Is This A Lemon?

Year · Make · Model

1990 Subaru Legacy

What the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration knows about this vehicle: every recall, every consumer complaint, every defect investigation, every NCAP crash test. Sourced directly from NHTSA data feeds.

4
Open recalls
81
NHTSA complaints
2
Defect investigations
14
Service bulletins

NCAP safety

Overall
Not rated
Frontal
Not rated
Side
Not rated
Rollover
Not rated

Consumer complaints

81 filed
4
Crashes
2
Fires
4
Injuries reported
0
Fatalities reported

What people complain about

  • LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
    18
  • STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
    16
  • Power TRAIN:AUTOMATIC Transmission
    6
  • Seat Belts
    5
  • STRUCTURE:BODY
    5
  • Vehicle Speed Control
    3
  • Seat BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
    3
  • EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR Conditioner
    3

Recalls

4 campaigns
94V052000·POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION1994-03-23

WHEN THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN CONTINUOUSLY UNDER EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURES (-22 DEGREES F.) AND HIGH HUMIDITY WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE TRANSMISSION BREATHING (AIR) VENT CAN BE BLOCKED DUE TO MOISTURE FREEZING AT THE OIL LEVEL GAUGE. IF THIS OCCURS, PRESSURE INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION CASE WILL INCREASE AND PUSH OUT THE REAR OIL SEAL, CAUSING TRANSMISSION OIL LEAKAGE. THE LACK OF LUBRICATION CAN BURN THE INTERNAL COMPONENTS OF THE TRANSMISSION, CAUSE THE TRANSMISSION TO SEIZE AND THE VEHICLE TO COME TO A SUDDEN STOP.

RiskSUDDEN STOPS WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING CAN CAUSE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS TO BE THROWN AROUND THE VEHICLE AND CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL WHICH CAN RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.

FixDEALERS WILL MODIFY THE OIL GAUGE PIPE AND MODIFY THE OIL LEVEL GAUGE (DIPSTICK) OR REPLACE IT, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF DIPSTICK IN THE VEHICLE.

91V082000·POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1991-05-30

UNDER CERTAIN LOAD CONDITIONS, THE PARK GEAR MAY NOT DISENGAGE IMMEDIATELY WHEN THE TRANSMISSION LEVER IS MOVED FROM PARK TO REVERSE.

RiskDELAYED RELEASE OF TRANSMISSION FROM PARK CAUSES DELAYEDAND POSSIBLY ABRUPT VEHICLE MOVEMENT THAT COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLECONTROL AND AN ACCIDENT.

FixINSTALL A MODIFIED PARKING BRAKE PAWL TO PREVENT DELAYED RELEASE INTO REVERSE GEAR.

90V184000·LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH1990-10-16

TORQUE OF LATCH SCREWS ON FRONT DOORS MAY LOOSEN OVER TIME DUE TO A GAP BETWEEN THE LATCH BASE PLATE AND INNER DOOR PANEL UNDER THE SCREW HEAD.

RiskTHE AFFECTED DOOR MAY NOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE,PREVENTING EXIT FROM THAT DOOR.

FixREPLACE FRONT DOOR LATCH SCREWS WITH "LOCK-TIGHT" SCREWS.

90V110000·VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM1990-06-04

THE DEFROSTER LEVER PIN OF THE DEFROSTER SHUTTER DOOR MAY BECOME DISLOCATED AND ALLOW THE SHUTTER TO CLOSE, PREVENTING DEFROSTER FROM FUNCTIONING.

RiskNON-FUNCTIONING DEFROSTER WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT DRIVERVISIBILITY.

FixINSTALL A POSITIONING STOPPER DEVICE TO PREVENT DISLOCATION OF DEFROSTER LEVER PIN TO ASSURE DEFROSTER OPERATION.

NHTSA investigations

2 actions
PE94051·STRUCTURE1994-06-29 → 1994-10-31

HOOD LATCH FAILURE

PE91039·POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1991-01-23 → 1991-05-30

REVERSE DELAYED ENGAGEMENT

Led to recall91V082000

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