There are 4 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2003 Subaru Legacyin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
FOR THE LAST 2 YEARS THE FRONT BRAKES STALLED 4 TIMES ON THE HIGH WAY. I HAD TO PULL OVER, WAIT 20 MINUTES AND THE BRAKES ARE WORKING AGAIN. THE MECHANIC'S COMPUTER DOESN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG.
BRAKE LINE AT REAR WHEEL CONNECTOR RUSTED THROUGH AND LITERALLY BROKE A HOLE THROUGH THE VERY RUSTED METAL WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 30 MPH, BUT LUCKILY THIS WAS ON EMPTY ROAD AND IT EVENTUALLY STOPPED, BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL LOST EFFECTIVENESS AND THE USABILITY IS NOW DANGEROUS, SO IT IS PARKED AT HOME, WHILE MY REGISTRATION, TAX AND INSPECTION LIVES ARE ONLY HALF USED.
TRAVELING WEST ON I90 NEAR MENTOR OHIO I ATTEMPTED TO STOP MY 2003 SUBARU LEGACY WAGON ON A SNOW COVERED PORTION OF THE ROAD. MY SPEED WAS ABOUT 45 MPH. TRAFFIC STOPPED SUDDENLY, AND WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP. ALSO, THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM DID NOT ACTIVATE. FURTHER, UPON IMPACT WITH THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR
SERVICE WAS DONE AT 60,000 KILOMETERS AND BRAKE ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED WHICH IN MY OPINON WAS PREMATURE ON A 3 YEAR OLD VEHICLE. I HAVE OWNED JETTAS AND HONDAS WHICH HAVE GONE 5 YEARS AND 125,000 KILOMETERS WITHOUT ANY MAJOR BRAKE WORK REQUIRED.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026