2000 Subaru Legacy problems & reliability
94 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2000 Subaru Legacy, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. 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): 2000 Subaru Legacy vehicles were involved in 33 fatal crashes with 20 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tires | 17 | 18% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 16 | 17% |
| Power Train | 14 | 15% |
| Suspension | 13 | 14% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 11% |
| Structure | 8 | 9% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 6 | 6% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 3% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 94,815 miles (middle 50% between 60,000 and 136,000 miles), based on 36 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Structure · filed Aug 22, 2019
“Tl* the contact owns a 2000 subaru legacy. While driving various speeds in below freezing temperature, the contact detected an odor of fuel coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 156,000.”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Feb 8, 2017
“Tl* the contact owns a 2000 subaru legacy. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v323000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of…”
Air Bags · filed Feb 22, 2016
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
93 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2000 Subaru Legacy. The 10 most recent:
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…
SubaruNet Announcement · Other · issued Nov 14, 2024
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…
15-130-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 31, 2024
This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models.
01-167-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2024
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…
15-298-22R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 27, 2024
This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models.
01-167-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 27, 2024
This Service Information Bulletin announces the diagnostic procedures to be followed when diagnosing engine oil leakage on FA and FB type engines.
02-192-24 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 26, 2024
This Service Information bulletin is being released as guidance for proper testing and charging of vehicle batteries.
07-178-21R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 26, 2024
This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure.
15-320-24 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 26, 2024
The CP1.5 RCs OTA is available for all mid and high grade CP1.5 head units.
SubaruNet Announcement · Other · issued Sep 26, 2024
This bulletin announces availability of the NEW genuine Subaru engine oil filter.
02-191-22R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 17, 2024
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
The 2000 Subaru Legacy has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 2000 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 94,815 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.