Tl* the contact owns a 1996 subaru legacy. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, there was a loud noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact then noticed that there was smoke and flames coming from the rear end of the vehicle. The fire department was contacted and a fire report was filed. The vehicle was then towed to an authorized dealer where they inspected and advised that the differential failed due to the vehicle becoming overheated. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure and the current mileage was 255,000.
The worst 1996 Subaru Legacy problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags22
- Engine22
- Electrical21
- Brakes18
- Fuel system8
- Suspension8
- Transmission8
- Acceleration7
- Seats6
- Visibility4
- Lights3
- Steering3
- Tires3
- Locks2
- Body1
- Seat belts1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1996 Subaru Legacy
Stalling 11ABS 8Check engine light 6Fire or smoke 6No deployment 5
Recalls 3
Suspension: front: springs: coil springs
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with front coil springs originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new york, new jersey, new hampshire, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia, and wisconsin, and in the district of columbia. The front coil springs were produced with poor paint quality which, after continued exposure to corrosive salt, can result in breakage of the spring.
- Risk
- Depending on the location of the fracture, a broken spring could move past the spring seat and contact a front tire. Some tires have deflated due to contact with a broken spring.
- Remedy
- Dealers will notifiy customers to bring their vehicle to an authorize dealership to have a spring guard installed on both front struts to prevent tire puncture and replace any broken springs free of charge. Owner notification began september 18, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact subaru at 1‑800‑782‑2783.
Recall number 01V216000 · Recall details
Air bags
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Inadvertent air bag deployment can occur after undercarriage contact of the tow hooks with curbs, dips, speedbumps, potholes, etc.
- Risk
- Unexpected air bag deployment could result in personal injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will remove the front tow hooks.
Recall number 98V315000 · Recall details
Suspension: front: springs: leaf spring assembly: hanger,bracket
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger station wagon, sedan and sport utility vehicles. Due to improper welding, fractures can occur on the support bracket of the front transverse link.
- Risk
- Such fractures can result in partial or complete separation of the bracket causing a failure of the lower suspension mounting, leading to a loss of vehicle control.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace if necessary the front suspension support brackets.
Recall number 98V091000 · Recall details
See all 3 recalls for the 1996 Subaru Legacy
Defect investigations
Electrical system
Odi has received 5,820 complaints concerning a variety of electrical system failures that result in the vehicle stalling.our complaint analysis indicates that the majority of these compaints are caused by alternator failure.in some instances, the vehicle is completely dead and will not restart.based on our investigation and the manufacturer's respomse, odi is closing this investigation because the manufacturer has agreed to perform the owner nortification program cited above, including quarterly notifications to odi.this program allows owners to get their alternator replaced for free.further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that no safety-related defect exists.odi will continue to monitor this matter closely, and the agency reserves the right to take further action on these models if warranted by the circumstances.
PE99067
Oversensitive air bag deployment
In its letter dated december 21, 1998, subaru stated that the vehicles identified above will be recalled.subaru dealers will remove the front towing/tie-down hooks.refer to the federal safety agency recall no. 98v‑315 for details.
EA97010
Oversensitive air bag deployment
Odi has reviewed 33 complaints of oversensitive' air bag deployment (I.e., any non-crash deployment) received by odi and subaru involving model year 1995 subaru impreza & legacy vehicles and all other impreza & legacy vehicles equipped with air bag systems identical or similar to those in the 1995 impreza & legacy; they are late 1994-1996 impreza and all1995 & 1996 legacy (33 complaints out of 165,385 vehicles).odi's analysis indicates that certain impreza & legacy vehicles - - late 1994 & early 1995 impreza and all 1995 & early 1996 legacy (29 complaints out of 95,678 vehicles) -- have much higher complaint rate than the remaining vehicles which are different in vehicle structure or equipped with different air bag sensing system.most of the complaints (26 of the 29) indicate that the vehicle's dual air bags deployed from an undercarriage impact with a curb, bump, dip, pothole, etc.in the remaining 3 complaints, the driver alleged that the air bags deployed inadvertently or without any impact.in 13 of the 29 cases, only the vehicle's front tow hooks reportedly were found damaged or showed evidence of impact, and in 6 other cases both tow hooks and other undercarriage components were reportedly damaged or impacted; no details were given in the 10 remaining cases.this pe has been upgraded to ea97-010
PE96075
Technical service bulletins for the 1996 Subaru Legacy 33
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This bulletin announces the recommended cleaning procedures to followed when encountering vehicles with...
- This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a...
- This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for...
- This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic essential information during...
- This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for...
- This bulletin is to advise of SOA’s revised catalytic converter recycling program shipping procedure.
- To help reduce confusion and increase technician efficiency, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) has developed...
- Special Service Tools Cross Reference List.
- All Models (Vehicle Cleaning- COVID-19Best Practices)
- This Service Information bulletin announces instruction for application of additional lubrication between...
1996 Subaru Legacy fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.2L 4‑cyl | FWD | 21 | 29-30 | 24-25 |
| 2.2L 4‑cyl | 4WD | 19 | 26 | 22 |
| 2.5L 4‑cyl | 4WD | 18 | 24 | 20 |
What 1996 Subaru Legacy owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 subaru legacy. The contact was driving 5 MPH when another vehicle crashed into his bumper and the air bags deployed. There were no physical damages to the vehicle and there were no injuries reported. A police report was filed of the incident. The vehicle was towed to a local auto mechanic to have the air bags and the windshield repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the incident. The failure mileage was 108,000.
My daughter was driving her 96 subaru legacy the other day to the store when she was alerted by another driver that her car was on fire. Luckily they had a fire extinguisher and was able to put it out. Beechmont subaru said this was the first time they ever saw a rear differential catch on fire. I wanted to make subaru aware and maybe get some help on this repair. Making sure it done correctly. It was a very frightening phone call from my daughter. This web site will not allow me to enter the VIN. [xxx]. I will edit the VIN till the site accepts my complaint. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
1996 suburu legacy shuts down all electrical system. Purchased in utah drove to denver area. Went to dmv to register then car quit. Rests a while then starts.
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 subaru legacy. The vehicle failed to start and was towed to the dealer. The dealer attributed the cause of failure to the wires inside the fuel tank being burnt because the internal connector had loose terminals. The fuel pump module was replaced. The current mileage is 85,000 and failure mileage was 84,600.
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 subaru legacy. While filling the gas tank the contact noticed a puddle of gas forming under the vehicle. The filler pipe rusted through and caused thin holes. The current and failure mileages were 110,000.
Dt*: the contact stated an odor of fuel was detected and a puddle began to form on the ground while the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was taken to the dealership and the fuel filler tube was replaced. Updated 9/5/2006 -
My 1996 subaru outback experienced an air bag malfunction on 6/14/2005. While driving down our local highway at 55 MPH the vehicle's air bag suddenly deployed. The sudden deployment caused the vehicle to stall. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but due to the mileage on the vehicle they refused to contact the manufacturer about repairs. The insurance inspector believes that the failure was due to a malfunction in the system because there was no damage to the front end of the vehicle to indicate a 55 MPH crash. *nm
Dt: contact stated that while pulling into the garage vehicle accelerated without warning and hit the rear of the garage and did damage to the building. The vehicle was totaled. Dealer said they never heard of this problem. Manufacturer has not been contacted yet. *ak updated 11/16/2005 -
Dt: the caller says his gas gauge will show empty when it gets down to half a tank. He states that it does not happen all the time. It has been happening for a month. Dealer and manufacturer have not been contacted yet.*ak the consumer did contact the manufacturer and was told to take the vehicle to the dealer, but there would be a charge to inspect the vehicle.
Compare the 1996 Subaru Legacy
Legacy vs Honda AccordLegacy vs Ford FusionLegacy vs Chevrolet MalibuLegacy vs Toyota CamryLegacy vs Hyundai SonataLegacy vs Nissan AltimaLegacy vs Volkswagen PassatLegacy vs Kia Optima
Other model years
199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Questions about the 1996 Subaru Legacy
Is the 1996 Subaru Legacy reliable?
Owners have filed 123 complaints about the 1996 Subaru Legacy, 1.6 times a typical Legacy model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1996 Subaru Legacy?
Airbags, with 22 complaints. Next is engine (22).
How many recalls does the 1996 Subaru Legacy have?
3 recalls, covering suspension and air bags.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Subaru Legacy airbags?
Yes, 1 recall: 98V315000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Subaru Legacy have bad airbags?
The Subaru Legacy model years with the most airbags complaints are 1995 (45 complaints), 2009 (31 complaints) and 2010 (28 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1996 Subaru Legacy get?
Official estimates for the 1996 Subaru Legacy range from 20 to 25 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.2L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 21 city and 29-30 highway.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 1996 Subaru Legacy?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history