Your vehicle report
1991 Subaru Legacy
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 78
- Received Jan 1995 to Oct 2017
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Rear door latch fails to open or close23 complaints · 29% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Seat belt fails to latch or retract15 complaints · 19% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Axle breaks while driving, wheel detaches4 complaints · 5.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #94V052000When 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.
- Recall #91V082000Under certain load conditions, the park gear may not disengage immediately when the transmission lever is moved from park to reverse.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 3 crashes, 0 fires, 3 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 6 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 10 |
| 1996 | 12 |
| 1997 | 16 |
| 1998 | 10 |
| 1999 | 8 |
| 2000 | 6 |
| 2001 | 6 |
| 2002 | 2 |
| 2003 | 2 |
| 2004 | 1 |
| 2005 | 0 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 78 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 23 | 29% | – | NHTSA recall #90V184000 |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 15 | 19% | – | |
| Axle breaks while driving, wheel detaches | 4 | 5.1% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 4 | 5.1% | – | |
| Serpentine belt breaks or slips off | 3 | 3.9% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 3 | 3.9% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #94V052000March 23, 199431,295 vehicles affected
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #91V082000May 30, 199176,000 vehicles affected
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #90V184000October 16, 1990103,744 vehicles affected
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.
The affected door may not be opened from inside,preventing exit from that door.
Remedy
Replace front door latch screws with "lock-tight" screws.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1991 Subaru Legacy.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN