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 1996 record →
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT DURING WHICH BOTH AIR BAGS DEPLOYED; HOWEVER, THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG SHATTERED THE WINDSHIELD, CAUSING GLASS TO FLY ALL OVER THE VEHICLE. ALSO, IT SHATTERED THE DOOR OPENER WHICH WAS ATTACHED TO THE VISOR. *AK
BRIDGESTONE TIRES BLEW OUT TWICE.
ENGINE STALLS.
WHILE SLIDING ON SNOW IN PARKING LOT APPROXIMATELY 3 TO 5MPH, VEHICLE'S LEFT FRONT VERY LIGHTLY TAPPED ANOTHER STOPPED VEHICLE, BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *AK
HARD PLASTIC WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO HOLD THE BACK OF THE SEAT IN PLACE WHEN FOLDED DOWN CAUSED INJURY WHEN CHILD STRUCK HIS HEAD ON IT.
FALSE DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS.
WHEN VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON CRASH GOING ABOUT (55) MPH ON THE HIGHWAY THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. *AK
WHILE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, 11 YEARS OLD SON WHO WAS BUCKLED INTO HIS SEAT BELT WAS THROWN FORWARD/BACK AT WHICH POINT HIS HEAD HIT A PIECE OF HARD PLASTIC EMBEDDED IN THE TOP OF THE BACK SEAT AND GOT A BUMP ON THE HEAD.
VEHICLE FISHTAILED/LOSS CONTROL IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT.
OWNER HAS ABS BRAKES, HE STATES THAT HIS ABS SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK WELL IN WET OR ICY WHEATHER, THIS MOSTLY OCCURS IN THE WINTER TIME, ABS FAILED, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH VEHICLE. *AK
VEHICLE DESIGNED WITH LOW REAR BENCH SEAT AND NO HEAD RESTRAINTS.
ANTILOCK BRAKES LOCKED UP, CAUSING BRAKES TO OVERHEAT/SMOKE.
ELECTRICAL SHORT, WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOST OF POWER, HAD TO PULL OFF HIGHWAY AND RESTART. *AK
WHILE STOPPING VEHICLE IDLED HIGHLY W/NO WARNING. A FEW MINUTES LATER THE HUSBAND DROVE BECAUSE HE THOUGHT HIS WIFE PUSHED ACCELERATOR. AGAIN, VEHICLE ACCELERATED, RESULTING IN REAR END COLLISION W/NO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. DEALERSHIP UNABLE TO DETECT DEFECT. *AK
THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF AT SPEEDS OF 30 TO 35 MPH FOR NO APPARENT REASON. SINCE EVERYTHING IS POWERED THE BRAKES AND STEERING NO LONGER OPERATE AND THE CAR CANNOT GET OFF THE ROAD.
FASTENING BOLT FOR WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADE WORKED ITSELF LOOSE, CAUSING WINDSHIELD WIPER TO STICK.
VIBRATION AT SPEEDS OVER 67 MPH.
AIR BAG INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED CAUSING DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL AND STRIKE ANOTHER VEHICLE.
THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR SEAT BELT CAME APART . PLEASE DESCRIBE .*AK
WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE JUMPS OUT OF DRIVE INTO NETURAL. *AK
DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 35 MPH. *AK
NEW DESIGN HEADLIGHTS HAVE POOR ILLUMINATION. OWNER HAS DETAILS OF DISTANCE. TT
VEHICLE STALLS OUT AT ANY SPEED, DEALER CAN NOT LOCATE THE PROBLEM. TT
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 1996 Subaru Legacy → · Every Legacy year → · How the figures are calculated →