NHTSA recalls, safety ratings, and consumer complaints for the 1991 Subaru Legacy.
| Trim | City | Hwy | Combined | Annual fuel $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.2L 4 cyl Automatic 4-spd | 19 | 26 | 21 | $2,850 |
| 2.2L 4 cyl Manual 5-spd | 19 | 27 | 22 | $2,700 |
| Overall Rating | Not Rated |
| Frontal Crash | Not Rated |
| Side Crash | Not Rated |
| Rollover | Not Rated |
Component: POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
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: 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.
Component: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
UNDER CERTAIN LOAD CONDITIONS, THE PARK GEAR MAY NOT DISENGAGE IMMEDIATELY WHEN THE TRANSMISSION LEVER IS MOVED FROM PARK TO REVERSE.
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.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 SUBARU LEGACY. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT'S ELBOW WAS CUT SEVERAL TIMES ON THE DOOR JAM WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EXIT. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.
DRIVERS SIDE AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT DRIVE CABLE SLIPS OUT OF TRACK MAKING SEAT BELT USELESS AND DANGEROUS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT WAS SITTING AT A TRAFFIC STOP WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE AND THE GEAR SHIFTER DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 123,259.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN DRIVING 50 MPH AND FASTER, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD BRIEFLY ILLUMINATE AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC THAT THE FAILURE COULD POTENTIALLY BE CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE THROTTLE SENSOR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 193,100 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 193,250.
The 1991 Subaru Legacy has 3 NHTSA recalls and 111 consumer complaints on file. It received an overall safety rating of Not Rated out of 5 stars in NHTSA crash testing. The high number of complaints suggests potential reliability concerns — review the complaint details above before purchasing. For the most detailed information about a specific vehicle, decode its VIN using our free decoder above.
Enter a specific VIN to get the full report — specs, recalls, safety ratings, complaints, investigations, and technical service bulletins.
Component: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
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: THE AFFECTED DOOR MAY NOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE,PREVENTING EXIT FROM THAT DOOR.
Remedy: REPLACE FRONT DOOR LATCH SCREWS WITH "LOCK-TIGHT" SCREWS.
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
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
THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH THAT CONTROLS HEADLIGHTS AND TURN SIGNAL MALFUNCTIONED. DRIVER TRIED TO USE THE TURN SIGNAL AND HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF WITHOUT ANY WARNING. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION DUE TO ANOTHER VEHICLE NOT SEEING THE HEADLIGHTS. DRIVER SUSTAINED CHEST AND STERNUM INJURIES. *AK
AFTER STARTING VEHICLE DRIVER PUT SHIFTER IN DRIVE AND VEHICLE TOOK OFF, DRIVER HAD NO CONTROL. AS A RESULT, VEHICLE HIT A BRICK WALL BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *AK
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.
WHILE DRIVING AT 35MPH AND WITH NO WARNING CONSUMER WAS HIT IN FRONT CENTER OF VEHICLE, AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
WHEN OPENING THE DOOR USING THE INSIDE HANDLE, UPON RELEASE OF THE DOOR HANDLE THE LOCKING MECHANISM IS TRIGGERED WHICH CAUSES ALL OF THE DOORS TO LOCK AND THE DRIVER'S DOOR LOCK IS JAMMED IN THE LOCKED POSITION. THE DRIVER'S DOOR IS ONLY SUPPOSED TO LOCK UPON CLOSING WHEN THE OUTER DOOR HANDLE IS ENGAGED *AND* THE DOOR HAS BEEN LOCKED. WHEN THE DOOR LOCK IS JAMMED IT REMAINS LOCKED UPON CLOSING WITHOUT ENGAGING THE OUTER DOOR HANDLE.*AK
LOCK 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
VEHICLE 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 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.
Showing 15 of 111 complaints