Vehicle: 2021 Subaru Legacy Base 2.5i Mileage:~65,000 miles My engine suddenly began making loud internal knocking/tapping noises with no warning lights, no overheating, and no prior symptoms. The vehicle immediately became unsafe to operate. I had it towed to a Subaru dealership, where technicians confirmed the noise was coming from inside the engine and recommended a full engine replacement. The failure happened without any warning indicators, misfires, overheating, or oil pressure warnings. All diagnostics (including compression and leakdown) were clean, and the vehicle has been properly maintained. Subaru of America acknowledged the internal failure but only offered $1,000 goodwill toward a multi‑thousand‑dollar engine replacement. This appears to be a premature internal engine failure on the FB25 engine, which may indicate a defect. A sudden internal engine failure at highway speeds could lead to loss of power, stalling, or inability to accelerate, creating a safety hazard for the driver and surrounding traffic. I am filing this complaint because this type of unexpected internal engine failure at relatively low mileage may represent a pattern and should be tracked for potential investigation.
Subaru Legacy overheating problems
36 of the 3,183 owner complaints about the Subaru Legacy describe engine overheating, most of them for the 1997 model year.
- owner complaints
- 36
- worst model year
- 1997
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,500
- typical mileage
- 92,000
By model year
Often reported together
Fire or smoke 5Check engine light 5Engine failure 4Loss of power 2Tire blowout 1Pulling 1Stalling 1Premature wear 1
What owners say
The engine thermo control valve has been defective and Subaru has known this issue since 2022 and has tried to do some software update but it is defective [XXX] ) despite multiple tries. This can overheat an engine, result in the front collision warning system (eyesight) and rear auto-braking not working. Specific to my case, the front and rear collision warning systems are off, auto lane departure avoidance system is off, the engine can overheat and has had reduced performance, and the check engine lights are also on. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The coolant bypass valve was defective. You would have to ask the dealership to inspect it, they kept it when they changed it out. It is unsafe because the engine could have overheated and exploded. The problem has been confirmed Subaru of Little Rock. They replaced the valve and some other parts. The check engine light came on when I started the car the night of Dec 22, 2023. At this time, the heat was struggling, the vents were barely blowing, and the thermometer would only work sometimes. I want to upload the Subaru dealership paperwork I received when I picked up the car, but the upload function is not working. Please send me an email if you would like a copy.
Head gasket keeps getting blown not only that overheats after fixtures with the radiator pressure not flowing normal car been fixed more 4 times for radiator issue and now at the shop for the second time for head gasket blown and radiator issue what can I do to this point car has turned off on me on the high way due to overheating and I had to react fast In order to avoid accident
My wife is a petite woman, 4 feet 7 inches, 85pounds clothed. We bought the car March 29, 2023 and drove home, and the passenger airbag worked properly thru April 2. Behavior after that became erratic, passenger airbag sometimes on, sometimes not. Became more erratic and brought to dealer (Balise Subaru) April 12. Service technician reported system worked properly, no error codes. I asked Service manager to look at the car with my wife rather than a 180 pound technician sitting in it. He observed that with my wife in the passenger seat he would start and stop the car, and sometime the airbag was on, other times off even though she never moved or change position. He was going to check with Subaru, saying nothing in the system could be adjusted and it had a trigger weight of approximately 80.5 pounds. Erratic behavior became worse such that airbag was off 75% of the time. Tried various seat positions to no effect. Note: My wife sits 23 inches from the dashboard. On April 18 on a round trip to a doctor she weighed 84.6 pounds on a medical scale in normal indoor clothes, and wore a light coat (1.2 pounds) while in the car in both directions. The airbag was on the entire trip to the doctor, and off the entire trip home. Subaru responded she was so small and near trigger weight was the likely cause. Dealer did re zero the passenger seat, no change. Car has been at the dealer 3 times for this problem, and system has become somewhat less erratic such that the airbag is either on immediately or more often within 5 minutes of driving 50-60% of the time, yet my wife's weight has held steady. Two patterns I have found: Temperature sensitivity: more consistent when temp is in the 40s or 60s, worse in the 50s, and variable otherwise. Having the AC on seems to help so I'm wondering if the control unit or seat sensors are overheating, also high lateral forces on on-ramps will turn the airbag on. I also suspect the seat sensors lack precision and weigh my wife erratically.
The contact owns a 2010 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the traction control, transmission overheating, service brakes, and check engine warning lights were illuminated. There was an abnormal bubbling sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, a cause for the failure was not found. The dealer informed her that the vehicle was drivable. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,918.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 subaru legacy. While driving various speeds, a burnt rubber and plastic odor emitted the vehicle. The vehicle overheated without warning. In addition, the dashboard became extremely hot and caused the fuses to fail. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the air pump failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 16v738000 (electrical system). The failure mileage was 44,000.
Head gasket blown. While vehicle was moving, coolant backed up and eventually vented. Coolant leaking happened before the temperature gauge warned us engine was hot, and when it splashed, the liquid affected the function of the brakes and power steering. In motion on a highway. Has happened three times before diagnosis
1997 subaru legacy gt 2.5l engine, approx. 92k miles, engine started overheating. Car was taken to two different repair facilities and diagnosed as blown head gasket after pressure test, block test, no signs of leaking. Car had been serviced faithfully by original owner at subaru dealerships since purchase. I found out this is a common problem from repair facilities with this model and engine but when questioned subaru dealership they said it couldn't have happened as head gasket and cooling system are not related (?) and problem was a cracked block or cylinder. Estimated cost to replace head gasket $2450-. Estimated cost to replace engine $5700-. I had also had a problem where the fuel filler tube that connects to the gas tank from where you pur the gasoline in from the pump had rusted away and leaked fuel onto the ground. I had that replaced at approx. Cost of $400-. Again subaru denied there was a problem when I called the dealership. These problems occurred with in six months of each other.
I have a 2011 subaru legacy le 3.6r, and the headlights keep burning out. I work an hour away from my home and had to drive most of the way without headlamps because the 2nd one blew on the way home. With only high beams and daytime runner lamps, it was very dangerous and scary. I've only had the car for 2 years and have had to replace the headlamps twice already. In researching the problem, it appears that the headlamps draw too much power from the wiring/electronic board that eventually overheats the headlamps causing them to burn out. It also appears to be a common problem with this model car. This is a serious problem and I would really appreciate subaru investigating it and handing their customers a solution!
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system: hoses/lines/piping/fittings
- What is wrong
- Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010 outback and legacy passenger vehicles manufactured from july 31 through december 1, 2009. A crack or split can occur in the CVT cooler hose resulting in a fluid leak.
- Risk
- If the fluid is completely leaked during driving, the vehicle will come to a stop, possibly resulting in a crash.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners and dealers will replace any affected cooler hoses free of charge. The safety recall began on june 8, 2010. Owners may contact subaru at 1-800-subaru3 (1‑800‑782‑2783).
Recall number 10V196000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine
- What is wrong
- Subaru is recalling 16,715 my 2007-2008 legacy sedans and wagons, my 2008 impreza sedans and wagons, and my 2009 forester vehicles. Some vehicles may have the cylinder head-side oil supply pipe and turbocharger-side pipe improperly assembled.
- Risk
- Vibration would occur while driving and, over time, could eventually result in cracking the pipe which would allow oil to leak. If leaking oil contacts components operating at high temperatures, an engine compartment fire could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect for cracking or an oil leak at the oil supply pipe at the cylinder head-side. An additional bracket will be installed to increase rigidity of the pipe and the pipe assembly will be replaced with a modified part. The recall began on october 20, 2008. Owners may contact subaru at 1‑800‑782‑2783.
Recall number 08V460000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system
- What is wrong
- On certain sport utility and passenger vehicles equipped with 4-cylinder engines, the water pump pulley center hole was improperly machined.
- Risk
- In some instances, the interference fit between the inner wall of the pulley center hole and the water pump drive shaft was not as tight as specified in the drawing specification. This could result in the water pump pulley dislodging from the water pump shaft, which can cause severe engine damage/seizure during vehicle usage.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the water pump. Owner notification began september 12, 2002. 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 02V240000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles, also service parts supplied to subaru dealers are involved (lot numbers f01 j21d2, f01 j30d2, f02 j09d1, f02 j09d2, and f02 j20d1). The purolator oil filter cans used on these vehicles can fracture causing a vaporized oil spray and subsequent oil leak.
- Risk
- This vaporized oil spray can result in oil vapor ignition by the hot exhaust system resulting in a possible underhood fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace these engine oil filters.
Recall number 98V127000 · Recall details
Questions about the Subaru Legacy overheating
Which Subaru Legacy years have engine overheating problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1997 (6 complaints), 1998 (5 complaints) and 2003 (3 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix engine overheating on the Subaru Legacy?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,500 (median of 8 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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