The 1991 Subaru Legacy has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 211,039 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 121 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the latches/locks/linkages. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
POWER TRAIN94V0520001994-03-2331,295 affected
Defect
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…
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.
POWER TRAIN91V0820001991-05-3076,000 affected
Defect
UNDER CERTAIN LOAD CONDITIONS, THE PARK GEAR MAY NOT DISENGAGE IMMEDIATELY WHEN THE TRANSMISSION LEVER IS MOVED FROM PARK TO REVERSE.
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.
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
THE AFFECTED DOOR MAY NOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE,PREVENTING EXIT FROM THAT DOOR.
Remedy
REPLACE FRONT DOOR LATCH SCREWS WITH "LOCK-TIGHT" SCREWS.
Complaints by component
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
14
SEAT BELTS
12
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
10
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
5
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
5
1crashes
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
5
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
5
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
5
1crashes
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
3
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
3
Total complaints121
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Tl* 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…”
“Drivers side automatic seat belt drive cable slips out of track making seat belt useless and dangerous.”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1991 subaru legacy. The contact was sitting at a traffic stop when he attempted to shift into drive and the gear shifter detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection or repairs. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact to…”
“Tl*the contact owns a 1991 subaru legacy. The contact stated when driving 50 mph and faster, the vehicle would stall without warning. The check engine light would briefly illuminate after the vehicle had stalled. The contact was advised by an independent mechanic that the failure could potentially…”
“Tl*the contact owns a 1991 subaru legacy. The contact stated that the electric seat belt jams in the middle and renders the seat belt inoperable. The dealer will not repair the vehicle free of charge. The current and failure mileages were 176,000. The consumer stated the seat belt was replaced and…”
“The multi-function switch that controls headlights and turn signal malfunctioned. Driver tried to use the turn signal and headlights turned off without any warning. While driving approximately 35 mph consumer's vehicle was involved in a collision due to another vehicle not seeing the headlights.…”
“The multi-function switch that controls headlights and turn signal malfunctioned. Driver tried to use the turn signal and headlights turned off without any warning. While driving approximately 35 mph consumer's vehicle was involved in a collision due to another vehicle not seeing the headlights.…”
“The multi-function switch that controls headlights and turn signal malfunctioned. Driver tried to use the turn signal and headlights turned off without any warning. While driving approximately 35 mph consumer's vehicle was involved in a collision due to another vehicle not seeing the headlights.…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationPE94051 Opened 1994-06-29 · closed 1994-10-31
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1991 Subaru Legacy as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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