1991 Subaru Legacy problems & reliability
78 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1991 Subaru Legacy. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1991 Subaru Legacy vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts → | 19 | 24% |
| Power Train → | 16 | 21% |
| Latches/locks/linkages → | 14 | 18% |
| Structure → | 13 | 17% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 10 | 13% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 8% |
| Visibility | 6 | 8% |
| Suspension | 5 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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 failure mileage was…”
Structure · filed Oct 11, 2017
“Drivers side automatic seat belt drive cable slips out of track making seat belt useless and dangerous.”
Seat Belts · filed Feb 16, 2016
“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 take the vehicle to…”
Power Train · filed Aug 1, 2012
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- HOOD LATCH FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE94051 · opened Jun 29, 1994 · closed Oct 31, 1994
Technical service bulletins
14 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1991 Subaru Legacy. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models.
01-167-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 23, 2022
This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure.
15-302-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 23, 2022
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).
15-192-22R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 18, 2022
This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models
01-167-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 17, 2021
This bulletin is to advise of SOAâ s revised catalytic converter recycling program shipping procedure.
09-51-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 7, 2021
To help reduce confusion and increase technician efficiency, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) has developed the following cross reference list to help locate the appropriate Special Service Tool.
14-22-16R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2021
Special Service Tools Cross Reference List.
14-22-16R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 4, 2020
All Models (Vehicle Cleaning- COVID-19Best Practices)
01-181-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2020
Subaru Service and Technical Support Line Newletter.
Subaru Tech Tips · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 21, 2019
To help reduce confusion and increase technician efficiency, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) has developed the following cross reference list to help locate the appropriate Special Service Tool.
14-22-16R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 6, 2019
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1991 Subaru Legacy in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1991 Subaru Legacy?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.