1999 Subaru Legacy problems
Owners have filed 119 complaints about the 1999 Subaru Legacy with NHTSA. Power train accounts for 15.1% of them — narrowly the most common, ahead of service brakes, hydraulic at 12.6%.
Complaints119
Crashes28
Fires1
Injuries15
Deaths0
What owners report breaking
Power train 15.1% · 18
Service brakes, hydraulic 12.6% · 15
Vehicle speed control 10.1% · 12
Engine and engine cooling 10.1% · 12
Air bags 9.2% · 11
Suspension 6.7% · 8
Fuel system, gasoline 4.2% · 5
Tires 4.2% · 5
Severity
Of those complaints, 28 describe a crash, 1 describe a fire and 15 report an injury.
Reading the numbers
Across the 19 model years of the Subaru Legacy in this data, 1999 sits 16th by complaint volume. 2005 draws the most.
Filings have fallen off, 3 in the last three years against 10 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 101,000 miles.
In owners' own words
When I'm going down a decline at around 40mph and the transm. Is in 4th gear and I am coasting and begin to apply the brake the care will shift into 3rd gear and rev the engine to around 3500-4000 rpm. I feel this sudden unexpected transmission shift could cause a loss of traction on slippery roads which is the purpose of my buying an all wheel drive vehicle. Power train
Driving in heavy traffic in the left lane of I-78, the shifter popped out of 5th gear by itself (that is, without any human intervention). The vehicle completely lost power immediately, as it was now in neutral. Power train · reported at 134,700 miles
Consumer test drove vehicle and ended up skidding into a ditch, due to design of the all wheel drive with a standard transmission, poor directional control on turns which allowed for loss of control. *Mjs Power train
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…