NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 Subaru Legacy. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
The issue occurred on a 08 Subaru Legacy GT Limited while the driver was driving the car with their family on a local street around 35-40mph. Initially, while the car was stopped at a traffic light, the driver noticed that the brake pedal seems off where it seems to be depressed much deeper than usual. While coming up on a second red traffic light, the driver noticed that the pedal has to be depressed all the way down to the floor before bringing the car close to a stop while using the emergency brake to complete the stop. The driver knows that this is a major issue given the symptoms and drove to a safe spot to stop the car and inspect the issue. At this time, the brake light has also came on in the dashboard. Upon the driver's preliminary inspection, there was brake fluid leakage coming from the rear passenger wheel area and the brake fluid in the reservoir has reached the minimum line which would confirm why the brake light came on. Given the situation, the vehicle was then brought to the Subaru official dealer immediately to be dropped off for a diagnostic on the next Monday since the dealer was closed when the driver arrived. After the diagnostic by the Subaru mechanic, they confirmed with the driver's suspicious where the brake line has been broken due to corrosion to a bare metal area of the rear brake line that was supposed to be addressed by the brake line corrosion recall, WQK-047. The line was broken at one of the clip point where the brake line has no sleeve over it to protect the line from corrosion. Subaru issued a recall on this area as they know that this was a design flaw where salt used on the road from the winter might get in accelerating the corrosion of the line causing it to leak or break. This is an serious issue since the car could have crashed if the brake fails completely without any brake fluid anymore. NHTSA should intervene on this as many owners have this issue and SOA, who boast about safety, did not address the issue with the recall.
I had the recall done in 2017 and I was recently driving on the highway when my brakes had no pressure, I nearly crashed my car. Pulled over and realized my brake lines were leaking from where they said it had been fixed during the recall. I called the Subaru Stealership that did the recall and they informed me when I brought the vehicle in “it showed no signs of leakage” so they sprayed “anti corrosion” on the lines. I called Subaru of America and they want me to pay $200 to diagnose the issue and pay for the repair since the lines busted from “wear and tear”. Spraying anti-corrosion does nothing when the rust has already ruined the integrity of the brake line. Subaru is trying to pull a fast one and scam their customers by spraying anti-corrosion when the lines need to be replaced instead.
DASHBOARD HAS MELTED FROM SUN AND HEAT, HAS BECOME EXTREMELY SHINEY & STICKY, PLUS SUN & HEADLIGHTS REFLECT OFF THE WINDSCREEN.
I received my Subaru legacy from the dealer after an unrelated repair. My wife got in the car and very slowly drove through the lot to exit the dealership. She was going 5-6 mph at most and luckily after putting the car into gear she had her hand resting on the center console literally right above the hand brake. As she approached the stop sign to exit the dealership, she put her foot on the brake pedal and it went immediately straight to the floor with no resistance or application of the brakes. She immediately grabbed and pulled the hand emergency brake to stop the vehicle from entering a busy route 3 (West Chester Pike.) After nursing the car back to service at very low mph she parked the car again using the hand brake. Service looked at the car and found ruptured brake lines. The lines were the subject of a recall in 2015 and were supposedly inspected and an anticorrosive was applied.
2008 SUBARU LEGACY. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ISSUES WITH FUEL PUMP. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD TURN OVER, BUT WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THE THE METAL OF THE PUMP HARNESS WAS SEVERLY BURNED AND MELTED DUE TO EXTREME HEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. *JS
I have a great suspicion that Kia has not only sold bad engined vehicles that are their own make and models but I believe they are selling used cars they buy like that as well. The car I bought has major engine problems that were hid from me at the time of the sales leading to a $5000 repair bill for a 7200$ car. I only had it for a couple weeks before it became un-drivable. Not only did they hide and lie about fact in the sales of their own cars , I have evidence showing that they are doing the same to used cars they're selling. They are barely doing the bare minimum to fix anything. They have lied to AUTOCAP on record about facts as well when I have recordings or them telling me other wise.
There is a parasitic drain on my car battery. I have replaced the alternator and battery twice, and the car can’t hold a charge.
The CV axle on the passenger side caught on fire. It was the rubber boot on the inner side over the catalytic converter. There were no warnings other than the smell of smoke. Fortunately, I caught it early and put out the fire with a fire extinguisher. I had been driving 25 to 40 MPH on city streets for about 5 miles before the incident.
The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated while driving approximately 30-35 mph, the brake pedal went to the floorboard while depressed. The contact was concerned that the brake was failing with her husband and four-month-old baby in the vehicle. The contact veered to the shoulder and turned off the vehicle. The contact’s husband inspected the vehicle and saw that there was fluid dripping near the rear passenger’s side tire, below the fuel tank. The contact’s husband then drove the vehicle back to the residence. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the dealer had performed a recall repair on the brakes on January 22, 2021. The contact was informed that anti-corrosion wax was sprayed onto the brake line connectors as part of the remedy. The manufacturer referred the contact back to the same dealer where the vehicle was repaired under recall, to have the vehicle diagnosed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that rodents had chewed the brake line and the brake line was not part of the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was not repairable. The manufacturer offered a $ 1,000 voucher for a newer vehicle. The failure mileage was 76,877.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, HE BECAME AWARE OF CORROSION AROUND THE BRAKE LINE. THERE WAS FLUID LEAKING FROM THE BRAKE LINE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT SOFT WHEN DEPRESSED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V311000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 183,000.
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND TRYING TO BRAKE IT LOST THE ABILITY TO APPLY THE BRAKES ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION FOUND THIS WAS A RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE. I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY SAID IT WAS PERFORMED AND THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING FURTHER. THE EXACT AREA PERTAINING TO THE BRAKE LINES FAILING AS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL IS WHERE IT HAS FAILED. THEIR IS NO EVIDENCE OF THE RECALL BEING PERFORMED AS THE REPAIR INDICATED SPRAYING THE VEHICLE WITH ANTI CORROSION SPRAY. IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT WAS EVER DONE. THIS IS FOR THE BRAKE LINES IN THE PASSENGER REAR OF THE VEHICLE NEXT TO THE GAS TANK. RECALL NUMBER THEY SAY WAS COMPLETED IS WQK-47. RESEARCH SHOWS MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THIS ISSUE STILL AND SUBARU HAS NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. THANK YOU
I SAW THE BRAKE LIGHT COME ON WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREET, I TAPPED THE BRAKES LIGHTLY AND CHECKED IF MY EBRAKE WAS UP A FEW TIMES AND THE LIGHT WENT AWAY FOR A BIT BEFORE IT FINALLY STAYED ON WHILE DRIVING AFTER DOING THAT. I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS A SENSOR SINCE LIGHT TAPS AND BRAKING SEEMED FINE. I GUESS WHEN I WAS TAPPING AND TESTING THE BRAKES OVER AND OVER, I WAS JUST PUMPING ALL THE BRAKE FLUID OUT OF THE CORRODED BRAKE LINE IN THE BACK AND COULD BARELY STOP WHEN I ACTUALLY HAD TO USE THE BRAKES TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO FLOOR AND I HAD TO ASSIST IN BRAKING WITH MY E-BRAKE AND ENGINE BRAKING INTO 1ST GEAR. WHEN I GOT UNDER THE CAR AND HAD SOMEONE PUMP THE BRAKES, I CAN SEE FLUID COME OUT OF A CORRODED HARD BRAKE LINE NEXT TO THE GAS TANK. LOOKING ONLINE THIS IS ONE OF THE SPOTS WHERE 2 PREVIOUS RECALLS WERE ISSUED FOR BRAKE LINE CORROSION. THE RECALLS WERE TAKEN CARE OF IN 11/2013 @~89K MILES AND 09/2014 @~97K MILES BY THE DEALER. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY AT ~125K MILES AND HAS ONLY BEEN DRIVEN IN THE SUMMER FOR PAST FEW YEARS. IT LOOKS LIKE THE RECALL DOES NOT FIX THE ISSUE AND STILL CREATES A DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATION.
DRIVING CAR AND HAD COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKES. VEHICLE HAS HAD ISSUES OR RANDOM CONSUMPTION OF BRAKE FLUID. PASSENGER REAR BRAKE PIPE BURST OPEN AND FAILED DUE TO CORROSION NOT ADDRESSED BY PREVIOUS RECALLS. SUBARU OF AMERICA WILL NOT HONOR REPLACEMENT AND SERVICES COST BECAUSE THE LEGACY MODEL IS NOT SPECIFIC TO THE RECALL AND OUT OF WARRANTY. SOA DID HONOR $350 CREDIT FOR REPAIRS THAT COST $1100. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH AND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL, BRAKE FLUID BEGAN TO LEAK FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THEY WERE ABLE TO PARK THE VEHICLE SAFELY. THE CONTACT REFERRED THE FAILURE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V311000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC OR A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,000.
THIS IS IN REFERENCE TO SUBARU RECALL WQK-47: WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, BRAKE INDICATOR ON DASHBOARD ILLUMINATED AND WITHIN A FEW MINUTES OF DRIVING, I COULD FEEL SOMETHING WAS A BIT DIFFERENT WITH THE BRAKE PRESSURE. WITHIN A FEW MOMENTS OF THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP, I NOTICED THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND ON SUBSEQUENT PUMPS OF THE BRAKES I GOT SOME PRESSURE. ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE FURTHER (SLOWLY), RESULTED IN VERY LITTLE, IF ANY, BRAKING POWER. I CHECKED BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR AND NOTICED IT WAS BELOW THE MIN MARK. I HAD SOME BRAKE FLUID IN THE TRUNK AND FILLED IT. I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE A BIT FURTHER AND WAS ABLE TO RECOVER BRAKE FUNCTIONALITY FOR A FEW MORE MINUTES BEFORE THE SAME ISSUE OCCURRED. THANKFULLY THIS WAS DONE WHILE ON A ROAD THAT HAD A LOW SPEED LIMIT AND THERE WEREN'T MANY VEHICLES AROUND. LOSING BRAKE POWER WHILE ON A HIGHWAY FOR INSTANCE ON A TURN WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AS GOOD. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY FOUND THAT THE RIGHT REAR LINE WAS LEAKING. I WENT IN TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE AND INSPECTED THE FOUR-WAY CONNECTOR MENTIONED IN THE RECALL AS WELL AS THE LINE THAT RUNS NEAR THE FUEL TANK WHERE THE CLIP HOLDS ON TO IT. THIS PART OF THE LINE IS EXPOSED JUST AS THE RECALL MENTIONS. I NOTICED THAT THE 4-WAY CONNECTOR WAS COVERED SUFFICIENTLY IN THE WAX COMPONENT THAT THE RECALL MENTIONED SHOULD BE USED BUT THE AREA WHERE THE LEAK WAS DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY WAX AT ALL THE WORK FOR THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED IN OCTOBER 2018, SO A LITTLE OVER A YEAR LATER AND THE BRAKE LINE CORRODED THROUGH WHERE THE RECALL WORDING INDICATED IT COULD. IF THE LINES HAD BEEN SEALED AS INDICATED, PERHAPS THIS ISSUE WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. THE DEALERSHIP QUOTED $1300 TO REPLACE A SINGLE BRAKE LINE. ANOTHER CONCERN IS THAT IF THAT ONE LINE WAS CORRODED ENOUGH TO LEAK, THEN THE OTHERS COULD TOO.
THE DASH HAS MELTED LEAVING IT HARD TO SEE OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE DASH IS ALSO EXTREMELY STICKY AND SHINY. I THOUGHT IT JUST NEEDED TO BE CLEANED BUT REALIZED SHORTLY AFTER THAT WAS NOT THE CASE AND HAVE SINCE FOUND THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH MY MAKE AND MODEL PER SUBARU.
VEHICLE DIES. I KNOW THERE IS A RECALL OUT THERE FOR THIS REASON BUT I'M TOLD THAT MY CAR IS NOT PART OF THIS RECALL BUT MY CAR IS DOING EXACTLY WHAT THE RECAL IS TALKING ABOUT
WHEN THE REAR WINDOW DEFROST IS TURNED ON THE RADIO NO LONGER WORKS. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SAFETY CONCERN IN THE EVENT OF TRYING TO HEAR IMPORTANT BROADCASTS IN POOR WEATHER. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE, BUT HAS BEEN POORLY ADDRESSED BY SUBARU. THIS AFFECTS MANY MODELS IN THIS YEAR RANGE. LEAVING THE CONSUMER TO PAY TO REPLACE A POORLY MADE PART TO REPEATEDLY OCCUR EVEN AFTER REPLACEMENT IN SOME CASES.
HAD THE RECALL FOR BRAKES DONE & RECALL FOR AIR BAG, & CATALYTIC CONVERTER. NEVER RECIEVED POST CARD FOR ELECTRICL RECALL , HAD ALL KINDS OF WORK DONE & THE ENGINE LIGHT, CRUISE CONTROL,ETC WILL NOT TURN OFF. WHY HAVENT I RECIEVED RECALL NOTICE SO THAT I CAN BRING IT TO SUBARU DEALER, THANK YOU [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *PM
ALL OF MY DASH LIGHTS ARE ON (STATIONARY & IN MOTION) CRUISE CONTROL LIGHTS BLINKS CONSISTENTLY (STATIONARY & IN MOTION), MY CAR CRUISE CONTROL ALSO FEELS LIKE IT GOES ON AND OFF CONSTANTLY (IN MOTION), AND MY CRUISE CONTROLS ON MY STEERING DO NOT WORK (STATIONARY & IN MOTION) . ALSO MY RADIO IS CONSISTENTLY GOING ON/OFF, CHANGING STATIONS, VOLUME CONTROLS GO IN/OUT (STATIONARY & IN MOTION). ALSO MY REVIEW MIRROR DISPLAYS THE WRONG DIRECTION ON THE COMPASS, AND THE AUTO DIM AND COMPASS FEATURE IT'S SELF GOES ON/OFF CONSISTENTLY (STATIONARY & IN MOTION). UNDER THE HOOD WILL SMOKE AFTER I'VE DRIVEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, OR GONE UP STEEP HILLS.I READ ONLINE WHERE OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING THESE ISSUES WITH THEIR SUBARU LEGACY'S AND OUTBACKS AS WELL. NOTE: THESE ISSUES HAPPEN CONSISTENTLY WITHOUT REGARD TO THE TYPE OF ROAD ON WITH THE EXCEPTION OF UNDER THE HOOD SMOKING. THAT ONLY HAPPENS AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.
RED AIRBAG INDICATOR IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER BEGUN COMING ON/OFF ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK THEN BECAME CONSTANT. OBSERVED PASSENGER AIRBAG INDICATOR HAD NO LIGHTS ON(NO ILLUMINATION AT ALL) SEARCHED FORUMS AND FOUND MULTIPLE SIMILAR CASES WITH NO RESOLVE FROM THE DEALERSHIP. AS A MECHANIC MYSELF I BEGAN MY OWN DIAGNOSIS, CAUSE: REMOVED OVERHEAD CONTROL PANEL AND PERFORMED ELECTRICAL TESTING ON PASSENGER AIRBAG CIRCUIT. FOUND OPEN CIRCUITS BETWEEN COMPONENT CONTACTS. CORRECTION: RETINNED CONTACTS AND ADDED SOLDER. HAVEN'T HAD AN AIRBAG LIGHT SINCE THE REPAIR.. I HAVE HEARD THE DEALER WANTS 300+$ TO REPAIR. THIS IS SUCH A COMMON AND SERIOUS ISSUE THAT IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR A RECALL... I HAVE SEEN AND PERFORMED FAR MORE TRIVIAL RECALLS. THAT SAID; IF YOU TAKE YOUR CAR TO A DECENT SUBARU OR INDEPENDENT SHOP THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THIS AND FIX IT FOR ALOT LESS THAN THE DEALER
TAKATA RECALL
"TAKATA RECALL"
TAKATA RECALL I RECEIVED A NOTICE IN DECEMBER 2016 THAT MY PASSENGER AIRBAG HAD A RECALL AND THAT THERE WERE PLENTY OF PARTS SO I COULD CALL MY SUBARU DEALER AND HAVE THEM FIX IT. I DID CALL THEM AND THEY SAID THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE PARTS YET AND THAT IT WOULD BE A FEW WEEKS AND THEY WOULD CALL ME TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. I CALLED AGAN TODAY, 3/31/17 AND I GOT THE SAME STORY THAT THEY WON'T HAVE PARTS FOR A FEW WEEKS AND THAT THEY WILL CALL ME. I MENTIONED THAT I HAD ALREADY HEARD THAT THREE MONTHS AGO AND SHE SAID THAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF TAKATA AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THIS IS A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF TIME FOR ME TO BE EXPECTED TO NOT BE ABLE TO USE MY CAR, OR TO DRIVE A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS VEHICLE. THE FIRST TIME I CALLED THEY SAID I MIGHT BE PROVIDED WITH A RENTAL CAR BUT EVERY ONE I TALKED TO SAID IT WAS FINE TO DRIVE MY CAR. IT IS ONLY FINE TO DRIVE IT IF I DO NOT END UP IN A WRECK THAT CAUSES THE AIRBAGS TO GO OFF, WHICH IS NOT SOMETHING THAT A PERSON CAN REALLY PLAN FOR. SUBARU HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM IN A TIMELY MANNER LIKE THEY SAID THEY WOULD.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 15V323000 (AIR BAGS) AND 14V311000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULICS) HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIRS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
IN FEBRUARY, I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE REGARDING THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. THE NOTICE MENTIONED A PARTS SHORTAGE, AND THAT I WOULD BE NOTIFIED WHEN THE SUPPLY IMPROVED. I HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED THAT SECOND LETTER. IN THE MEANTIME, I AM NOT ABLE TO ALLOW PASSENGERS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT INCONVENIENCE.
THE OIL COOLER DISINTEGRATED DURING A TRIP WITHOUT ANY WARNING, NO LIGHTS OR ANYTHING. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC WHO DID THE REPAIRS, WHEN IT DISINTEGRATED, IT DESTROYED THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAR SLOWED DOWN, BUT CONTINUED TO CRAWL ALONG AT ABOUT 20 MPH, SO THAT WE COULD REACH HELP. THIS RESULTED IN A $3800 REPAIR, STRANDING US 1,000 MILES FROM HOME AND RESULTING IN SEVERAL WEEKS OF MISSED WORK.
AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE (FAULT CODE 26 - PASSENGER AIR BAG INDICATOR FAILURE) MANY OTHER SUBARU OWNERS REPORTING THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE, WHICH IS RELATED TO FAULTY SOLDERING OF COMPONENTS IN THE OVERHEAD MAP LIGHT CONSOLE. AS THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE (PASSENGER AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT), SUBARU SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE FAULTY COMPONENT(S).
MY 2008 SUBARU LEGACY 2.5 I, HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE DRIVE-BY-WIRE. WHEN I START THE CAR AFTER DRIVING IT JUST FINE, THE CAR GAS PEDAL WILL NO ACCELERATE. THIS HAPPENS IN MOTION OR STATIONARY. THE CAR JUST REVS UP TO 2200 RPM'S. THIS CAN ALSO HAPPEN WHEN YOUR DRIVING. THE CAR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT FLASHES. THE CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE.
UPON COLD START, VEHICLE ENGINE RAN EXTREMELY ROUGH, PLACED TRANSMISSION IN DRIVE WHILE APPLYING BRAKE, VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD WHILE APPLYING BRAKE WITH BOTH FEET INITIALLY HAD LITTLE EFFECT.
I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHEN MY AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD WAS COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY. UNFORTUNATELY I HAD TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THEM TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. WHEN I CALLED BERTERA SUBARU I MADE THE FIRST APPOINTMENT THEY HAD AVAILABLE, WHICH WAS TWO WEEKS FROM WHEN I WAS CALLING. I DROPPED MY CAR OFF ON MY SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT ON JULY 10TH AT 10:30 AM. BERTERA INFORMED ME THAT MY CAR SHOULD BE READY FOR THE END OF THE DAY. AT 4:00 PM BERTERA CALLED TO TELL ME THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT MY CAR AND WOULD NOT GET TO IT FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. DISAPPOINTED WITH THE CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND STILL WONDERING WHAT WAS WRONG WITH MY AIR BAG I HAD TO MAKE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT FOR MONDAY JULY 13TH. ON MONDAY BERTERA INFORMED ME THAT MY CAR WAS "CLEARED OF ALL RECALLS" YET MY AIRBAG SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR $384 AND IF I DIDN'T REPLACE IT I WILL STILL HAVE TO PAY $120 FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND THAT IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD TO CONTINUE DRIVING BECAUSE IF I GOT IN AN ACCIDENT THE AIRBAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY. I INSTANTLY LOOKED ONLINE WHERE I SAW HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS FROM SUBARU OWNERS WITH AIRBAG PROBLEMS. WHEN I RECEIVED THE COPY OF MY SERVICE THE AIRBAG LIGHT ERROR WAS CODE 26. THERE WAS POWER AND GROUND ON INPUT SIDE, BUT THE INDICATOR "INTERNALLY SHORTED". SINCE THE AIRBAG DOES NOT WORK WHEN THE LIGHT ISN'T WORKING PROPERLY THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. I URGE THE NHTSA TO LET ALL POTENTIALLY AFFECTED OWNERS KNOW ABOUT IT. PLEASE CONSIDER THIS COMPLAINT TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE SUBARU AND ADD THIS TO THE EXISTING PROBLEM OF TAKATA DEFECTIVE INFLATER AND PROPELLANT DEVICES AIRBAG RECALLS. THIS "INTERNAL SHORTCUT" IS ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO THE DEFECT IN AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).? *JB
ON JUNE 17 AIRBAG LIGHT WENT ON AT STARTUP AND STAYED ON UNTIL I ARRIVED AT WORK. WHEN LEAVING AFTER 9HRS THE LIGHT WAS OFF AT STARTUP. SINCE THEN THE LIGHT COMES ON AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK AND STAYS ON FOR TWO OR THREE DAYS THEN GOES OFF. I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR DEPLOYMENT IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. I DO PLAN ON TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER .
AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY , BUT NOW STAYS ON THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME. TOOK CAR TO DEALER FOR PASSENGER AIRBAG RECALL AND THEY TOLD ME THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE DASH IS FAULT CODE 26. MANY OTHER SUBARU OWNERS REPORTING THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE, WHICH IS RELATED TO FAULTY SOLDERING OF COMPONENTS IN THE OVERHEAD MAP LIGHT CONSOLE. AS THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE (PASSENGER AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT), SUBARU SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE FAULTY COMPONENT(S). BEWARE- SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.
AIRBAG LIGHT ON. CODE READ ON/OFF SWITCH ABOVE REAR VIEW MIRROR DEFECTIVE. WITH AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE AIRBAGS ARE DISABLE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THE VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE RECALLED TO FIX PROBLEM.
MY AIRBAG LIGHT HAD BEEN TURNING ON INTERMITTENTLY AS IS DESCRIBED BY MANY 2008 SUBARU LEGACY AND OUTBACK OWNERS ABOUT A YEAR PRIOR TO MY ACCIDENT. ON OCTOBER 15TH, 2014, I LOST CONSCIOUSNESS WHILE DRIVING AND WENT OFF THE ROAD AND STRUCK TWO TREES. MY VEHICLE WAS TOTALED WITH A CRACKED FRAME AND IT TOOK TWO TOW TRUCKS AND A WINCH TO PULL MY CAR OFF OF THE TREES. IN THIS ACCIDENT MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND I SUFFERED A FRACTURED VERTEBRA, A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, KNEE INJURIES, AND SHOULDER INJURIES. THIS IS BEYOND WRONG AND SUBARU KNOW THERE ARE DEFECTIVE PARTS IN THESE LEGACY'S AND OUTBACK'S AS IS OUTLINED BY ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS OUT THERE ONLINE AND WITH THE NHTSA. I WILL NOT STOP PURSUING THIS UNTIL SUBARU IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE ETHICALLY, AS WELL AS FINANCIALLY FOR THE PROBLEMS I HAVE SUFFERED AS A RESULT OF THEIR DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. SUBURBAN SUBARU (14 HARTFORD TURNPIKE, VERNON, CT) DIAGNOSED THAT AN AIR BAG SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 1-27240483127. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,099.
RED AIRBAG LIGHT IN DASHBOARD GOES OFF INTERMITTENTLY, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS A OCCUPANT IN THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT. ACCORDING TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP SERVICE (GLENDALE, CA), PASSENGER AIRBAG CENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT IS MOST LIKELY THE CULPRIT, AND PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG MAY NOT GO OFF DURING A COLLISION. OTHERS SUBARU OWNERS HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR ISSUE ON LEGACYGT.COM, FORUMS.NASIOC.COM, SUBARUOUTBACK.ORG, AND SUBARUFORESTER.ORG. *TR
AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY , BUT NOW STAYS ON THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME. TOOK CAR TO DEALER FOR PASSENGER AIRBAG RECALL AND THEY TOLD ME THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE DASH IS FAULT CODE 26. MANY OTHER SUBARU OWNERS REPORTING THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE, WHICH IS RELATED TO FAULTY SOLDERING OF COMPONENTS IN THE OVERHEAD MAP LIGHT CONSOLE. AS THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE (PASSENGER AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT), SUBARU SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE FAULTY COMPONENT(S). BEWARE- SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. ALSO FEEL THAT THE TAKATA INFLATORS IS RELATED TO THEIS ISSUSE. I HAVE HAD THIS AIRBAG ISSUE SINCE I OWENED THE SUBARU COMPLAINED TO THE DEALERSHIP BUT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE FIX WHEN I NO THAT THERE IS FAULT IN THE WAY THE COMPONENTS WERE WELDED.
THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE DASH CAME ON WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. BECAUSE THE LIGHT HAD NEVER COME ON WHILE DRIVING BEFORE AND I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS EARLIER WITH MY 2009 SUBARU OUTBACK (VEHICLE SAFETY COMPLAINT ON FILE), I TOLD HER TO FIND A SAFE AREA AND STOP AND TURN THE CAR OFF AND THEN TURN IT BACK ON. AFTER DOING SO SHE TOLD ME THE LIGHT WAS NOW OFF. I TOLD HER TO COME HOME (SHE WAS JUST A FEW MILES AWAY) AND WATCH TO SEE IF THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AGAIN, BECAUSE AS I HAD EARLIER BEEN TOLD BY A SUBARU TECHNICIAN THAT WHEN THE DASH "AIRBAG" LIGHT WAS ON THAT NONE OF THE VEHICLE'S AIR BAGS WOULD WORK IN A COLLISION. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM. THEY CHECKED THE COMPUTER CODES AND FOUND THE SAME CODE AS IN MY 2009 OUTBACK (CODE # 26-PASSENGER FRONT SEAT SYSTEM HAD FAILED) THE MAP LIGHT/PASSENGER SEATBELT LAMP ASSEMBLY (PART # 84621AG51A) WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE INTERIOR ROOF DIRECTLY NEXT TO THE REAR VIEW MIRROR HAD TO BE REPLACED. I WAS AGAIN TOLD THAT BECAUSE THE AIR BAGS ARE A "SUPPLEMENTAL SYSTEM" THEY ARE NOT COVERED BY ANY WARRANTIES. BUT SEAT BELTS BEING THE "PRIMARY SYSTEM" ARE COVERED. SINCE I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 2009 OUTBACK AND THE PART WAS AN IN STOCK ITEM AND THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN WITH MY 2008 LEGACY, IT SEEMS A BIT STRANGE TO ME THAT SUBARU DOES NOT KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH A PART THAT CONTROLS THE AIRBAGS IN THEIR CARS. "LOVE" (PUN IS INTENDED) TO KNOW WHEN THE RECALL WILL HAPPEN! I HAD TO PAY ANOTHER $200 TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT WILL ALLOW MY VEHICLE'S AIRBAGS TO WORK IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION BECAUSE THE AIRBAGS ARE CONSIDERED A "SUPPLEMENTAL SYSTEM" IN A VEHICLE THAT IS ADVERTISED AS A VERY SAFE VEHICLE. THE MAIN REASON I PURCHASED TWO OF THEM. *TR
AIRBAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND OFF. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP IN JANUARY AND SPENT OVER $100 TO HAVE THEM TELL ME NOTHING WAS WRONG. NOW IT KEEPS COMING ON AND OFF ALL THE TIME AS OF JULY 2014 UNTIL NOW. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE COVERED BECAUSE IT IS A SAFETY REQUIREMENT BY LAW LIKES SEATBELT. *TR
DASH WARNING LIGHT HAS COME ON AND GONE OFF ON A REGULAR BASIS SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR A LITTLE OVER 2 YEARS AGO. IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE IN THE WINTER. IF I LOOK ONLINE IT APPEARS AS IF THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PART AND THE AVERAGE COST SEEMS TO BE 300-400 DOLLARS TO FIX IT. IF AN AIRBAG IS NOT WORKING BECAUSE OF A FAULTY PART I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A HUGE SAFETY RISK TO ANYONE IN THE VEHICLE. WITH THE RECALL ON THE BRAKE LINES IN MY CAR FAILING WHAT WOULD I DO IF I LOST MY BRAKES WHILE DRIVING AND THE AIR BAG WAS NOT WORKING?
THE DASHBOARD AIRBAG LIGHT WILL COME ON INDICATING THERE IS A MALFUNCTION WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. IT USED TO GO OUT ON ITS OWN BUT NOW IT STAYS ON FOR DAYS. SUBARU HAS DIAGNOSED AND TRACED THE PROBLEM TO THE OVERHEAD CONSOLE COMPONENT. WHEN THE DASHBOARD AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON, THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED OR TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. *TR
MY 2008 SUBARU LEGACY WITH 59K MILES WAS HAVING INTERMITTENT AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ISSUES. THE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD TURN OFF AND ON AT RANDOM TIMES WITH NO PATTERN OR REASONS. THE MANUAL ADVISES TO HAVE THE AIR BAG SYSTEM IMMEDIATELY CHECKED OUT TO FIND REASONS THAT WOULD ILLUMINATE THE WARNING LIGHT. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER TODAY AND THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A FAULTY OVER HEAD MAP CONSOLE LIGHT CLUSTER NEAR THE SUNROOF CONTROLS. THE OFFICIAL PART THAT HAS A SHORT OR FAULTY WIRING IS PART # 84621AG51A. I ONLY NEED THE AIRBAG WIRING BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE ENTIRE OVERHEAD CLUSTER IS NECESSARY BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE JUST AN AIRBAG WIRING REPLACEMENT PART. THE TOTAL COST TO HAVE THE AIR BAG SYSTEM BACK TO WORKING ORDER WAS $294.00 COMPLETE. I HAVE RAN AN INTERNET SEARCH ENGINE AND THIS ISSUE IS VERY COMMON. IT SEEMS IRRESPONSIBLE FOR SUBARU TO HAVE SUCH AN IMPORTANT SAFETY SYSTEM BE DISABLED BY A FAULTY CRAPPY SOLDERING JOB IN THE OVER HEAD MAP LIGHT CONSOLE. *TR
AIR BAG DASHBOARD LIGHT LIGHTS UP INTERMITTENTLY WHEN STARTING AND DRIVING. PROBLEM HAS BEEN OCCURRING SINCE 2013. SUBARU DEALER SAID PROBLEM IS FAULTY SOLDERING IN THE OVERHEAD CONSOLE THAT CONTROLS AIRBAG OPERATION. MANY INTERNET COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SUBARU PROBLEM. AIRBAGS WON'T WORK WHEN DASH AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON. SUBARU WON'T TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS SAFETY ISSUE. CHARGES $300+ TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE CONSOLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SURFACE OF THE DASHBOARD HAD BECOME VERY SHINY AND THE GLARE FROM THE SUN LIGHT CAUSED A VISIBILITY HAZARD. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AT THE DEALER BUT NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND NO SOLUTION WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.
I OWN AN 08 SUBARU LEGACY 2.5I SEDAN WITH APPROXIMATELY 77000 MILES ON IT. AT APPROX. 76000 MILES, THE "AIRBAG" WARNING LIGHT CAME ON IN THE MAIN DASH CLUSTER. REFERRING TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL, ALL IT SAID WAS THAT THIS LIGHT INDICATES A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM AND THAT THE SYSTEM MAY NOT ALLOW THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY AT ALL DURING A COLLISION, OR MAY DEPLOY WITH EVEN A LIGHT COLLISION. IT RECOMMENDED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER IMMEDIATELY. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE SUBARU DEALER I HAVE ALWAYS HAD SERVICE DONE, AND THEY TOLD ME THE "LAMP ASSEMBLY - MAP" HAD AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN IT AND NEEDED REPLACED. AN "ELECTRICAL SHORT"? THAT SOUNDS VERY SERIOUS. WITH PARTS AND LABOR, THE COST CAME IN AT $389.30, WHICH SEEMED QUITE EXCESSIVE. AS CRITICAL AS AIRBAG SYSTEMS ARE, IT WOULD BE REASONABLE TO THINK THAT THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM SHOULD WARRANT A SAFETY RECALL, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE WARNING IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL THAT THE SYSTEM MAY NOT FUNCTION AT ALL IF NOT TAKEN CARE OF. ALSO, THE SERVICE AGENT I SPOKE WITH AT THE DEALER SAID THERE HAVE BEEN A "HANDFUL" OF THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM, AND TREATED THE SITUATION AS ROUTINE....LIKE AN OIL CHANGE OR FILTER REPLACEMENT. I ALSO OWN A 07 TOYOTA RAV 4, WHICH HAS HAD SEVERAL RECALLS ISSUED FOR SEEMINGLY MUCH LESS CRITICAL ISSUES. ALL OF THEM WERE TAKEN CARE OF BY TOYOTA. I WROTE A SIMILAR LETTER TO SUBARU AMERICA, EXPLAINING THAT, GIVEN THIS ISSUE, I WOULD HAVE TO THINK TWICE ABOUT PURCHASING ANOTHER SUBARU VEHICLE IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU *TR
THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. WHEN DRIVING WITH MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR AND WHEN I TAKE MY FOOT OFF AND START TO BRAKE, THERE IS A SLIGHT ACCELERATION JUST AS I START APPLYING THE BRAKE. IT HAPPENS QUITE OFTEN AND I HAD GOTTEN USED TO IT BUT ONE DAY WHEN I WAS A PASSENGER AND MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AND NOTICED IT. THE NEXT TIME I DROVE IT, I NOTICED IT. IT SEEMS TO BE DOING IT MOST OF THE TIME. IT MAY BE A PRECURSOR TO UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *TR
REAR PASSENGER (DRIVER SIDE) SEATBELT FAILED TO BUCKLE/LOCK. *TR
MY WIFE WAS GRADUALLY PULLING OUT OF A DRIVE UP WINDOW AT A BANK, WHERE THERE IS @ 30 FEET BEFORE SHE GOT TO THE ROAD AND THE CAR IMMEDIATELY ACCELERATED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, NEEDING TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES WITH ALL HER STRENGTH, SLIDING SIDEWAYS INTO THE ROAD. THE ACCELERATING DISCONTINUED WHEN SHE SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES. SHE THEN HAD TO PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE TO GET OUT OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. SHE THEN DROVE HOME @ 1MILE AND IS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN. I CHECKED AND THE FLOOR MATS ARE NOT IN THE WAY OF THE ACCELERATED (THEY ARE FASTENED TO THE FLOOR). I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WOULD BIND THE ACCELERATOR. *JS
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026