Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2000 Subaru Legacy, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Tires17
- Engine and engine cooling16
- Power train14
- Suspension13
- Vehicle speed control10
- Structure8
- Service brakes, hydraulic7
- Electrical system6
- Fuel system, gasoline3
- Seat belts3
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 3 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 33 2000 Legacy vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 20 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 2000 Subaru Legacy failed the safety check 3.08% of the time — 66% more often than the average 2000 passenger car (1.86%). Median odometer at inspection: 151,079 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2000 Subaru Legacy cars on Dutch roads are the 2.0 petrol (92 kW, 123 hp) and 2.5 petrol (115 kW, 154 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 petrol | 92 kW 123 hp | 48 |
| 2.5 petrol | 115 kW 154 hp | 23 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
78 first registered in 2000 are on Dutch roads; 12% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde42
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld24
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen21
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage19
- Band onvoldoende profiel17
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm16
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)16
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt16
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
67 cars built in 2000 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 247 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
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 121 of these cars first registered in 2000 took their annual MOT test. 56% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2000 the figure was 61%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2000 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 24.0% | 17.7% |
| Suspension | 19.8% | 14.3% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 11.6% | 9.6% |
| Visibility | 10.7% | 7.4% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 9.1% | 7.7% |
| Tyres | 6.6% | 4.9% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
66 of these cars first registered in 2000 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 268,000 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
871 2000 cars are on the New Zealand register; 83% arrived as used imports, 13% 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 4 variants: combined 11.0–11.1 L/100 km (about 21 mpg US), CO₂ 253–255 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy AWD · Compact · Regular gasoline | 12.2 | 9.5 | 11.0 |
| Legacy AWD · Compact · Regular gasoline | 12.5 | 9.3 | 11.0 |
| Legacy Wagon AWD · Station wagon: Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 12.5 | 9.3 | 11.0 |
| Legacy Wagon AWD · Station wagon: Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 12.2 | 9.6 | 11.1 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
6 Transport Canada recalls for the 2000 Subaru Legacy.
| 2003117 30 Apr 2003 | Suspension On certain vehicles operated in the "salt-belt" provinces of Manitoba, Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland & Labr… |
| 2001070 30 Mar 2001 | Lights And Instruments Certain vehicles do not comply with the marking requirements of CMVSS 108 - Lighting System and Retroreflective Devices. The High/Low beam headlamp on these veh… |
| 2000087 31 Mar 2000 | Lights And Instruments On certain vehicles, the headlamp assemblies may not comply with the marking requirements of CMVSS 108 - Lighting System and Retroreflective Devices. The bulb … |
| 2000068 17 Mar 2000 | Lights And Instruments Certain vehicles do not comply with Cthe requirements of CMVSS 108 - Lighting System and Retroreflective Devices. The H1 low-beam headlamp bulbs do not bear a … |
| 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… |
| 1999174 29 Sept 1999 | Suspension On certain vehicles, incorrect application of anti-rust coating (PVC) to the transverse link mounting surface can eventually result in a torque decrease of the … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
THIS RECALL APPLIES TO CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. CERTAIN REAR SUSPENSION SUBFRAME COMPONENTS WERE PRODUCED WITH POOR PAINT QUALITY WHICH, AFTER CONTINUED EXPOSURE TO CORROSIVE ROAD SALTS FOR A PERIOD OF SEVERAL YEARS, COULD RESULT IN RUST-OUT OF THE COMPONENT AND POSSIBLE BREAKAGE OF THE SUBFRAME.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE LEFT-SIDE STEERING KNUCKLE ARM WAS INCORRECTLY ASSEMBLED.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SEDAN L MODEL PASSENGER VEHICLES. ANTI-RUST COATING WAS INCORRECTLY APPLIED TO THE TRANSVERSE LINK MOUNTING SURFACE OF THE VEHICLE BODY. OVER TIME THE COATING SHRINKS, CAUSING A TORQUE DECREASE OF THE BOLT THAT SECURES THE TRANSVERSE LINK BRACKET TO THE VEHICLE BODY.
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 2000 Subaru Legacy: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 631858 | SUBJECT REGARDING COMBINATION SWITCH REPAIRS. *SLC |
| 631748 | SUBJECT REGARDING AUTO DIMMING ELECTROCHROMIC COMPASS MIRROR TROUBLE SHOOTING GUIDE. *SLC |
| 631499 | SUBJECT REGARDING ENGINE CONTROL MODULE REPROGRAMMING. *SLC |
| 631490 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE THE HEATED SEATS, LIGHTED VISOR MIRRORS, AND POWER MIRRORS TO BE INOPERATIVE. *SLC |
| 631081 | SUBJECT REGARDING POPPING OUT OF FIFTH GEAR CONDITION. *JG |
| 626953 | INFORMATION REGARDING ROOF RACK/CROSSBAR WIND NOISE. *YH |
| 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 |
| 623118 | SUBJECT REGARDING SERVICE MANUAL CORRECTIONS. *JB |
| 618424 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE FRONT OXYGEN AIR / FUEL (A/F) SENSOR ELEMENT CRACKING. *TT |
| 616336 | SUBARU HAS DETERMINED THAT CERTAIN VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH THE INCORRECT SPECIFICATION MASTER CYLINDER. AS A RESULT, THE CUSTOMER MAY NOTICE A LOWER BRAKE PEDAL FEEL WHEN APPLY THE BRAKES. HOWEVER, THERE WILL BE NO EFFECT ON BRAKE PERFORMANCE AT ANY TIME. *TT |
| 613997 | INSTALLING THE HOOD DEFLECTOR W CLIPS. *TT |
| 613993 | THIS BULLETIN WILL HELP IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF WATNER ENTERING VEHICLES THROUGH THE FRONT MAP LIGHT AREA OF THE INTERIOR PANEL. *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 |
| 610110 | BRIEF INFORMATION ON INSTALLING A TURN SIGNAL FLASHER FOR RAPID TURN SIGNAL COMPLAINTS. *TT |
| 11010925 | This annocement is to inform dealers to the Gen 3.1 Head Unit OTA will be available via Wi-Fi. The update will take place in multiple batches with the first beginneing November 15th and the last being Decemeber 3rd. This update is for approximatelt 714,000 VINs. |
| 11009701 | This bulletin details an important regulation issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) which impacts the way some vehicles with accessories are sold. This regulation applies to any automobile retailer installing accessories on a vehicle prior to its first sale. |
| 11009685 | This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models. |
| 11008283 | This Service Information Bulletin announces the preferred practices to be used when handling vehicles equipped with Gen2 Telematics which are enrolled in the Subaru STARLINK Security Plus Service featuring Stolen Vehicle Recovery Plus with Immobilizer. |
| 11008282 | This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models. |
| 11008281 | This Service Information Bulletin announces the diagnostic procedures to be followed when diagnosing engine oil leakage on FA and FB type engines. |
| 11008280 | This Service Information bulletin is being released as guidance for proper testing and charging of vehicle batteries. |
| 11008279 | This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. |
| 11008276 | The CP1.5 RCs OTA is available for all mid and high grade CP1.5 head units. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)