- The problem
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with front coil springs originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new york, new jersey, new hampshire, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia, and wisconsin, and in the district of columbia. The front coil springs were produced with poor paint quality which, after continued exposure to corrosive salt, can result in breakage of the spring.
- The risk
- Depending on the location of the fracture, a broken spring could move past the spring seat and contact a front tire. Some tires have deflated due to contact with a broken spring.
- The fix
- Dealers will notifiy customers to bring their vehicle to an authorize dealership to have a spring guard installed on both front struts to prevent tire puncture and replace any broken springs free of charge. Owner notification began september 18, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783.
Vehicle safety record
1995 Subaru Legacy Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 186 complaints about the 1995 Subaru Legacy with NHTSA, most often about the airbags (47) and the brakes (28). Those complaints describe 35 crashes, 3 fires and 29 injuries. It is covered by 2 recalls, the latest in June 2001 for the coil springs. For comparison, the 1994 has 61 and the 1996 has 129.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical Legacy year, for its age
#33 most complained-about 1995 vehicle
- Complaints
- 186
- Recalls
- 2
- Crashes
- 35
- Fires
- 3
- Injuries
- 29
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 1995 Subaru Legacy problems
Share of all 186 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
1995 Subaru Legacy recalls 2
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Inadvertent air bag deployment can occur after undercarriage contact of the tow hooks with curbs, dips, speedbumps, potholes, etc.
- The risk
- Unexpected air bag deployment could result in personal injury.
- The fix
- DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE FRONT TOW HOOKS.
What owners say
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186 complaints about the 1995 Subaru Legacy
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 8.
Tl* the contact owns a 1995 subaru legacy. The contact noticed an abnormal noise coming from the front driver side of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the coil spring was fractured and gouged the tire down past the steel belt. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not call the contact back. The contact was unaware if the vehicle was repaired per nhtsa campaign number: 01v216000 (suspension). The approximate failure mileage was 190,000.
10/162017 - I was walking down the street to meet my wife for dinner after parking my car. As I watched her pull into the parking lot in front of me in the legacy I saw the windshield get blown out by the passenger airbag being deployed. She was stopped waiting for traffic on a city street to clear to pull in and was not moving very fast at all, approx 5 mph. Luckily no one was in the passenger seat and my wife sustained minor injuries from flying glass. After inspecting the vehicle the following day our...
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mechanic said he believed that the airbag recall # 96v315000 performed on 12/11/1998 apparently was not performed properly and he suspected that the poorly removed tow-hook was not cut off short enough (not to the recall spec) to prevent accidental inflation of the airbag. I believe that the remaining stub of the tow-hook may have impacted the driveway as she pulled in deploying the airbag, we contacted subaru and they basically said it was not their problem. See attached pictures from our mechanic and email correspondences from subaru.
The left rear strut tower on the car rotted almost completely off . This happened without warning as the car was inspected. Out that almost all of the rear crossmember was rotted away on the left rear side and the right rear side has a couple of rot holes in it getting ready to do the same thing the left side did. If the left strut tower had completely broke off the tire would have gone right into the rotted wheel well probably causing the tire to blow because I'm sure it would have been sliced open from the jagged...
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rusted metal which would have caused the car body on the left side to drop and start to scrap on the pavement. If your not familiar with a subaru the gas tank is located just in front of the rear tires and it just about pokes into the wheel well area. In my calculations the gas tank would have been scrapping the pavement and it was full by the way. I have emailed subaru about this problem. They did a vin# check and told me there is no recall for my stated problem and that they were not going to do anything about the car. *Tr
Vee rubber vitron tires purchased new 12/23/2011. One tires steel belt separated, popped through the tire in two places on 09/07/2013. Tire has less than 5k miles on it. Two service stations (pep boys, and vince's auto in reseda, ca) inspected the tire and advised it is a defective tire. Neither could advise of any scenario to justify what happened. Vince's auto is replacing the defective tire for "no charge"; however, there are 3 remaining tires. This is very dangerous and I believe you should investigate. I'm...
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surprised there is no mention of veerubber nor vitron on your dropdown list for recall search. Tires are vee rubber vitron 195/60 r15 88h dot 6msj 4910. Please help. [[redacted]] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.S.C. 552(B)(6). *Tr
The brake and gas pedals on automatic transmission subaru legacy models are so close together that a man of average shoe size, wearing boots of any kind, is liable to inadvertently apply pressure to both pedals at the same time. The "fix" is simple: subaru of america should hang the manual transmission brake pedal, with its smaller pad footprint, on all automatic transmission legacy models. Problem solved. While driving my vehicle, and if wearing boots, I must maintain constant vigilance to avoid the potentially lethal consequence of applying pressure to both pedals at the same time. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 1995 subaru legacy. The contact stated that she was unable to accelerate from a stop. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for a diagnostic test. The mechanic stated that both front coil springs were fractured and would have to be replaced. There was a recall under nhtsa campaign id number 01v216000 (suspension:front:springs:coil springs), that may be related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the vin was not included in the recall. The...
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vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 166,116. Updated 02/09/12*lj the consumer stated the rear coil springs failed in a manner similar to the failure of the front coil springs. The defect relates to an existing recall campaign regarding the front coil springs. Updatd 02/13/12
The left rear strut tower on the car rotted almost completely off causing the interior over the strut tower to bulge way up inside the car. This happened without warning as I was driving the car. I removed the interior of the car and found out that almost all of the strut tower was rotted away on the left rear side and the right rear side has a couple of rot holes in it getting read to do the same thing the left side did. If the left strut tower had completely broke off the tire would have gone right into the...
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rotted wheel well probably causing the tire to blow because I'm sure it would have been sliced open from the jagged rusted metal which would have caused the car body on the left side to drop and start to scrap on the pavement. If your not familiar with a subaru the gas tank is located just in front of the rear tires and it just about pokes into the wheel well area. In my calculations the gas tank would have been scrapping the pavement and it was full by the way. I have emailed subaru about this problem. They did a vin# check and told me there is no recall for my stated problem and that they were not going to do anything about the car.
We had a slow oil leak and our catalytic converter started going bad at the same time. The oil leaked down the exhaust to the catalytic converter which was over heating and caused a flash fire burning up my entire car. Thankfully no one was hurt. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 1995 subaru legacy. The contact stated that the brake pedal froze and was resistant to engagement. The failure caused the contact to crash into the rear of another vehicle. The contact stated that the air bags did not deploy upon impact. The vehicle was towed to the contact place of residence and was not inspected for the failure or repaired. The failure and current mileage was 174,278.
Vehicle is a 1995 subaru legacy l wagon with auto. Trans. Gas pedal and brake pedal are too close together, and at the same height. One's foot can inadvertently apply both pedals at once, causing acceleration and braking simultaneously. Also, clearance between pedals and lower dash panel just above, is minimal. This can cause foot (especially in a winter boot) to jam in the limited space, resulting in difficulty lifting foot from a pedal. In an otherwise praiseworthy car, these flaws are an accident waiting to happen. *Tr
FUEL TANK FILLER NECK LEAK AND FAILURE. *TR
Car shakes and steering wheel vibrates when applying brakes. Gives sensation of inability to brake. Feeling of insecurity. Have taken to dealer on several occasions and the following have been done: resurfaced front and back rotors at 17,002 miles. Replaced front and rear pads and front rotors and resurfaced rear rotors at 29,154 replaced rear rotors and resurfaced front rotors at 42,325. Now at about 53,000, front rotors need replacing again! A quick internet search found one reported failure of abs in 2005 legacy that potentially could have caused an accident. I am concerned and worried that this car could prove unsafe for my family if our brakes fail. *Tr
Seat belt webbing started disintegrating in last 6 months. I have short video clip showing the defect that I can forward. *Tr
Tl*the contact owns a 1995 subaru legacy. The vehicle has cooper lifeliner touring sle, size 185/70r14 tires. While driving 5 mph, the steering wheel veered from left to right and the front end of the vehicle wobbled. The contact stated that the failure was not as extensive while driving 50 mph or greater. The dealer stated that the tires caused the failure. Nhtsa campaign id number 06t016000 (tires: tread/belt) was referenced. As of october 29, 2007, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. The failure mileage was 155,000 and current mileage was 160,000. Updated 01/11/08. *Lj
Leaking fuel filler neck, lines and tank on older subaru's. Owned 2 subarus a 1993 impreza and a 1995 legacy both gas tank seams get rusted out due to climatic conditions and leak same as filler necks and lines. Causes emission problems, triggers check engine light on obd2 cars. *Jb
Fax on behalf of consumer (me) pertaining to his difficulty in obtain a part for the defective gasoline tank filler neck of his 1995 subaru legacy wagon. *Ts the vehicle will continue to leak fuel until the part is replaced. *Nm
Fax pertaining to consumer's difficulty in obtain a part for the defective gasoline tank filler neck of his 1995 subaru legacy wagon. *Ts the faulty filler neck caused fuel to leak from the vehicle. *Nm
Dt: the contact detected a strong odor of gasoline in the garage. The contact inspected the generator and his wife's vehicle in which nothing was found. When the contact placed vehicle back into the garage he noticed a gasoline stain where vehicle was parked. He took the vehicle to a subaru dealer, who noticed the leak immediately which was coming from the filler neck of the gasoline storage tank assembly on the inside of the vehicle from where gasoline gas pump nozzle goes into the gas tank itself. This...
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was considered a common problem because it was plastic and breaking down. The part was on back order at four separate subaru dealers, the filler neck part number was 42066fa030. Out of fear of an ignition source, such as an explosion and death the vehicle was parked outside of the garage. The contact added this was the same part that was used in the 1995-1997 subaru legacy vehicles. The contact owns a 1995 subaru legacy wagon. *Ak
Approximately one month ago I was driving on a local highway when I noticed that my hood was partially unlatched (held by safety). I exited the highway, closed the hood and made a service appointment. *Ak the dealer could not find anything wrong with the latch, but recommended replacement. Another service tech at the dealership relayed that he also had a hood latch failure on a 1995 subaru legacy wagon. Plan to replace hood mechanism.
I was driving home on i-90 at 65 miles per hour when the hood of my 1995 legacy subaru wagon flew up and broke the windshield and caused the rear view mirror to fly off into the car. The latch and the safety latch failed without warning. This happened last week and I have done nothing to repair the car. *Jb
When brakes are applied/tapped they suddenly tighten and get hot as time progresses. This makes it difficult to continue operating the vehicle. This failure resulted in a fire due to master brake cylinder failure. Brake pads and calipers were replaced, but the failure recurred. *Ak
Consumer stated alternator failed. As a result, tail lights became inoperable. *Ak
Nhtsa recall number 01v216000 failed. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with front coil springs originally sold or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, the front coil springs were produced with poor paint quality which, after continued exposure to corrosive salt, can result in breakage of the spring. *Jb
Driveability concern: there is a valve guide movement on the cylinders that lead to very heavy carbon deposits on valves and intake/combustion chambers. The valve guide wear occurs because the heads are made of aluminum. Under load, the engine will not shift into high gear, misfires randomly, check engine light comes on and the car "bucks." This is very dangerous on the highway because the car is unable to accelerate and it "bucks." The gas mileage is very poor (17 mpg). My garage (works exclusively on japanese cars) they see similar problems on many subaru models and years.*Ak
My vehicle, a 1995 subaru legacy l station wagon, had stalled at a red light. Shortly after the light turned green, I was rear-ended by another vehicle. I was in the driver's seat of my vehicle. Upon impact, the driver's seat "collapsed" to a fully-reclined position. I suffered muscle and ligament strain in my neck and back, and my daughter (who was seated behind me) sustained a large bruise on her right thigh as a result of being struck by my seat when it collapsed. *Jb
Subaru Legacy: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 97 | 3 | D |
| 1998 | 116 | 5 | D |
| 1997 | 143 | 6 | D |
| 1996 | 129 | 4 | D |
| 1995 | 186 | 2 | F |
| 1994 | 61 | 0 | C |
| 1993 | 79 | 1 | C |
| 1992 | 61 | 2 | B |
| 1991 | 79 | 3 | C |
1995 Subaru Legacy vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 Subaru Legacy | 186 | 2 | F | |
| 1995 Honda Accord | 546 | 14 | D | Compare |
| 1995 Toyota Camry | 305 | 5 | C | Compare |
| 1995 Dodge Avenger | 200 | 3 | C | Compare |
| 1995 Nissan Altima | 180 | 5 | C | Compare |
| 1995 Volkswagen Passat | 97 | 1 | B | Compare |
| 1995 Hyundai Sonata | 70 | 2 | A | Compare |
| 1995 Subaru Impreza | 46 | 4 | C | Compare |
| 1995 Subaru SVX | 20 | 0 | F | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 1995 Subaru Legacy
Does the 1995 Subaru Legacy have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 1995 Subaru Legacy: coil springs (June 2001); air bags (December 1998). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 1995 Subaru Legacy?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the airbags (47), brakes (28), electrical system (19).
How many complaints has the 1995 Subaru Legacy had?
186 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on January 10, 1995 and the latest on December 27, 2017. Of these, 35 describe a crash and 3 a fire, and together they report 29 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 1995 Subaru Legacy a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 19 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Subaru Legacy year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Subaru Legacy years have the most complaints?
1995 (186), 2005 (184), 2011 (167). See every Subaru Legacy year compared.
What should I do if my 1995 Subaru Legacy has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data