IllustrationTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 SUBARU LEGACY. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT'S ELBOW WAS CUT SEVERAL TIMES ON THE DOOR JAM WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EXIT. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.
1991 Subaru Legacy
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1991 Subaru Legacy do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 77.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Legacy years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 4 of 78 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Seat Belts. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Latches/locks/linkages. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports
Structure complaints
13 reportsTHE DOOR LOCKS ON THE FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE ARE PERMANENTLY LOCKED.
OIL LEAK. *AK PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE RELEASE FAILED. *YH
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
AIR CONTROL VALVE IS SLOW CAUSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO BE HARD TO PRESS. NLM
DRIVER'S AND PASSENGERS' REAR DOOR HANDLES MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING DOORS TO LOCK WHEN THEY SHOULD NOT LOCK. AS A RESULT, A CHILD COULD BE TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLE. ALSO, PASSENGER'S DOOR IS VERY DIFFCULT TO OPEN FROM THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
PASSENGER DOOR SWUNG LOOSE AND OPENED WHILE TRAVELING AT 60MPH. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE AS SINCE BEEN UNDRIVABLE DUE TO REASONS THAT PASSENGER OR OTHER DRIVER SAFETY ISSUES, WHICH LEAVES ME WITHOUT A CAR FOR COMMUTING TO SCHOOL EVERYDAY.
WHEN CLOSING THE DRIVER'S SIDE OR PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR THE POWER LOCKS WILL LOCK ALL DOORS WITHOUT ENGAGING THE LOCK SWITCH. THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *AK
OWNER STATES DOOR HANDLES ON VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONED, AND THAT REAR HANDLE ALSO FAILED. DEALER REPLACED ELECTRONIC LOCK LEVER SEVERAL TIMES BUT PROBLEM REMAINS.OWNER VERY CONCERNED FOR SAFETY. *AK
PASSENGER SIDE DOORS LOCKING SPONTANEOUSLY, THUS MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO EXIT OR ENTER THE CAR.
Official recalls
394V052000 · Power Train:manual Transmission
Mar 23, 1994
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
91V082000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
May 30, 1991
UNDER CERTAIN LOAD CONDITIONS, THE PARK GEAR MAY NOT DISENGAGE IMMEDIATELY WHEN THE TRANSMISSION LEVER IS MOVED FROM PARK TO REVERSE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
90V184000 · Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Oct 16, 1990
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE AFFECTED DOOR MAY NOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE,PREVENTING EXIT FROM THAT DOOR.
Remedy: REPLACE FRONT DOOR LATCH SCREWS WITH "LOCK-TIGHT" SCREWS.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE94051 · Hood Latch Failure
Opened Jun 29, 1994 · Closed Oct 31, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure
There is no summary currently available