NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Subaru Legacy. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE REPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 30,000. *TR
SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM BUT THE RED AIR BAG LIGHT WON'T GO OFF IN MY CAR. IT USED TO BE INTERMITTENT BUT IS NOW STAYING IN LONGER. ONLY HAD A SLIGHT ACCIDENT WHERE A LADY COULDN'T STOP IN TIME ON BLACK ICE AND ONLY CHIPPED PAINT OFF MY REAR BUMPER (NO DEPLOYED AIR BAGS THOUGH). THE PASSENGER SIDE LIGHTS WORK FINE. I THINK IT'S ABSURD THAT SAFETY FEATURES THIS IMPORTANT AREN'T COVERED FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. NOT TO MENTION A SUBARU DEALER WANTING $100 JUST TO DIAGNOSE IT FOR A CODE. WOW.
AIR BAG LIGHT TURNS ON. SOMETIMES WILL NOT BE ON BUT NOW IS STARTING TO BE ON MOST OF THE TIME. MULTIPLE PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR
MY AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT HAS PERIODICALLY GONE OFF & ON OVER THE LAST 2 YEARS. I CURRENTLY HAVE LESS THAN 45,000 MILES ON IT. OF COURSE THE DAY I HAD AN APPOINTMENT WITH SUBARU, THE LIGHT WOULD NOT APPEAR. HOPING AIRBAG WILL WORK IF EVER IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR
I HAD THE DEALERSHIP INSTALL A SUBARU REMOTE STARTER FOR MY 2009 SUBARU LEGACY. ABOUT A YEAR LATER I STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH HAVING THE AIR BAG LIGHT COME ON WHEN I STARTED THE CAR AND STAY ON (WITH REMOTE STARTER, OR THE NORMAL WAY). SOMETIMES IT WOULD RE-SET IF I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN. BUT RECENTLY IT JUST STAYS ON AND THE INDICATOR LIGHTS ON THE OVER HEAD DISPLAY (FOR THE PASSENGER AIR BAG) DOES NOT LIGHT UP AT ALL . NOT SURE IF THE REMOTE STARTER WAS THE INSTIGATOR (PROBABLY NOT), BUT SUBARU HAD SAID THAT THE ISSUE IS A FAULTY SENSOR AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO FIX IT. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR SINCE IT IS A SAFETY MATTER FOR THE AIR BAG SYSTEM, THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. *TR
WAS DRIVING ON MY ROAD TO GO HOME AND THE DASH BOARD WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING SOUND. PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY. FOUND OUT THE ENGINE BLEW A ROD, CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT DURING ROUTINE MATINENCANCE, THE PRIVATE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS CORROSION ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CONTROL ARMS AND OIL PAN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 14,500.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW SHATTERED UNEXPECTEDLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE REPAIRS WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW HAD SUFFERED A NICKEL SULFIDE INCLUSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.
I DRIVE A 2009 SUBARU LEGACY SEDAN. THE AIR BAG LIGHT BEGAN TO TURN ON SINCE ABOUT 52,000 MILES. WHEN I SHUT OFF THE CAR, THE AIRBAG LIGHT GOES AWAY BUT THEN PERIODICALLY COMES ON EVERY NOW AND THEN. SUBARU IS UNABLE TO ANSWER AS TO WHY THIS IS HAPPENING AS A GENERIC CODE IS PRODUCED. I SEARCHED ONLINE FORUMS REGARDING THIS ISSUE AND BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A TREND WITH THE AIR BAG SYSTEM IN THE 2005-2009 SUBARU LEGACY'S. MULTIPLE PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND SAYS IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE AIR BAG WITHIN THE SEAT THAT CONNECTIONS COULD POSSIBLY COME LOOSE OR THE AIR BAG MODULE HAS GONE BAD. MOST REPORT THIS HAPPENING AROUND 45,000-60,000 MILES. SOME REPORT WITH THIS, SOMETIMES THE PASSENGER AIR BAG AUTOMATICALLY TURNS OFF DESPITE A PASSENGER OCCUPYING THE SEAT. A VEHICLE'S SAFETY SYSTEM SHOULD NOT BE COMPROMISED THIS EARLY OR AT ALL. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BEFORE A CASUALTY OR INJURY RESULTS AND A RECALL IS ISSUED REGARDING THE AIR BAG SYSTEM. IF SUBARU CANNOT ANSWER TO WHY THEIR AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON, THIS RAISES SOME CONCERN AND NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO. ONLY FORUMS HAVE BEEN HELPFUL AND SOME SAY THE SEAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, WHICH IS ESTIMATED AT $1900-$2100 BECAUSE THE AIR BAGS ARE BUILT/SEWN IN THE SEAT. THIS SHOULD NOT BE THE CUSTOMER'S RESPONSIBILITY IF ITS THE SEATS OR SAFETY SYSTEM OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IS THE MANUFACTURER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP ITS CONSUMERS SAFE AND THOROUGHLY RESOLVE THE MATTER BEFORE IT REGRETS IT DID NOT DO SO IN RESULT OF SOMEONE BEING INJURED OR A CASUALTY RESULTS. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SUBARU LEGACY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE SEAT BELT ALSO FAILED TO HOLD HER FIRMLY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT AS WELL AS THE PASSENGER OF ANOTHER VEHICLE WERE REPORTED INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO AN INSURANCE LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT EXAMINED FOR THE CAUSE OF FAILURE AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 18,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SUBARU LEGACY.WHILE PARKED WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS, SHE WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP TO THE VEHICLE AND APPLY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT DIAGNOSED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE HAD NOT RECURRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 33,000.
ON APRIL 14TH I WAS INVOLVED IN A CHAIN REACTION ACCIDENT ON THE I90 IN AMHERST, NEW YORK. MY 2009 SUBARU LEGACY WAS THE LAST CAR OF THREE INVOLVED. I INCURRED SIGNIFICANT FRONT END DAMAGE OF AT LEAST $9,000. THE MOST SERIOUS COMPLAINT IS THAT THE AIR BAG NEVER DEPLOYED. I COMPLAINED TO SUBARU ABOUT THIS AND WANTED THEM TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. THEY REFUSED AND SAID IT WAS NOT THEIR ISSUE. *TR
OPENED DRIVER SIDE DOOR ONE NIGHT AND AS I WAS PULLING DOOR OPEN I WAS TALKING TO SOMEONE WHO WAS OUTSIDE OF THE CAR AND HIT MY NECK ON THE WINDOW SINCE IT HAS NO FRAME. IT WAS DARK, COULDN'T SEE THE CLEAR GLASS AND NEVER GAVE IT A THOUGHT. THE WINDOW CAUGHT MY NECK AT AN ANGLE EXACTLY WHERE I HAD SURGERY IN '07. IT HURT AND SCARED ME A LOT AND I THOUGHT IT DID SOMETHING TO MY THROAT. THANK GOODNESS IT DIDN'T. IF IT HAPPENED JUST AFTER MY SURGERY, IT COULD HAVE RIPPED MY NECK OPEN. I HAVE NEVER HAD A CAR WITH NO WINDOW FRAMES BEFORE. IF I HAD ANY IDEA THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD HAPPEN, I WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED IT. I HAVE GONE TO TWO SUBARU DEALERSHIPS WITH MY CONCERNS AND HAVE TRIED TO TRADE IT, BUT OF COURSE, THE TRADE IN VALUE MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE. SO FOR THE MOMENT I'M STUCK WITH IT, BUT IT MAKES ME NERVOUS. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ANYONE ELSE, BUT I SURE HOPE IT DOESNT HAPPEN TO ME AGAIN. THANK YOU. *TR
2009, 2010 HEAD RESTS ARE SO UNCOMFORTABLE I AM ACTUALLY DEVELOPING LOWER BACK PAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE. YOU HAVE SACRIFICED PERMANENT DISABLING BACK PROBLEMS FOR A SAFETY ISSUE. THE HEAD IS PUSHED TO FAR FORWARD, STRAINING MY NECK. I AM A TALL WOMAN SO I SIT UP STRAIGHT UNLIKE A MAN. I AM IN A CHRONIC STATE OF DISCOMFORT BECAUSE OF THE NEW HEAD RESTS. WE HAVE DECIDED TO LEASE A CAR VERSUS PURCHASING A CAR BECAUSE OF THIS SERIOUS ISSUE. WE WERE GOING TO PURCHASE A NEW GM VEHICLE BUT CAN NOT BECAUSE OF THESE NEW HEAD RESTS. I HAVE SHOPPED ALL CAR MAKES, TOYOTA, CHRYSLER, SUBARU, AND ALL THE SEATS ARE IMPOSSIBLY UNCOMFORTABLE AND CREATE EITHER A NECK ACHE, LOWER BACK ACHE, OR BOTH. PLEASE CHANGE YOUR POLICY ON THIS ISSUE, NO ONE WANTS THESE CARS THEY ARE SO BAD. EVEN MY 28 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER TRIED SOME AND SAID SHE WILL KEEP HER OLDER CAR GOING BEFORE SHE WOULD SIT IN CARS MADE SO UNCOMFORTABLY. *TR
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM: THERE IS NO CUSTOMER RESET FOR THIS FEDERAL MANDATED DEVICE ON MY 2009 SUBARU LEGACY. I HAVE TO PAY $50.00 EACH TIME TO HAVE IT RESET AT THE DEALER WHEN I CHANGE TIRES IN THE SPRING AND FALL. THANKS A LOT FOR THIS FIX THAT WAS NOT THOUGHT OUT BY MY ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES.... THIS NEEDS FIXED FOR ALL OF THE DRIVERS OUT THERE. *TR
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026