2002 Subaru Legacy problems
Owners have filed 71 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Subaru Legacy. Fuel system is the most reported problem area, at 21% of complaints. After that come engine (14%) and brakes (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 71 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Fuel system 21% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 5 and 1
- Injuries and deaths
- 2 and 1
- Typical mileage
- 68,000 miles 39 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 3 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 7 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 8 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 2 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 2 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 3 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 2 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 2 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 7 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 2 |
What the data shows
Among the 39 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 68,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 5 complaints mention a crash; 1 complaint mentions a fire; 2 injuries reported; 1 death reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2002 ranks 28th most-complained-about out of 34 model years of the Subaru Legacy with enough data (29 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 4 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Coolant leak. Dealer unsuccessfully attempted to seal. Dealer replaced one of two head gaskets($1328.00). Dealer denied any recall. Found subaru service program wwp-99 on internet, same model year, engine and problem. Dealer and subaru are denying any responsibility saying car not included in VIN range.
Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to slow down and make a left turn, the brakes failed causing the vehicle to hit another vehicle. This occurred under normal braking and road conditions. The occupant was wearing a seatbelt when the accident occurred. The vehicle was taken to a body repair shop for repairs. After body repairs were made, the vehicle was taken to the dealership. The dealership inspected the vehicle, but was unable to duplicate the problem.
Tl* the contact owned a 2002 subaru legacy. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, smoke emitted from the front driver side door panel and the door caught on fire. The contact maneuvered to the shoulder and notified the fire department. The fire department appeared on the scene to extinguish the fire. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to an independent repair shop. The failure was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 103,000.
There were problems with the fuel sensor, fuel train , and control module. The vehicle didn't accelerate, and stalled. The dealer was contacted. Ts scc
While driving the vehicle at any speed without warning, the vehicle would stall. The consumer made contact with the dealer. Please provide any further details.