1998 Subaru Legacy Transmission Problems

THE SPEEDOMETER ON MY 1999 SUBARU LEGACY L SEDAN STOPS WORKING AT RANDOM INTERVALS. MY MECHANIC TELLS ME THAT THIS IS CONNECTED TO THE ALSO FAULTY TRANSMISSION AND IS NOT JUST A MINOR SPEED SENSOR PROBLEM. SUBARU DENIES ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THESE PROBLEMS BUT I HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND MANY, MANY 1999 SUBARU OWNERS WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS. THE 1999'S HAD A NEW TRANSMISSION THAT IS VERY FLAWED AND WAS CHANGED AGAIN BEFORE THE 2000 RELEASE BECAUSE OF SO MANY PROBLEMS. THIS IS THE SECOND 1999 SUBARU LEGACY I HAVE BOUGHT IN THE PAST 3 MONTHS WITH THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM (I ASSUMED THE FIRST WAS A FLUKE AND THE DEALER TOOK THE CAR BACK). THE CAR HAS 96,000 MILES AND SHOULD NOT NEED A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION OVERHAUL AT THIS POINT. I BELIEVE THAT SUBARU IS VERY AWARE OF THESE FAULTS BUT DOESN'T WANT TO FACE THE REPERCUSSIONS OF A CAMPAIGN OR RECALL. I IMPLORE YOU TO LOOK INTO THIS. THESE FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS AND THEIR ASSOCIATED FAILURES(SPEEDOMETER, ETC) ARE A DANGER TO ALL OWNERS. IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE OF SUBARU TO RELEASE AN ENTIRE MODEL YEAR THAT HAS SO MANY EXPENSIVE PROBLEMS TO FIX. *NM

NHTSA ID

10161771

Incident

Jul 6, 2006

I HAVE A 1998 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION. WHEN IT GETS HOT (I LIVE IN HOUSTON!!!) THE CLUTCH PEDAL WILL GET SPONGY AND EVENTUALLY STICK TO THE FLOOR. I HAVE TO LIFT IT UP WITH MY FOOT. IF I HAVE TO DRIVE THE CAR FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME LIKE THIS, I EVENTUALLY LOSE THE ABILITY TO GET THE CAR IN AND OUT OF GEAR. I HAVE TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND LET IT COOL OFF (FOR ABOUT AN HOUR) AND IT WILL FIX ITSELF. I HAVE HAD TO SIT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR, WAITING FOR IT TO COOL DOWN! IT FIRST HAPPENED IN 1999. SUBARU TRIED TO FIX IT BY REPLACING MOST OF THE CLUTCH (THE PRESSURE PLATE, FLY WHEEL, SLAVE AND MASTER CYLINDER). THEY PRESSURE AND GRAVITY BLED THE SYSTEM. I WAS THERE ALMOST EVERY WEEK FOR MONTHS. THEY WOULD TRY ONE THING AND WHEN IT DIDN'T WORK, THEY WOULD REPLACE ANOTHER PART OR TRY SOMETHING ELSE. EVENTUALLY, WINTER SHOWED UP AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN FOR A WHILE. THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD FIXED THE PROBLEM. THEN SUMMER CAME AGAIN AND SO DID THE PROBLEM. I TOOK THE CAR BACK IN, BUT SINCE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, SUBARU REFUSED TO FIX IT UNLESS I PAID FOR IT. SUBARU HAS SINCE ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN (#03-52-03) REGARDING THIS ISSUE, BUT SUBARU REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM, STATING THERE ARE TOO MANY MILES ON MY CAR (77,000) AND IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I CONTEND, THEY NEVER FIXED THE PROBLEM IN THE FIRST PLACE AND IT IS NOT MY FAULT THAT IT TOOK THEM FIVE YEARS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT. I DO NOT HAVE ANY OF THE ORIGINAL PARTS. SUBARU SAID THEY HAD TO KEEP THEM AS PART OF THEIR WARRANTY PLAN.

NHTSA ID

10127015

Incident

Jun 28, 2005

Mileage

25,000 mi

TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE. WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING FOR A WHILE LOWER GEARS IN TRANSMISSION WILL NOT GO INTO GEAR. WHEN VEHICLE COOLED OFF FOR A PERIOD OF TIME THE VEHICLE RAN WELL. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND WAS TOLD THAT AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TEST DRIVEN THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. HOWEVER, AFTER CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE AGAIN , WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS HOT, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. ALREADY, TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED 3 TIMES, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED.*AK

NHTSA ID

10087206

Incident

Aug 3, 2004

Mileage

89,000 mi

UPON STARTING VEHICLE INADVERTENTLY JUMPED OUT OF GEAR INTO REVERSE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

8010604

Incident

Jun 17, 2001

CONSUMER STATES AFTER PARKING VEHICLE, IT JUMP OUT OF GEAR AND STARTED MOVING. NLM

NHTSA ID

8007894

INTERMITTENT FAILURES: CAR DOES NOT SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR AND KEEPS ACCELERATING WITH RPM INCREASING. HAVE TO TAKE FOOT OFF ACCELERATOR AND PULSE TO GET CAR TO SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR.

NHTSA ID

714526

Incident

Nov 1, 1999

CAR OUT OF ALIGNMENT, CAR PULLS TO THE RIGHT EVEN WHEN IN ALIGNMENT. RIDE IS VERY ROUGH LIKE SOMETHING IS OUT OF KILTER; THE TRANSMISSION DOESN'T OPERATE SMOOTHLY BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR... LIKE HESITATION, AND ACTS LIKE THERE COULD BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE GAS LINES OR PARTS CONTROLLING THE FUEL TO CAR; CUP HOLDER IS DESIGNED SO THAT EVERYTHING WANTS TO TIP OUT!! IT IS NOT DEEP ENOUGH WHICH COULD BE A DEFINITE SAFETY HAZZARD IF SOMETHING HOT TIPS OUT ONTO PASSENGER. I PREVIOUSLY OWNED A 1993 SUBARU LEGACY WAGON THAT ALSO PULLED TO THE RIGHT!! AND THE TRANSMISSION (STANDARD) WAS SOOOOO POORLY GEARED IN 1ST AND SND THAT IT ATE TIRES CONTINUALLY, WOULD NOT MOVE ON SNOWY OR INCLINED SURFACES, AND POSED A MAJOR SAFETY HAZZARD IN WET OR SNOWY CONDITIONS,,, THIS WAS A STANDARD, NON-AWD MODEL... AND THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON THIS VEHICLE AT 93,000 MILES AND SUBARU WOUDL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS!!! THAT VEHICLE WAS CLEARLY DEFECTIVE AS THIS ONE IS,,, AND NONE OF THE CORRECTIONS THEY (THE DEALERSHIP) HAS MADE HAVE CORRECTED OR HELD SO FAR! AS FOR THE GEARING .. THEY SAY IT IS THE NATURE OF THE BEAST!! AS IS THE PULLING,,, I THINK I HAVE ANOTHER SUBARU LEMON,,, AND I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS OR WORSE THAT I HAD BEFORE!!!

NHTSA ID

700246

Incident

May 1, 1998

BOUGHT MY SUBARU LEGACY 2.5 GT LAST MONTH, I BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR THE FIRST SERVICING COMPLAINING OF CLUTCH, AND TRANSMISSION DIFFICULTY. WHEN CAR GOES OVER BUMPS, TRANSMISSION TWISTS AND LURCHES. 5 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION, THIRD GEAR IS DIFFICULT TO ENTER, REVERSE GRINDS.

NHTSA ID

540198

Incident

Aug 1, 1998

DEFECT WITHIN VEHICLE IS CAUSING THE FRONT OF VEHICLE TO SHAKE, INCLUDING STEERING WHEEL WHEN VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN AT LEAST 58-68 MPH. ALSO PULLS TO RIGHT. DEALER ALSO CHANGED TRANSMISSION BRACKET AND ANGLE OF DRIVESHAFT, AND PUT IN NEW WHEELS AND RIMS. VEHICLE IS STILL SHAKING. *AK

NHTSA ID

825026