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1994 Subaru Legacy

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1994 Subaru Legacy do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 77.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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: 11 of 60 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 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

5 crash reports4 fire reports5 injury reports

Seat Belts complaints

26 reports
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193,000 miles · Apr 1, 2016
Seat Belts

THE RETRACTABLE MECHANIZED SHOULDER HARNESS DOES NOT WORK.

NHTSA ODI #10853006

17,000 miles · Sep 14, 2005
Seat Belts

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 …

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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

NHTSA ODI #10136519

Mileage unknown · Jun 11, 2004
Seat Belts

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 WE…

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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

NHTSA ODI #10075232

125,000 miles · Feb 14, 2004
Seat Belts

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

NHTSA ODI #10058143

120,000 miles · Jul 28, 2003
Seat Belts

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

NHTSA ODI #10030255

Mileage unknown · Dec 15, 2001
Seat Belts

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

NHTSA ODI #755679

Mileage unknown · Nov 1, 2001
Air BagsSeat BeltsCrash

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. …

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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

NHTSA ODI #898639

Mileage unknown · Aug 6, 2001
Seat Belts

SHOULDER BELT FOR THE DRIVER'S RESTRAINT BELT SYSTEM IS STUCK IN AN UNUSABLE POSITION AND WILL NOT MOVE ALONG THE TRACK. DEALERSHIP INFORMED CONSUMER HOW MUCH REPAIRS WOULD RUN, AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED.*AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE WIRE WHICH PULLS THE MOVABLE PART IS OFF THE TRACK AND HANGING, IT FAILED COMP…

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SHOULDER BELT FOR THE DRIVER'S RESTRAINT BELT SYSTEM IS STUCK IN AN UNUSABLE POSITION AND WILL NOT MOVE ALONG THE TRACK. DEALERSHIP INFORMED CONSUMER HOW MUCH REPAIRS WOULD RUN, AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED.*AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE WIRE WHICH PULLS THE MOVABLE PART IS OFF THE TRACK AND HANGING, IT FAILED COMPLETELY SOMETIME IN JUNE OF 2001. *SLC

NHTSA ODI #893498

Mileage unknown · Jan 12, 2001
Seat Belts

DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELT FAILED IN TRACK WILL NOT MOVE IN EITHER DIRECTION, TRACK CABLE PROTRUDES FROM TRACK. *AK

NHTSA ODI #739236

Mileage unknown · Oct 3, 2000
Seat Belts

MOTORIZED SEAT BELTS ON DRIVER'S SIDE FAILED TO WORK. REMAINED IN THE SAME POSITION AT TOP OF DOOR TRACK. HAVE TO UNCLIP SHOULDER BELT TO GET IN OR OUT OF VEHICLE. LAP BELT SEPARATED. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER & MECHANIC REFUSED TO REPAIR SEAT BELT DUE TO BEING OVER 100,000 MILES. *AK

NHTSA ODI #872181

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.