Problems · NHTSA complaints

2000 Subaru Legacy problems

Owners filed 94 complaints about the 2000 Subaru Legacy with NHTSA between Oct 1999 and Aug 2019. The most-cited component is tires (17).

Complaints
94
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
8
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Tires17
  2. Engine and engine cooling15
  3. Suspension13
  4. Power train12
  5. Vehicle speed control10
  6. Structure7
  7. Service brakes, hydraulic7
  8. Electrical system6
  9. Air bags3
  10. Fuel system, gasoline3
  11. Steering3
  12. Fuel/propulsion system2
  13. Visibility2
  14. Seat belts2

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19992
200020
200115
20028
20037
20049
20056
20062
20071
20084
20093
20100
20113
20123
20136
20141
20150
20162
20171
20180
20191

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Tires

17 reports1 crash
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A CONTINENTAL EXTREME CONTACT TIRE, SIZE: 205/55R16. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WHEN THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE SUSTAINED A BLOW OUT. THE CONTACT ALSO DISCOVERED A BLISTER ON THE SIDEWALL OF THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED IN REFERENCE TO THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE OF THE TIRE WAS 155. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,904.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 17, 2014TiresODI 10572770

Engine and engine cooling

15 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 40 MPH WHEN THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN ENGINE RPMS AND THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID TEMPERATURE WARNING LAMPS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD RECUR SPORADICALLY AND ONCE IT DID, THE VEHICLE WOULD IMMEDIATELY DECELERATE WITHOUT THE CONTACT HANGING THE PRESSURE ON THE ACCELERATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 126,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 30, 2011Engine and engine coolingODI 10441815

Suspension

13 reports1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SUBARU LEGACY. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDERGOING A STATE INSPECTION, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR SUSPENSION SHOWED SEVERE RUST. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED TWICE PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V153000 (SUSPENSION) BY PATRIOT SUBARU OF SACO (LOCATED AT 769 PORTLAND RD, SACO, ME 04072, (207) 284-7900). THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE TWO SUB SECTIONS UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE THAT NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 182,159. *BF CONSUMER STATES THAT THE RECALLS THAT WERE PERFORMED WERE NOT DONE PROPERLY WHICH CAUSED THE FAILURE. THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH UNDERCOATING ON THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE. *DL”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 22, 2019Suspension, StructureODI 11245872

Power train

12 reports1 crash1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SUBARU L WAGON. WHILE DRIVING THE ATF WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL AND THEN THE VEHICLE WOULD DOWN-SHIFT. THE COMPUTER, TRANSMISSION COMPUTER, SPARK PLUG, OXYGEN SENSOR, AND COIL PACK HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED. NONE OF THE REPAIRS HAVE REMEDIED THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 171,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000. UPDATED 11/12/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON MOST OF THE TIME. A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP THAT WORKS ONLY ON SUBARU'S HAD NOT IDEA WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED A THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR WAS NEEDED. UPDATED 11/16/09”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 22, 2009Power train, Vehicle speed controlODI 10289405

Vehicle speed control

10 reports3 crashes
“DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHEN APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THIS HAPPENED EVERY TIME THE PEDAL WAS APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WAS CALIBRATED TO FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS. OTHER VEHICLES ON THE LOT WERE DRIVEN AND THEY HAD THE SAME HESITATION. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK UPDATED 01/19/06. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 28, 2005Power train, Vehicle speed controlODI 10146235

Structure

7 reports1 fire
“DRIVING TO WORK CAR RUNNING FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MIN. THE WINDOW CONTROL SWITCH INSIDE THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR SMOKED AND QUICKLY CAUGHT FIRE. I IMMEDIATELY SLOWED DOWN AND PULLED OVER TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER AND TURNED OFF THE CARD. I OPENED THE DOOR AND STEPPED OUT. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS THE PANEL ON THE CAR DOOR ALSO CAUGHT FIRE AND STARTING MELTING. I HAD BEACH TOWEL IN THE BACK OF THE CAR, AND TRIED TO SMOTHER THE FIRE WITH THE TOWEL, BUT QUICKLY DECIDED THE FIRE WAS TOO LARGE, GROWING TOO QUICKLY AND WAS ACTUALLY INSIDE THE DOOR. I GAVE UP ON THE TOWEL, AND IN LAST DITCH EFFORT TO THE SAVE THE CAR I GRABBED, AND TORE OFF THE PLASTIC DOOR PANEL AND THREW IT TO GROUND. SOME OF THE MELTED PLASTIC FROM THE DOOR PANEL DID GET ON MY HANDS, AND I RECEIVED SEVERAL BURNS TO MY FINGERS THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. I WAS THEN ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE REMAINING FIRE. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY AT A BODY SHOP FOR REPAIR. THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR APPEARS TO BE LIMITED TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 10, 2013Electrical system, Visibility, StructureFire reportedODI 10555457
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.