Page 2 of 2 · complaints 51–81 of 81

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 →

Seat Belts
Filed May 23, 1997NM

THE MOTORIZED DRIVER SEAT BELT WON'T MOVE DUE TO THE SEAT BELT BEING WORN OUT. DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE $600,00. *AK

Exterior Lighting › Brake Lights › Switch
Filed May 7, 1997NJ

BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components
Filed Dec 30, 1996MA

EXCESSIVE BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE REQUIRED TO STOP VEHICLE, ALSO VEHICLE VIBRATES/BUCKS WHEN BRAKES APPLIED.

Structure › Body › Door
Filed Nov 22, 1996CA

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

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Oct 31, 1996IA

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

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Filed Oct 24, 1996NM

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT EITHER WAY. PLEASE DESCRIBE IN DETAIL. *AK

Structure › Body › Door
Filed Jul 29, 1996IN

DOOR LOCK/HANDLE MECHANISM FAILED, NOT ALLOWING PASSENGER TO EXIT VEHICLE. *SD

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Jun 5, 1996TX

DOOR LOCKS/LATCHES FAILED, PREVENTIN GOPENING OF THE DOORS FROM INSIDE/EXTERIOR AS WELL. *AK

Power Train › Axle AssemblyFire
Filed May 14, 1996NY

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE AT THE REAR AXLE, OVERHEAT FAILURE PART VISCOUS COUPLER IN THE TRANSMISSION. *AK

Seats › Front Assembly › ReclinerCrash1 injured
Filed May 3, 1996WV

CONSUMER INVOLVED IN A REAR-END COLLISION AND THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT RECLINED TO THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE. *AK

Structure › Body
Filed Mar 14, 1996CA

SUNVISORS HINGES MADE OF PLASTIC, WHICH WORE OUT CAUSING VISORS TO PARTIALLY BLOCK DRIVERS VISION. *DH

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
Filed Mar 5, 1996GA

FRONT BRAKE LINES REPLACED TWICE. *SD

Structure › Body
Filed Feb 15, 1996CA

SUNVISOR HINGE MADE OF PLASTIC WEARS OUT, CAUSING SUNVISOR TO FALL DOWN. *SD

Power Train › Automatic TransmissionCrash
Filed Feb 13, 1996MI

TRANSMISSION FAILED TO GO INTO REVERSE FROM PARK, CAUSING ACCIDENT. *DSH

Seat Belts
Filed Nov 16, 1995CA

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 System, Gasoline › Fuel Injection System › Injectors
Filed Oct 23, 1995MA

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

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Oct 20, 1995TX

DOOR LOCKS; LOCKS WILL ENGAGE AUTOMATICALLY DUE POSSIBLE SPRING MECHANISM. HAD SPRINGS REPLACED W/FAILURE REOCCURING SIX MONTHS LATER. MFG WILL NO LONGER ASSIST

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Trunk Lid › Lock
Filed Oct 20, 1995IL

REAR TRUNK LATCH BROKE. *SD

Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator PedalCrash1 injured
Filed Sep 14, 1995MI

ACCELERATOR STUCK, CAUSING ACCIDENT/INJURY. *SD

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Sep 12, 1995MA

VEHICLE HAS SEVERAL CONDITIONS OF STALLING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, ACCELERATING UPON BRAKING AND DIFFICULT STARTING. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT

Seat Belts › Front › RetractorCrash1 injured
Filed Sep 7, 1995FL

DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT DURING VEHICLE IMPACT. TT

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly
Filed Jul 3, 199500

DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE, UNABLE TO LATCH SEAT BELT. *AK

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Jun 7, 199500

POOR LATCHES/LOCKS DUE TO DESIGN. DOOR-SWITCH ASSEMBLY PUSHING ON EITHER SIDE LOCKS OR UNLOCKS DOORS. *AK

Structure › Body1 injured
Filed Jun 1, 1995CT

SUNVISOR CONTINUOUSLY SLIPS DOWN WITHOUT ASSISTANCE, CAUSING DRIVER TO HIT VISOR WHEN GETTING IN VEHICLE/INJURY. (OTHER VEHICLE ON 479694) *SKD

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly
Filed May 5, 1995NM

SEAT BEAT BUCKLE MAY NOT ENGAGE OR MAY UNLATCH WHEN TOUCHED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETIALS. TT

Seat Belts
Filed May 2, 1995MT

AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELTTOO LOOSE. *AW

Suspension › Front › Macpherson Strut
Filed Apr 5, 1995NY

STRUTS REPLACED TWICE.

Vehicle Speed Control › Cables
Filed Feb 17, 1995MI

RUBBER PIECE ON END OF THROTTLE CABLE/CABLE CASING CAME OFF WHILE USING CRUISE CONTROL, CAUSING SUDDEN ACCELERATION/LOSS OF CONTROL. *SKD

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Feb 6, 1995NY

VEHICLES TRANSMISSION DOES NOT GO FROM PARK TO DRIVE.AND IN ANY GEAR IT WILL NOT GO INTO REVERSE. TT

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Feb 6, 1995NY

TRANSMISSION FAILS TO DISENGAGE FROM PARK INTO REVERSE. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Belts and Associated Pulleys
Filed Jan 19, 1995CT

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.

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