1994 Subaru Legacy

Fatalities reported

Owners filed 60 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the seat belts. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Seat Belts16
100
Seat Belts › Front › Retractor3
001
Power Train › Automatic Transmission3
000
Air Bags › Frontal3
201
Vehicle Speed Control2
101
Tires › Tread/Belt2
101
Suspension › Front › Springs › Coil Springs2
000
Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist › Hose, Piping, and Connections2
020
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip2
000
Seat Belts › Front › Webbing2
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Service Brakes
Filed Mar 14, 2021123,567 milesPA

A FEW MONTHS AGO, MY SON WAS DRIVING MY OLDER SUBARU AND SAID THE BRAKES WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR WHEN HE APPLIED THEM NOT FAR FROM HOME. HE PUMPED THEM AND SLOW CREPT HOME WITH THE CAR. I FOUND A RUSTED OUT LEAK AT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE CONNECTION LOCATION NEAR THE FRAME ON THE SIDE OF THE GAS TANK. I JUST SAW THERE WERE A NUMBER OF RECALLS FOR THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED OR SAW ONE BEFORE. ARE THEY STILL VALATE? WHOM DO I CONTACT FOR SERVICE IF SO? MY SON WAS JUST LUCKY HE WASN'T ON A HIGHWAY!

Seat Belts
Filed Apr 1, 2016193,000 milesCA

THE RETRACTABLE MECHANIZED SHOULDER HARNESS DOES NOT WORK.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Apr 11, 2010173,000 milesFL

I WILL BE ACCELERATING AT ANY MPH AND THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY TURN ITSELF OFF. THE BATTERY IS STILL POWERING THE CAR (RADIO PLAYING, LIGHTS ON), BUT THE ENGINE WILL BE COMPLETELY STOPPED. STEERING AND BRAKES WILL BOTH LOCK AND REQUIRE MUSCLING IN ORDER TO GET TO THE ROADSIDE AND STOP THE CAR. THIS HAS OCCURRED 4 TIMES SINCE THE DATE GIVEN (6/09). THE FIRST TIME WAS ON THE INTERSTATE AND WAS A VERY CLOSE CALL. *TR

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Nov 16, 2008159,470 milesCO

1994 SUBARU LEGACY TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF 1ST GEAR. AFTER CAR WARMS UP, WITHIN A SHORT DISTANCE THE TRANSMISSION FAILS ALTOGETHER AND THE CAR WILL NOT MOVE. AFTER A COOLING OFF PERIOD, THE CAR WILL PROCEED FOR A SHORT DURATION. THIS IS APPARENTLY A COMMON ISSUE DUE TO DESIGN DEFICIENCIES CAUSING AN OVER HEATING AND COMPONENT FAILURE. IT IS NOT CORRECTED YET. *TR

Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Aug 21, 2008160,000 milesKY

FUEL PUMP WIRING SHORTED OUT IN THE GAS TANK. *TR

Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel
Filed Jan 17, 2008142,000 milesTX

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ODOMETER STOPPED WORKING FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO LEAKING EXHAUST FUMES, WHICH CAUSED HER TO HAVE HEADACHES. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH IN DRY WEATHER, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER WITHOUT CRASHING. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 142,000. UPDATED 02-14-08. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED HAVE SINCE SOLD THE VEHICLE TO D AUTO 214-629-0941 BUT WISHES TO PURSUE HEALTH DAMAGE IN RESPIRATORY AND MENTAL ANGUISH. UPDATED 02/14/08 *TR

Seat Belts › Front
Filed Sep 14, 200517,000 milesCO

DT: 1994 SUBARU LEGACY L ALL WHEEL DRIVE, THE MOTORIZED SEAT BELT BROKE. THE SEAT BELT IS CONNECTED TO THE DOOR, AND WHEN CLOSING THE DOOR THE MOTORIZED SEAT BELT WILL NOT RUN THE TRACK TO BE IN THE PROPER POSITION FOR SAFETY. THIS IS ON THE SHOULDER PORTION OF THE SEAT BELT. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE LAP BELT ALONE IS NOT SAFE USE. HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER, AND THEY TOLD THE CONSUMER THERE IS NO RECALL ON THE SEAT BELT, AND THE MOTORIZED SEAT BELT WAS ONLY UNDER WARRANTY FOR 3 YEARS. THE COST TO REPLACE THE MOTOR OF THE SEAT BELT IS AT LEAST $400. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHERS WITH THIS SEAT BELT MOTOR PROBLEM. BASED ON WHAT THE MANUFACTURER TOLD THE CONSUMER THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING TO THE MOTOR GOING OUT, NO NOISES, AND NO INDICATOR LIGHTS, IT JUST STOPPED WORKING. *AK

Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank AssemblyFire
Filed Apr 6, 2005KY

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY, DRIVER OBSERVED SMOKE COMING FROM REAR OF VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER EXITED SAFELY, AND OBSERVED FLAMES COMING FROM THE AREA UNDER THE REAR OF THE CAR (STATION WAGON BODY, AWD MODEL) ABOVE THE DIFFERENTIAL AND NEAR THE GAS TANK. RESPONDERS QUENCHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED AND FOUND THAT THE WIRING FOR THE FUEL PUMP HAD THE INSULATION MELTED OFF, THE FUEL PUMP GASKET WAS COMPRIMISED, AND THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF FLAMES HAVING BEEN IN THE AREA. FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN SHORT DISTANCES, THE DIFFERENTIAL BECAME "RED HOT". THE AXLE WAS REPLACED, AND THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES ON BOTH INTERSTATES AND SECONDARY ROADS, AFTER WHICH THE DIFFERETIAL WAS SEEN SMOKING FROM THE HEAT THAT HAD BUILT UP. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE AXLE A SECOND TIME, WITH THE SAME OVERHEATING OBSERVED. IT IS THE MECHANICS' OPINION THAT THE INITIAL FIRE WAS CAUSED BY THE OVERHEATING DIFFERETIAL. FURTHER, HIS RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THE OVERHEATING IS CAUSED BY A FAULTY CLUTCH PACK AND SELENOID IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Filed Jun 11, 2004NV

WE HAVE A 1994 SUBARU LEGACY. WHEN THE CAR WAS OUT OR WARRANTY, THE DRIVER SIDE RETRACTABLE SHOULDER HARNESS BROKE. WE COMPLAINED TO SUBARU AND THEY FIXED IT AT NO COST TO US IN 1999. IT WASN'T WORKING AGIAN AND WE PAID TO HAVE IT FIXED IN 2000.ABOUT ONE YEAR AGO IT BROKE AGAIN. THE SHOULDER HARNESS WOULD NOT RETRACT. WE WERE TOLD BY SUBARU THEY WOULD NOT HELP US. NOW WE FIND OUT THAT IT IS A TICKETABLE OFFENSE NOT TO HAVE A SHOULDER HARNESS. THERE IS A LAP BLET AND AN AIR BAG. SO WE CALLED SABARU AND THEY TOLD US THEY WOULD BE REPONSIBLE FOR 50% OF THE BILL. WE WENT TO THE SUBARU DEALER YESTERDAY AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD BE $1140 TO FIX IT. WE FEEL THAT IS AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT FOR A SAFETY ITEM. I CALLED THEM BACK AND THEY WILL NOT HELP ME OUT. THIS SAFETY BELT IS POORLY DESIGNED AND THEY HAVE ADMITTED AND REDESIGNED IT IN FUTURE MODELS. OUR BELT AUTOMATICALLY RETRACTS WHEN YOU TURN ON THE CAR AND HAS A CABLE AND A MOTOR. THERE IS ALSO A FEDERAL LAW THAT SAFTEY BELTS ARE GUARENTEED FOR LIFE. EVEN THE LAP BELT ON THIS VEHICLE NEEDS REPLACEMENT AS THE STICHING IS COMING OUT. *AK WE WOULD LIKE SOME HELP IN MALKING SUBARU RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR SAFETY WHILE WE ARE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. ELLEN GOLDBERG

Seat Belts
Filed Feb 14, 2004125,000 milesCO

MOTORIZED SEATBELT IS STUCK IN ONE POSITION. MOTOR STILL RUNS UPON OPENING/CLOSING OF CAR DOOR, BUT BELT DOES NOT MOVE IN TRACK. TWO FEET OF TRACK CABLE HAS FALLEN OUT OF ITS HOUSING.*AK

Seat Belts › Front
Filed Jul 28, 2003120,000 milesAZ

FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT SLIDING RETRACTOR WILL NOT MOVE, MAKING USE OF THIS SEAT BELT INOPERABLE,

Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist › Hose, Piping, and ConnectionsFire
Filed Feb 22, 200374,500 milesVA

VEHICLE CONSUMED BY FIRE. FIRE INSPECTOR'S REPORT ATTRIBUTES CAUSE TO POWER STEERING HOSE SEPARATION AT PUMP.

Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist › Hose, Piping, and ConnectionsFire
Filed Jan 25, 200374,500 milesVA

SPONTANEOUS EXPLOSION AND FIRE DESTROYING 1994 SUBARU AND DAMAGING ANOTHER CAR AND ADJACENT HOME. FIRE INSPECTOR ASSESSED CAUSE AS RUPTURED POWER STEERING HOSE.

Air Bags › Frontal
Filed Jul 15, 2002NC

I WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT IT FELT LIKE MY CAR WAS ROLLING BACK, SO I APPLIED MY BRAKE AND THE AIR BAG WENT OFF. THE CAR HAS BEEN TESTED THREE TIMES AT THE REQUEST OF SABARU CORP. TO SEE WHAT WENT WRONG, THEY CAN NOT FIND THE REASON, THERE WAS NO COLLISION, THE CAR STARTS AND RUNS, I WAS TOLD IT SHOULD NOT DO THIS. THEY WANT ME TO PAY $500.00 OF THE $1000 TO REPAIR IT AND I DON'T FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT MY FAULT.

Air Bags
Filed Jun 5, 2002NV

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

Suspension › Front › Springs › Coil Springs
Filed Feb 4, 2002VT

WHILE DRIVING HEARD A BANG THAT CAME FROM THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. THEN, COULD HEAR A CLOCKING NOISE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, WHERE THEY FOUND OUT THAT COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN JUST LIKE MENTIONED IN RECALL 01 V 216 000. *AK

Seat Belts
Filed Dec 15, 2001IA

BECAUSE THE SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT AUTOMATICALLY I HAVE TO CLIMB UNDER THE SHOLDER BELT WHEN GETING IN AND OUT OF THE VEHICLE I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THET THE SAFE OPERATION OF A MAJOR ITEM REQUIRED BY LAW WOULD HAVE TO BE SERVICEABLE FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE NOT AS IN THIS CASE THE HALF LIFE. *AK

Parking Brake › Conventional › Mechanical
Filed Nov 2, 2001CO

CONSUMER STATED THE PARKING BRAKE RELASE BUTTON BROKE, DUE TO BEING MADE OF PLASTIC. *YD

Air Bags › FrontalCrash
Filed Nov 1, 2001SC

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY AND THERE WAS CONSTRUCTION ON THE ROAD. THERE WAS A SUDDEN STOP IN FRONT OF THE LANE. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS THIRD IN A THREE CAR ACCIDENT. SHE WENT TO APPLY BRAKES, AND AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT DIDN'T HOLD . SHE HIT STEERING WHEEL. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. ALSO, AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY.*AK

Suspension › Front › Springs › Coil Springs
Filed Aug 6, 2001NH

WHILE DRIVING UNDER WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS VEHICLE WAS MAKING NOISES AND HANDLING IMPROPERLY. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT FRONT COIL SPRINGS WERE BROKEN. *AK CONSUMER FEELS THAT DUE TO IMPROPER SPRINGS THE FOLLOWING ALSO HAD TO BE REPLACED, SHOCKS, SHAFTS, STABILIZING LINKS, AND BEARINGS. *SLC

20 of 60 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2005
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20256000Routine
202417010Routine
202310200Routine
202232210Routine
202131300Routine
2020121610Routine
2019123310Routine
2018117310Routine
2017119210Do not drive
2016147300Do not drive
2015159330Routine
2014531020Routine
2013661200Routine
2012901600Routine
20111671620Routine
20101501811Fatalities reported
2009651310Routine
200865910Routine
200733940Routine
200687711Fatalities reported
2005184940Routine
2004491100Routine
2003601500Routine
200254511Fatalities reported
200177820Routine
200094420Routine
199994310Routine
1998114520Routine
1997139620Routine
1996123440Routine
1995182230Routine
1994 — this page60041Fatalities reported
199377110Routine
199255200Routine
199178300Routine
199081420Routine

Compare every Legacy year →

Reading this record

1 death reported in complaints filed with NHTSA.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.