE NEW KIT FOR THE TRACK, ETC. IS THIS A SAFETY DEFECT THAT SUBARU SHOULD BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR? I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC THAT THE SEATBELT SYSTEM SHOULD BE LUBED ONCE A YEAR TO PREVENT THE $450 FAILURE THAT OCURRED IN THIS VEHICLE. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO MENTION OF THIS IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. YOUR HELP IS APPRECIATED. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS. *MJS
DRIVER'S SHOULDER BELT GOT STUCK IN A FORWARD POSITION, CAUSING SHOULDER BELT TO BE INOPERATIVE, WHICH WONT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
NO PAST PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR, BUT NOW HAS A LEAKING GAS TANK
CONSUMER WAS HIT ON RIGHT FROND END ,THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT DID NOT LOCK, CAUSING CHEST AND STERNUM INJURIES. *AK
WHILE ACCELERATING ONTO A FREEWAY ON-RAMP, THE OVERDRIVE WENT OUT, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO SHIFT TO 3RD GEAR AND GET DISABLED VEHICLE OFF THE FREEWAY.
Official recalls
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 ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.