Most common 1997 Subaru Legacy problems
Share of the 139 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Subaru Legacy complaints by model year
Best Legacy years: 2023, 2025, 2021. Years to avoid: 2015, 2016, 2011, 2020, 2019. Compare all years →
1997 Subaru Legacy recalls (5)
Suspension › Front › Springs › Coil springs
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,…
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.
Suspension › Front › Springs › Leaf spring assembly › Hanger,bracket
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.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace if necessary the front suspension support brackets.
Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The throttle shaft ball bearing on the sensor side of the throttle body assembly was not installed in certain throttle bodies.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the throttle body and replace the throttle assembly if the bearing is missing.
Power train › Automatic transmission › Gear position indication (PRNDL)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. Due to poor welds, ignition keys can stick, shift levers/linkages can break and shift levers can move.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the automatic transmission shift lever assemblies (except the handle grip).
Exterior lighting › Hazard flashing warning lights › Switch
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Insufficient clearance within the hazard warning light switch housing can cause a binding between the actuating button and the housing.
Remedy: Dealers will install a modified hazard warning switch.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 1997 Subaru Legacy:
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…
What 1997 Subaru Legacy owners say
Engine & cooling all 32 →
Problems with vehicle blowing head gaskets. While driving, the check engine light illuminated, smoke came from under the hood and the tail pipe. Vehicle was towed to a Subaru dealership where it was discovered the problem was a blown head gasket. Coolant and oil sprayed all over the engine and ignited a small fire on the exhaust manifold, but it extinguished itself. Consumer had vehicle towed to her local dealer. She obtained two opinions and they both said the same thing. Extreme coolant loss but no evidence of a leak. It appeared without taking the engine apart to be a factory defect. It's either a defective head gasket, casting flaw in the metal or a head that wasn't torqued properly. …
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-. …
Brakes all 27 →
Brakes did not work when driver braked to avoid accident on road ahead. Driver had to swerve off road into ditch, sliding down slope and impacting culvert and causing extensive damage to car. Car towed away. Car repaired at springfield va Subaru dealer, and completely checked out. Several weeks later, car brought in to dealer to address brake concerns (shuddering, noise), dealer said brakes were OK. Car brought in again for continuing brake concerns, dealer then said all 4 brakes needed replacement at cost of about $800. We contacted Subaru customer service regarding this, they refused to communicate a reply to us until only after repeated calling. They told us they would refuse to provide any refund on the brake work (we thought the repair excessive in cost). My concern is there is a brake flaw with the Subaru Legacy outback that is not being acknowledged by Subaru. …
In cold weather (zero or below), the brake pedal on my 1997 Subaru Legacy sedan becomes hard, and when I put it any gear, forward or reverse, the idle speed will cause the car to move and the brakes will not stop the car-I have to shift into neutral. I have learned that pumping the brake pedal while the car is at idle in n or p will usually help, at -20 degrees, I have to let the car idle for 5 to 10 minutes and then try it. The dealer indicated that this is not uncommon, but that there is no easy fix for this. This has happened every winter since I bought the car in 2001.
Electrical system
Car was sometimes difficult to start, other times it would stall/hesitate when in motion on city street. Discovered to be caused by aged/worn fuel pump causing overcurrent draw that fails to blow fuse causing meltdown in wiring harness connector where pigtail from pump connects to the chassis side of the wiring harness. Heat/spark potential is created in close proximity to fuel tank that has many reported cases of fuel filler neck rusting off and leaking fuel. A quick google search reveals that a number of people, with photos, have experienced this failure. Photo provided is from internet but the result is the same.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Subaru Legacy. The contact attempted to start the ignition and the engine failed to start. The battery was jump started; however the failure recurred while driving. The battery was recharged for a second time. The contact replaced the battery terminal due to severe rust and corrosion. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000. Updated 02/28/12 the consumer stated battery corrosion destroyed the negative terminal. Updated 03/08/12
1997 Subaru Legacy engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.2L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 21 / 29 / 24 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Subaru Legacy a good car?
Based on 139 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1997 Legacy rates use caution: 1.6× as many complaints as a typical year of the Legacy at the same age. It is one of the Legacy years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Subaru Legacy?
The engine & cooling — 32 complaints, 23% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine › gasoline. Next are the brakes (27) and electrical system (17).
How many recalls does the 1997 Subaru Legacy have?
There are 5 recalls for the 1997 Subaru Legacy, the most recent from June 25, 2001 (coil springs). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Subaru Legacy?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2023, 2025 and 2021. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2015, 2016, 2011, 2020 and 2019. See the full Subaru Legacy years comparison.
At what mileage do 1997 Subaru Legacy problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 92,000 miles; 9% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.