1999 SUBARU LEGACY Complaints

COMPLAINED SEVERAL TIMES TO DEALER THAT CAR HAD NO POWER, POOR GAS MILEAGE, HESITATION UPON STARTING OUT, MOTOR FELL APART AT 66,000 MILES ON INTERSTATE. CAR, ALTHOUGH A NEW MOTOR, CONTINUES TO HAVE NO POWER, POOR GAS MILEAGE, HESITATION UPON STARTING OUT. WHAT'S GOING TO KEEP THE MOTOR FROM BLOWING UP AGAIN, AND MAYBE WE BE KILLED. O2 AND PT SENSORS CONTINUES TO BLOW. SUNROOF WILL NOT OPEN;ADVISED A NEW ONE WOULD BE $975. SUNROOF COMPLAINT AT 13,680 MILES.

PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE'S CLUTCH.*MR CLUTCH WAS REPLACED ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASSIONS DUE TO FAULTY VEHICLE. *CB

I HAVE A 1999 SUBARU LEGACY WAGON WITH 4 WHEEL DISC BRAKES AND 15 INCH WHEELS. EVERY TIME THE FRONT DISK PADS ARE REPLACED, THE MECHANIC GETS THE PADS FOR 15 INCH WHEELS THE ARE INSTALLED AND THE CAR WILL NOT STOP. WHAT WE HAVE DISCOVERED IS THAT THE FRONT TAKE THE DISK PADS FOR 14 INCH WHEELS AND THE REAR TAKE THE DISK PADS FOR 15 INCH WHEELS. *AK

VEHICLE HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. WHEN DRIVING IN 5TH GEAR, TRANSMISSION WILL "DROP" OUT OF GEAR WITHOUT WARNING. *AK THE 5TH GEAR WAS REPAIRED ON THE AND THERE WAS A PACKING NUT THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PEENED ON THE GEAR SHAFT TO KEEP IT FROM BACKING OFF. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT PROPERLY PEEN THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW 5TH SLIDER NUT, RETIGHTENED, AND PEENED CORRECTLY. ALSO IN CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE VEHICLE DROPPED OUT OF THE 5TH GEAR, IT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO RACE. (OUTBACK) *SCC *JB

MY HUSBAND AND I JUST RETURNED FROM A CHILD SAFETY SEAT INSPECTION. WE HAVE A 1999 SUBARU LEGACY. WE HAD MANY PROBLEMS TRYING TO FIT OUR CENTURY 1000 STE CONVERTIBLE CAR SEAT INTO THE BACK SEAT, AND DECIDED TO TRY THE "PROFESSIONALS." THE ONLY WAY OUR CERTIFIED CAR SEAT INSPECTORS COULD ENSURE A TIGHT FITTING POSITION FOR THE CAR SEAT WAS ON THE SIDE (NOT CENTER, AS RECOMMENDED) AND WITH THE SEAT BELT TWISTED 6 (YES, I SAID 6) TIMES! OF COURSE, THE OWNER'S MANUAL OF THE CAR SAYS DO NOT TWIST THE SEAT BELT. THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL ON HAND FOR THE INSPECTORS SAID THAT BY TWISTING THE SEAT BELT 6 TIMES, WE LOWERED THE IMPACT RESISTANCE 30%. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY OUR INSPECTORS COULD GET THE SEAT IN, THOUGH. WE CONTACTED SUBARU AND THEY KINDLY SENT US A LIST OF "RECOMMENDED" CAR SEATS FOR THE 1999 SUBARU LEGACY. THEY WERE ALL BOOSTER SHIELD SEATS, WHICH ARE NOT RECOMMENDED FOR USE WITH A CHILD MY DAUGHTER'S SIZE. WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO? BUY A NEW CAR? LET OUR DAUGHTER TRAVEL IN LESS THAN OPTIMAL SAFETY RESTRAINTS? SUBARU PRIDES ITSELF ( AND SELLS ITSELF) AS BEING A SAFE CAR. WHAT GOOD DOES ALL WHEEL DRIVE DO ME IF MY LITTLE GIRL IS SERIOUSLY HARMED OR KILLED DUE TO INEFFECTIVE, POORLY PLANNED SEAT RESTRAINTS DESIGNED BY THEIR ENGINEERS? *NLM

THE SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER STARTED WORKING INTERMITTENTLY ABOUT ONE MONTH AGO. THE DEALER SAYS THE SPEEDOMETER WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $330+ (PARTS AND LABOR). THE VEHICLE IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD WITH LESS THAN 60,000 MILES. SEVERAL OTHER CONSUMERS SUBMITTED IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS. *NLM

CONSUMER STATES THAT HIS WIFE'S SPEEDOMETER STOPS WORKING INTERMITTENLY. IT STARTS AND STOPS AT WILL. THEN JUST ABOUT A WEEK PRIOR TO TAKING THE AUTO TO BE REPAIRED THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED FOR GOOD. HE STATES THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW FAST OR SLOW THEY ARE TRAVELING. TS

THE SPEEDOMETER ON MY VEHICLE BECAME INCONSISTENT. SOMETIMES IT WOULDN'T WORK AS SOON AS I STARTED THE CAR, OTHER TIMES IT WOULD STOP WORKING AT ANY RANDOM TIME WHILE DRIVING ANYWHERE. EVENTUALLY, WHEN IT STOPPED WORKING, THE ODOMETERS WOULD STOP AS WELL. WHEN I WENT TO MY SUBARU DEALER TO REPLACE THE COMPONENT. THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS A NATIONAL BACK ORDER AND I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT INDEFINITELY FOR THE PART TO COME IN. THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD BEEN REPLACING A LOT OF SPEEDOMETER HEADS ON MY MAKE AND YEAR OF CAR. I THINK IT IS UNUSUAL FOR A SPEEDOMETER TO BREAK DOWN AFTER LESS THAN THREE YEARS AND UNDER 65,000 MILES OF INITIAL SERVICE. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THAT HAPPENING ON SUCH A YOUNG CAR, AND IF IT IS HAPPENING ON MANY CARS OF THE SAME MAKE AND YEAR, I THINK THAT AN ORIGINAL PART MUST HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE FOR THIS CAR. I THINK THAT A BROKEN SPEEDOMETER IS HAZARDOUS TO DRIVING ON THE ROAD AND THEREFORE THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. I REALLY DON'T WANT TO WORRY ABOUT HAVING TO REPLACE MY SPEEDOMETER EVERY THREE YEARS OF MY CAR'S LIFE. DT

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE THEN THE VEHICLE STALLED OUT ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED, IT WAS LATER FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS A RESULT OF A DEFECTIVE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. MR *YH

FUEL WARNING LIGHT HAS NEVER WORKED ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS, WHICH IS WITH 2.5 GALLONS REMAINING IN THE TANK. TYPICALLY, MINE ONLY COMES ON WITH LESS THAN 1 GALLON REMAINING, AND EVEN THEN USUALLY ONLY AFTER I'VE STOPPED THE CAR AND THEN RESTARTED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP, BUT THE PROBLEM REMAINED. I CONTACTED SUBARU NATIONAL CUSTOMER SUPPORT AND AFTER CONSULTING WITH THEIR TECH SUPPORT PERSONNEL (ATLANTA?), I GOT A LOT OF DOUBLE TALK ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO CONTROL FACTORS INVOLVED IN MY TESTING (I.E., REPEATED DOCUMENTATION). IN OTHER WORDS, THEY REFUSED TO INSPECT OR OTHERWISE DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM. I HAVE MANY RECEIPTS SHOWING FILL-UPS WELL BEYOND THE SPECIFICATION WARNING LEVEL WHERE WHERE FUEL LIGHT NEVER CAME ON. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE RUNNING OUT OF GAS ON A HIGHWAY WITH TRAFFIC AT HIGH SPEEDS DUE TO NO WARNING LIGHT IS A SERIOUS HAZARD. IT IS NOT SOMETHING I LOOK TO CREATE, BUT IT DOES ARISE IN HIGHWAY OR OTHER CONDITIONS FROM TIME TO TIME. MR