THE MOTORIZED DRIVER SEAT BELT WON'T MOVE DUE TO THE SEAT BELT BEING WORN OUT. DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE $600,00. *AK
1990 Subaru Legacy complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1990 record →
BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE.
EXCESSIVE BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE REQUIRED TO STOP VEHICLE, ALSO VEHICLE VIBRATES/BUCKS WHEN BRAKES APPLIED.
VEHICLE'S ELECTRICAL DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM IS ERRATICALLY PERFORMING, WHEN DRIVER'S DOOR IS OPEN ALL OTHER DOORS LOCK; ALSO, THIS IS NOT THE DESIGN. PASSENGER DOOR WILL LOCK WHILE DOOR LATCH IS OPENED OR IT WILL LOCK WHEN EXITING. *AK CONSUMER STATES THE ONLY WAY TO EXIT THE PASSENGER DOOR IS TO DEPRESS UNLOCKED POSITION OF DOOR LOCK WHILE OPENING DOOR, THIS REQUIRES TWO HANDS AND THE ABILITY TO DO SO, MANFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND CONSUMER WAS REFERRED TO DEALER AND THEY STATED IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED AS CONSUMER WAS BEYOND 100,00 WARRANTY, AND WAS NOT DEEMED AS A SAFETY HAZARD TO EITHER PARTY.*JB
UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE, THE DOOR LOCKS ITSELF, HAVE TO HOLD THE UNLOCKED BOTTON TO OPEN THE DOOR. PLEASE DESCRIBE IN DETAIL. *AK
THE DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT EITHER WAY. PLEASE DESCRIBE IN DETAIL. *AK
DOOR LOCK/HANDLE MECHANISM FAILED, NOT ALLOWING PASSENGER TO EXIT VEHICLE. *SD
DOOR LOCKS/LATCHES FAILED, PREVENTIN GOPENING OF THE DOORS FROM INSIDE/EXTERIOR AS WELL. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AT THE REAR AXLE, OVERHEAT FAILURE PART VISCOUS COUPLER IN THE TRANSMISSION. *AK
CONSUMER INVOLVED IN A REAR-END COLLISION AND THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT RECLINED TO THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE. *AK
SUNVISORS HINGES MADE OF PLASTIC, WHICH WORE OUT CAUSING VISORS TO PARTIALLY BLOCK DRIVERS VISION. *DH
FRONT BRAKE LINES REPLACED TWICE. *SD
SUNVISOR HINGE MADE OF PLASTIC WEARS OUT, CAUSING SUNVISOR TO FALL DOWN. *SD
TRANSMISSION FAILED TO GO INTO REVERSE FROM PARK, CAUSING ACCIDENT. *DSH
DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT RETRACTS TOO TIGHT AROUND DRIVER. TT SEAT BELT RETRACTORS ARE SO TIGHT THAT CONSUMER FEELS CHEST WILL BE CRUSHED, CONSUMER HAS TO OPEN DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR TO RELIEVE PRESSURE, WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED AGAIN IT WORKS FINE. FAILURES ARE EXTEMELY RANDOM.*JB
FUEL INJECTOR WIRINGS GROUNDED, RAW FUEL TO BE DUMPED INTO THE ENGINE WHILE RUNNING, WITHOUT WARNING 2 QUARTS OF FUEL CAME OF OIL PAN AND ALSO OUT OF EXHUAST
DOOR LOCKS; LOCKS WILL ENGAGE AUTOMATICALLY DUE POSSIBLE SPRING MECHANISM. HAD SPRINGS REPLACED W/FAILURE REOCCURING SIX MONTHS LATER. MFG WILL NO LONGER ASSIST
REAR TRUNK LATCH BROKE. *SD
ACCELERATOR STUCK, CAUSING ACCIDENT/INJURY. *SD
VEHICLE HAS SEVERAL CONDITIONS OF STALLING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, ACCELERATING UPON BRAKING AND DIFFICULT STARTING. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT DURING VEHICLE IMPACT. TT
DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE, UNABLE TO LATCH SEAT BELT. *AK
POOR LATCHES/LOCKS DUE TO DESIGN. DOOR-SWITCH ASSEMBLY PUSHING ON EITHER SIDE LOCKS OR UNLOCKS DOORS. *AK
SUNVISOR CONTINUOUSLY SLIPS DOWN WITHOUT ASSISTANCE, CAUSING DRIVER TO HIT VISOR WHEN GETTING IN VEHICLE/INJURY. (OTHER VEHICLE ON 479694) *SKD
SEAT BEAT BUCKLE MAY NOT ENGAGE OR MAY UNLATCH WHEN TOUCHED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETIALS. TT
AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELTTOO LOOSE. *AW
STRUTS REPLACED TWICE.
RUBBER PIECE ON END OF THROTTLE CABLE/CABLE CASING CAME OFF WHILE USING CRUISE CONTROL, CAUSING SUDDEN ACCELERATION/LOSS OF CONTROL. *SKD
VEHICLES TRANSMISSION DOES NOT GO FROM PARK TO DRIVE.AND IN ANY GEAR IT WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE. TT
TRANSMISSION FAILS TO DISENGAGE FROM PARK INTO REVERSE. *AK
CAM BELT PULLEY LOSSENED FROM ITS SHAFT AND ALMOST FELL OFF. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1990 Subaru Legacy → · Every Legacy year → · How the figures are calculated →