336 of the
4,165 complaints filed about the Subaru Legacy
are about the braking system —
8% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 1995.
The contact owns a 2005 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard. The contact downshifted to slow down, and the vehicle came to a stop. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The contact inspected the vehicle and became aware that at the rear of the vehicle there was brake fluid leaking onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V311000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); in 2014. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.
NHTSA complaint #11756463 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving to work, my brake pedal went to the floor and I lost 90% of braking power. After managing to get the car back home, and topping up brake fluid, I noticed a puddle of it right in front of the passenger rear wheel. After doing research, found that this was a problem for this car, covered under recall WQK-47. Having bought this car used a few months ago, I checked and apparently this recall had been performed, but was obviously not successful in preventing the failure of my brakes. After researching the recall, found that there were 2 remedies depending on the inspection performed by the dealer when the car was brought in for the original recall work. According to the service records, the application of a protective rustproofing wax material was performed, which was supposed to prevent the deterioration of the brake lines. The other remedy for the recall was to replace the brake lines, which was not done on my vehicle. After this issue happened, I brought my vehicle to my Subaru dealer, and contacted Subaru of America to open a case. After a week and minimal communication or information from Subaru of America, I received a call stating they would not cover my brake lines under the recall, even though they failed at the exact point specified by the safety recall, showing that the repair previously done was not effective in ensuring the safety of the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11753193 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brake lines were definitely not replaced even though known to be defective and prone to corrosion and leaks. Almost got into a accident because the known recalled area let go on the highway
NHTSA complaint #11736111 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
All Safety features stopped working while driving multiple times and loading feature pops up on the display screen. Speakers will go mute randomly, no sound will emit including phone calls. Automatic stop feature has engaged on the interstate multiple times, locking breaks (This is extremely dangerous) and lane assist does not recognize the difference between a lane or tar strips road patches. Will Automatically move the car into the next lane, even when a vehicle is in the lane. I have reported the issues to the dealership I bought my vehicle from. Also have cam footage of electrical issues.
NHTSA complaint #11733299 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Incident ~ 5:40 pm, Geneva NY Weather ~ 10 F, not snowing. Background. On or shortly after being started, the vehicle had exhibited prior incidents of extremely rapid engine acceleration not initiated by the operator. Most recently the day before. The incident: I was in the process of very slowly parking the vehicle in a narrow laneway, and positioning the vehicle behind and in line of one other, both parallel to the laneway, in a small area that had been cleared of snow, leaving the laneway open. First, I stopped the vehicle opposite of the parked vehicle's driver side door. Second, I reversed and backed up and positioned the vehicle behind that vehicle. This involved firmly stepping on the brake to stop the vehicle once well behind the parked vehicle. Third, while keeping my foot firmly pressed on the brake pedal, I moved the shift from reverse to forward. At that time, the front wheels were still fully turned to the left. Immediately on completing the shift to forward, my vehicle made a very rapid acceleration. My foot had remained firmly on the brake and had not touched the accelerator pedal. Despite my foot being firmly pressed on the brake pedal, my car surged forward, retracing the path that I had followed while backing up. I could hear the noise of the accelerated engine, and feel the fighting of the brake as the car surged uncontrolled for about four feet and then finally stopped. My foot had been fully depressed as hard as possible on the brake the entire time and did not touch the gas pedal at all. The owner of the parked vehicle observed the incident and expressed concern since the surge was dramatic, and stopped with the right corner of the front bumper of my car within a couple of inches of the left corner of the parked vehicle. The driver's car mat was in the correct position and did not interfere in any way with the operation of the vehicle. I did not inadvertently step on the accelerator. No warning lamps or messages. Cause Unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11714652 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I drove into the parking lot of Walgreens, then drove around and pulled into a parking spot facing the south side of the building and put my foot on the brake to stop and park. Instead of stopping, the car suddenly lurched forward violently and slammed into the brick wall of the building. My wife called 911 since I told her my chest really hurt. When the police came, I told them my foot must have slipped off the brake and hit the accelerator, since I had no idea what else might have caused the car to accelerate like that. My wife drove the car home and then drove to the ER where the EMTs had taken me. A CT scan showed that I had a fractured sternum, since my chest hit the steering wheel full force after the air bags failed to deploy. I was in excruciating pain for a few weeks, and after I felt better, we submitted a claim to our insurance company. We then took our 2017 Subaru Legacy to a certified Subaru collision repair center. We were shocked to find that the car was totaled, since it was still drivable. Something kept bothering us about the crash, since EyeSight should have applied the brakes if I had accidentally accelerated and it detected a brick wall in front of our car. After some research, we stumbled on the information about the Class-Action Lawsuit that was just settled by Subaru for reports of Sudden Unintended Acceleration (SUA). The description of what happens with SUA was exactly what I experienced, but this was the first we had heard of it. We were never notified about the lawsuit, even though our VIN number shows our car was involved. Our Subaru dealership had all our contact information since we bought our Legacy from them and they have done all the maintenance work on it. Unfortunately, we released our car to Copart as part of our insurance settlement, so there’s no way to check the EDR data. PLEASE let others know about this major safety issue before anyone else is seriously injured!
NHTSA complaint #11713752 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My wife experienced an unintended acceleration in her 2018 Subaru Legacy. My wife had begun to slowly back out of a parking space in a school parking lot when her 2018 Legacy went into an unintended rapid acceleration in reverse. The car took off in reverse and did not respond to her applying the brakes. Somehow she managed to steer the car which was rapidly acceleration in reverse, virtually uncontrollable, and guide the car down a row of parked cars until she clipped the front of another car at the end of the row and her car came to a stop. Thank God there were no students in the parking lot at the time! The floor mats in our Legacy are Subaru mats that lie flat and in no way would affect the accelerator pedal. As the car was accelerating in reverse, and she had removed her foot from the accelerator onto the brake, the brakes did not slow the car. There is considerable damage to the right rear of the car and trunk. After the accident, when the car was restarted, the accelerator and brakes worked fine and she was able to drive it home from the scene. Thank god students were not in the parking lot! [XXX] [XXX] (cell) [XXX] Nashua, NH 03062 (May-Oct), Ponte Vedra, FL (Nov-April) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11694618 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I front passenger window stop working and does not roll up and down. I had this issue and reported the issue since I bought it brand new from the lot. I main main audio console has been replacement 2 times already from defectives. My tires TMPS is flashing now but my tire pressure are fine. My incline break button comes on by itself from time to time and does not allow for me to move the car.
NHTSA complaint #11682969 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I own a 2025 Subaru Legacy. On at least two occasions during rainy weather, while driving at low speeds (20-30 mph), the brake pedal suddenly became soft and sank to the floor with little braking response. I had to mash the pedal to stop the car to stop the car and there was a "grinding" sensation, possibly from ABS activation. On July 26, I was trying to stop at a stop sign. Fortunately, there was no car in front of me, otherwise I could have rear-ended them. This created a dangerous situation where I wasn't able to stop the vehicle properly.
NHTSA complaint #11677013 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2005 Subaru Legacy. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V311000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the dealer refused to perform the recall. The contact stated that the dealer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, while braking for a traffic light, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. The contact was able to stop the vehicle and had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the rear passenger side brake line had corroded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired by the dealer since the dealer stated the vehicle was not registered in the listed states on the recall notification. The failure mileage was 229,126. Parts distribution disconnect.
NHTSA complaint #11617812 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owned a 2015 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact opened and closed the trunk, triggering the alarm system. The alarm system failed to deactivate immediately. The vehicle then failed to restart as needed, and the "Shift to Park" message was displayed while the transmission was in park(P). The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the brake fuse was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact replaced the brake fuse for a second time, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, where an unknown repair was performed. The contact later sold the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000.
NHTSA complaint #11615990 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Under Subaru campaign WQK47, which supersedes an earlier campaign, 05-09 Legacy/Outback and other models are known to undergo accelerated brake line corrosion due to sub-par materials and design. Subaru of America's "fix" for this issue is to inspect the lines: if the lines are compromised, they replace them. If the lines are corroded but not yet compromised, the lines are coated with an anti-corrosion wax. This wax washes off the car and is ineffective. Subaru performed this recall work insufficiently on my vehicle, failing to identify the severity of the corrosion. They coated the lines, called it "fixed", and the brake lines later ruptured under normal driving conditions. This caused a highway near-miss at speed that could have impacted everyone on the road. Multiple Subaru dealerships in Connecticut have refused to re-inspect and repair the vehicle under the recall campaign, despite it being a known critical safety concern, and despite knowledge that the original parts and anti-corrosion application are sub-par. They insist that because the ineffective recall campaign was already "completed", they bear no further responsibility for the design compromises and sub-par materials that are the root cause of this issue. Additionally: Under Subaru bulletin 12-197-16R the dashboard of 05-09 Subaru Legacy/Outback models is known to become sticky and melt. While this might initially be considered a cosmetic issue, the melted surface is DRAMATICALLY reflective. The hump over the gauge cluster melts first, causing a huge, intense sun glare reflection in the windscreen directly ahead of the driver. I own two 05-09 Subaru Legacies; this issue is present in both. Subaru of America has rejected my replacement claims on both cars because the cutoff date for their open recall has expired. This is a major and constantly worsening safety issue that severely limits driver visibility. Because it developed slowly, it was not a safety concern until after closure of the recall.
NHTSA complaint #11611948 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The brake lines of my vehicle were corroded and started leaking brake fluid. The brakes no longer work and started failing when I was driving up a hill. Luckily there was no accident, however, not having functioning breaks is an obvious safety concern. An independent service center initially looked at the damage and suggested that the corrosion is unacceptable for the life of the vehicle. They provided me with the recall information I include below and instructed me to take the vehicle to a Subaru dealership. The dealership confirmed the issue and offered a quote of $5,000 for the repair. There is a recall for the same exact issue for similar vehicles (Subaru Recall Campaign WQK47: Brake Line Corrosion). The recall includes 2005‐2009 model year Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2008‐2014 model year Subaru Impreza WRX and STI vehicles, and others. However, it neglects to include 2012 model year Subaru Legacy vehicles. The issue is clearly the same.
NHTSA complaint #11593722 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
After shifting my car into reverse, I slowly started removing my foot from the brake pedal. At this time, the car started rapidly accelerating backwards so I put pressure back on the brake pedal to stop the car. When doing so, the ABS light came on my dashboard, I heard a griding sound like the car was still trying to accelerate, and there was a loud constant beep. I was able to shift the car into neutral and then into park to stop the car and then turned the car off. I contacted the dealership about the issue, but have not yet been able to further investigate or bring it into the dealership.
NHTSA complaint #11588661 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle is equipped with Subaru EyeSight Driver Assist which includes reverse automatic braking. Vehicle was reversing towards a parked vehicle on the street and the RAB feature failed to apply the brakes and the vehicle collided with the parked vehicle. I am extremely disappointed that the safety system in this car failed to work as advertised/expected resulting in damages to both cars.
NHTSA complaint #11585165 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.