RoadVitals

1999 Subaru Legacy Driver assistance Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Driver assistance reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
12
Latest Dec 27, 2014
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
13%
of 94 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
3
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Subaru Legacy submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming driver-assistance

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistanceEngine
Filed Dec 27, 2014

STARTED NOTICING A PROBLEM WHEN COMING DOWN A LONG, STEEP HILL WITH EXTENSIVE SHUDDERING WHEN BRAKING. WHEN I GOT INTO TOWN, THERE WAS A EVEN MORE SHUDDERING WHEN COMING TO A STOP AT A RED LIGHT. I HAD TO PULL ON THE PARKING BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR. WHEN WE STARTED UP AGAIN, IT PULLED VERY HARD SO WE PULLED OVER AND WHEN I PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL, THE ENGINE RACED UP ABOVE 4,000 RPM. I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, BUT WHEN IT WAS STARTED AGAIN, IT RACED AGAIN. I EASED IT SAFELY HOME A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY WITH THE UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION PROBLEM CONTINUING. *TR

NHTSA ID
10668510
Incident
Dec 27, 2014
Mileage
141,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Jan 28, 2010

I HAVE A 1999 SUBARU LEGACY. ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS I EXPERIENCE SUDDEN ACCELERATION. ONCE DRIVING ON EXPRESSWAY. LASTED A FEW SECONDS. 2ND INSTANCE STOPPED AT STOP SIGN, FOOT ON BRAKE, CAR ACCELERATED. FOOT WAS ON BRAKE & THEN PUT GEAR IN NEUTRAL. I CALLED DEALERSHIP & WAS TOLD THAT THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE HEATER/AC WAS ON DUAL M (FEET & CHEST) & THIS WAS NORMAL. I HAVE HAD CAR CHECKED & THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. SO THEY SAY. BASED ON SERVICE MGRS RESPONSE, OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE ACCELERATION. GIVEN THE EVENTS WITH TOYOTA --THERE SHOULD BE FURTHER INVESTIGATION.*CW

NHTSA ID
10303002
Incident
Oct 17, 2009
Mileage
46,765 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 3, 2007
Crash reported

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 SUBARU LEGACY. WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH, THE CONTACT RELEASED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. BEFORE THE BRAKE COULD BE APPLIED, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD AND CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY. BOTH THE VEHICLE AND BUILDING WERE DAMAGED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE HAD NOT BEEN DETERMINED. THE MILEAGE WAS LOW ON THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE ODOMETER WAS REPLACED AT 50,000 MILES. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 16,000.

NHTSA ID
10204796
Incident
Oct 2, 2007
Mileage
16,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed May 4, 2004

THE SPEEDOMETER DROPS TO ZERO INTERMITTENTLY. NO KNOWN CAUSE OR PATTERN TO PROBLEM. AUTHORIZED DEALER COULD NOT REPLICATE OR REMEDY. *AK

NHTSA ID
10068300
Incident
Apr 10, 2004
Mileage
91,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 4, 2004

97000 MILES - AUTOMATIC W CRUISE - VEHICLE JUST STARTED EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT HIGH IDLE CONDITIONS. THE FIRST CONDITION HAS PERSISTED FOR SEVERAL DAYS. VEHICLE (EVEN WHEN WARM) IDLES AT ~1.5K RPM IN PARK. WHEN COASTING IN DRIVE, VEHICLE DOES NOT SLOW DOWN AS IT NORMALLY SHOULD. IT IS ALMOST AS IF VEHICLE IS DRIVING ITSELF. WHEN STOPPING ABRUPTLY,THE ABS DID NOT SEEM TO ENGAGE AND THE CAR WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP (I PAST THE TOLL BOOTH GUY BY A FOOT). FUEL ECONOMY HAS BEEN REDUCED. THE SECOND CONDITION IS MORE INTERMITTENT AND COULD BE VERY SERIOUS. AFTER STARTING MY CAR AND LETTING IT WARM FOR 2 MINUTES, I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THEN SHIFTED FROM PARK TO DRIVE. THE RPMS SURGED TO OVER 2.5K AND STAYED THERE. LUCKILY, I WAS FIRMLY PRESSING THE BRAKE. I PLACED THE CAR IN PARK AND RELEASED THE BRAKE, THE RPMS DECREASED TO 750. I WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE THIS SEVERAL TIMES IN BOTH REVERSE AND DRIVE AND COULD FIND NOTHING TO SUGGEST I WAS THE CAUSE (I.E PRESSING BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR AT THE SAME TIME). THE BRAKE WAS FIRMLY DEPRESSED AND I DID NOT MOVE. AFTER 2 MINUTES OF THIS, THE CONDITION STOPPED AND THE RPMS NO LONGER SURGED WHEN PLACED IN GEAR. I DROVE TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO REPLICATE IT. ON MY NEXT DRIVE (1 HOUR LATER) THE CAR IDLED AND RAN FINE FOR THE COURSE OF MY 10 MINUTE DRIVE. ON RETURNING HOME (1 HOUR AFTER THAT), THE CAR RAN FINE UNTIL I STOPPED IN THE DRIVEWAY SHIFTED FROM DRIVE TO PARK. THE ENGINE SURGED TO OVER 2K RPM, BUT IDLED NORMALLY. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE DEALER TO INVESTIGATE IN A FEW DAYS. I AM VERY CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY AND OF OTHERS.*AK

NHTSA ID
10056555
Incident
Feb 1, 2004
Mileage
97,200 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Dec 6, 2002

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

NHTSA ID
8023907
Incident
Jul 15, 2002
Driver assistance
Filed Jul 22, 2002

SERVICE DEPARTMENT UNRESPONSIVE TO MY COMPLAINT. NO SAFETY DEFEC TLISTED. *AK

NHTSA ID
764587
Incident
Jul 14, 2002
Driver assistance
Filed Jan 17, 2002

CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND WOULD NOT STOP UPON APPLYING THE BRAKES.

NHTSA ID
9004999
Incident
Jan 2, 1999
Driver assistance
Filed Jan 8, 2002

THERE IS HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING - TSB#115398 - TSB#115899. *AK

NHTSA ID
756558
AirbagsBrakesDriver assistance
Filed Jan 2, 2002
Crash reported

WHILE TRAVELING DOWN INTERSTATE 5, THE TRAFFIC SLOWED DUE TO AN ACCIDENT ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE FWY., UPON NOTICING THE TRAFFIC SLOWING I RELEASED MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR THE TRAFFIC CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES APPLYING THEM ALL THE WAY. I HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO STOP THE CAR IN ORDER TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. UNFORTUNATELY THE CARS BRAKES DIDN'T STOP THE CAR, AND THE CAR STOPPED WHEN I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY EITHER. I HAD THE SAME TYPE OF ACCIDENT IN MARCH OF 2000. I JUST FELT MAYBE IT WAS MY FAULT AND DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT MUCH. THE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY AT THIS TIME EITHER, AND I FELT IT WAS BECAUSE I WAS GOING SLOW, AND THE IMPACT WASN'T ENOUGH TO MAKE THEM COME OUT. UPON HAVING MY BRAKES CHECKED THIS PAST SUMMER THE MECHANIC NOTICED THE ACTUAL PADS ON THE BRAKES WERE SMALLER THAN THE PADS THAT CAME UP WHEN LOOKED UP IN THE PARTS BOOK. THE PADS ON MY CAR WERE FOR A 13 INCH TIRE AND MY CAR HAS 15 INCH TIRES. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE BRAKES DIDN'T STOP MY CAR VERY ACCURATELY. UPON LEARNING THIS I CHECKED FOR A RECALL AND FOUND OUT THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER ON MY CAR WAS INVOLVED IN A RECALL. AT THIS TIME I WENT TO THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR. THEY LOOKED THE RECALL UP AND GAVE ME A PRINT OUT THAT STATED THE RECALL WAS INDEED COMPLETED. THE PROBLEM IS THE CAR DOESN'T STOP PROPERLY IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER WITH TWO CHILDREN, AND I "TAXI" THEM TO NUMEROUS ACTIVITIES. MY CONCERN IS THE SAFETY OF THIS CAR. THE BRAKES DON'T RESPOND PROPERLY AND THE AIR BAGS DON'T DEPLOY. THE INSURANCE ADJUSTOR TOLD ME THAT ABS BRAKES ARE MADE TO KEEP FROM GOING OUT OF CONTROL, NOT STOPPING THE CAR. IF THIS IS INDEED THE CASE I WILL NEVER BE SAFE IN THIS PARTICULAR CAR.*AK

NHTSA ID
756313
Incident
Dec 19, 2001
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 23, 1999

CONSUMER SHIFTED FROM PARK TO DRIVE WHILE APPLYING FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, LURCHING FORWARD ABOUT 3 FEET WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN PROPERTY DAMAGE. *AK

NHTSA ID
852366
Incident
Nov 1, 1999
AirbagsDriver assistance
Filed May 12, 1999
Crash reported

I WAS ALMOST AT A DEAD STOP WHEN THE CAR JUST SURGED FOWARD ONCE AND BEFORE I COULD PUT THE BRAKE ON, IT SURGED FOWARD AGAIN AND SENT ME THROUGH A PLATE GLASS WINDOW AT DUNCUN DONUTS WE HIT A POLE BETWEEN THE TWO WINDOWS VERY HARD AND THE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. *AK

NHTSA ID
706429
Incident
May 3, 1999

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .