Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1999 Subaru Legacy, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train18
- Vehicle speed control12
- Service brakes, hydraulic12
- Air bags11
- Engine and engine cooling11
- Suspension8
- Fuel system, gasoline5
- Tires5
- Unknown or other4
- Structure4
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 12 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 17 1999 Legacy vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 13 people died inside them, and 5 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1999 Subaru Legacy failed the safety check 3.05% of the time — 73% more often than the average 1999 passenger car (1.76%). Median odometer at inspection: 130,958 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the Netherlands
72 first registered in 1999 are on Dutch roads; 21% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde42
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen36
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)20
- Band onvoldoende profiel17
- Stofhoes stuurinrichting beschadigd, dicht niet af16
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm14
- Licht- donkerscheiding dimlicht onduidelijk13
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse12
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
64 cars built in 1999 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 236 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In Finland
69 of these cars first registered in 1999 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 273,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
591 1999 cars are on the New Zealand register; 77% arrived as used imports, 18% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 8 variants: combined 10.5–11.5 L/100 km (about 20–22 mpg US), CO₂ 242–265 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy AWD · Compact · Regular gasoline | 12.0 | 8.7 | 10.5 |
| Legacy AWD Wagon · Station wagon: Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 11.9 | 8.7 | 10.5 |
| Legacy AWD · Compact · Regular gasoline | 11.9 | 9.0 | 10.6 |
| Legacy AWD Wagon · Station wagon: Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 11.9 | 9.0 | 10.6 |
| Legacy AWD · Compact · Regular gasoline | 13.0 | 9.5 | 11.4 |
| Legacy AWD Wagon · Station wagon: Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 13.0 | 9.5 | 11.4 |
| Legacy AWD · Compact · Regular gasoline | 12.9 | 9.7 | 11.5 |
| Legacy AWD Wagon · Station wagon: Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 12.9 | 9.7 | 11.5 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 1999 Subaru Legacy.
| 2001183 3 Jul 2001 | Other Certain passenger vehicles equipped with front coil springs.The front coil springs were produced with poor paint quality which, after continued exposure to corr… |
| 2000069 17 Mar 2000 | Other Certain vehicle do not comply with Regulation 6 - Statement of Compliance. Compliance label was not expressed in both official languages in regard to vehicle c… |
| 1999043 17 Mar 1999 | Brakes On certain vehicles equipped with anti-lock brakes (ABS), the brake master cylinder secondary circuit may not function in extremely cold weather due to brake fl… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FRONT COIL SPRINGS ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, NEW HAMPSHIRE, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA, AND WISCONSIN, AND IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS WERE PRODUCED WITH POOR PAINT QUALITY WHICH, AFTER CONTINUED EXPOSURE TO CORROSIVE SALT, CAN RESULT IN BREAKAGE OF THE SPRING.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS). (THE 1999 2.2 LITER LEGACY VEHICLES ARE EXCLUDED). IN EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER, THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE STOPPING DISTANCE IS INCREASED.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES, ALSO SERVICE PARTS SUPPLIED TO SUBARU DEALERS ARE INVOLVED (LOT NUMBERS F01 J21D2, F01 J30D2, F02 J09D1, F02 J09D2, AND F02 J20D1). THE PUROLATOR OIL FILTER CANS USED ON THESE VEHICLES CAN FRACTURE CAUSING A VAPORIZED OIL SPRAY AND SUBSEQUENT OIL LEAK.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Subaru told its dealers about the 1999 Subaru Legacy: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 633865 | SUBJECT REGARDING AIR FLOW METER SENSOR. *JG |
| 632240 | SUBJECT REGADING AIR FLOW METER SENSING UNIT AVAILABILITY. *TT |
| 631081 | SUBJECT REGARDING POPPING OUT OF FIFTH GEAR CONDITION. *JG |
| 627826 | INFORMATION REGARDING FRONT SPRING GUARD BULLETIN UPDATE. *YD |
| 626926 | INFORMATION REGARDING SEAT BELT LATCH SLIDES TO THE LOWER SEAT BELT ANCHOR. *YH UPDATED *EH |
| 625877 | SUBJECT ON REGARDING STEERING KNOCKING/RATTLE NOISE WHEN TURNING. *ET |
| 614000 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT INDICATOR ILLIMINATED AND CODE P0705 STORED IN THE EMISSION CONTROL UNIT (ECU). *TT |
| 613408 | CUSTOMER COMPLAINT THAT THE A/T TEMPERATURE LIGHT FLASHING AND CODE 38 FOUND IN THE TCM. *TT |
| 610541 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT ABOUT THE A/T TEMPERATURE LIGHT FLASHING AND CODE 38 FOUND IN THE TCM. *TT |
| 610540 | SUBJECT REGARDING AIR INTAKE CHAMBER BOX BREAKAGE. *TT |
| 610539 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMPLAIN OF SLIGHT HESITATION ON ACCELERATION. *TT |
| 610111 | THIS BULLETIN MENTIONS IF YOU HAVE A 1999MY OR LATER VEHICLES WITH THE NEW (SECOND GENERATION) 4EAT AND ARE DIAGNOSING A CODE FOR A DUTY SOLENOID, CHECK THE TRANSMISSION OIL PAN FOR ANY DENTS. *TT |
| 610108 | INFORMATION ON THE CRUISE CONTROL REPLACEMENT KIT. *TT |
| 606645 | SUBJECT REGARDING BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN ON SOME VEHICLES WITH ABS. *TT |
| 605778 | INFORMATION ON INSTALLING REAR DIFFERENTIAL PROTECTOR . *TT |
| 602660 | SUBJECT ON TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE SHIFT LOGIC. *YC |
| 602168 | INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR ADDENDUM FOGLAMP KIT. *YC |
| 601454 | SUBJECT ON VEHICLE EMISSION CONTROL INFORMATION ( VECI ) LABEL. *YC |
| 10240110 | This bulletin announces the recommended cleaning procedures to followed when encountering vehicles with long time exposure to pollen on painted surfaces on vehicles imported from Japan. This bulletin does not apply to SIA built vehicles. |
| 10234260 | Repair Procedure for High-Pitched Sound from Extension Housing Area Using Latest Generation Production Parts |
| 10219492 | This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models. |
| 10219491 | This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. |
| 10209915 | This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic essential information during diagnosis and repair of the Infotainment concerns. (Applicable to all models with Harman or Denso CP1 Infotainment). |
| 10198758 | This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models |
| 10198749 | This bulletin is to advise of SOAs revised catalytic converter recycling program shipping procedure. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)