Most common 2000 Subaru Legacy problems
Share of the 94 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 →
2000 Subaru Legacy recalls (3)
Suspension › Rear
This recall applies to certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west…
Remedy: Dealers will clean and rust-proof the rear suspension subframe. Owner notification began July 14, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free…
Steering › Linkages › Tie rod assembly
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The left-side steering knuckle arm was incorrectly assembled.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the torque on the left side tie-rod end castle nut and install a new cotter pin.
Power train › Driveline › Center support bearing
Vehicle description: sedan l model passenger vehicles. Anti-rust coating was incorrectly applied to the transverse link mounting surface of the vehicle body. Over time the coating shrinks, causing a torque decrease of the bolt that secures the transverse link bracket to the vehicle body.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicles and, if necessary, remove the anti-rust coating under the mounting location of the left transverve link mounting bracket bolt and retorque the mounting bolt to the required torque.
What 2000 Subaru Legacy owners say
Wheels & tires
Tl* the contact owns a continental extreme contact tire, size: 205/55r16. The contact stated that the driver of the vehicle was traveling approximately 50 MPH when the front passenger's side tire sustained a blow out. The contact also discovered a blister on the sidewall of the rear passenger's side tire. The manufacturer was not contacted in reference to the defect. The failure mileage of the tire was 155. The vehicle failure mileage was 135,904.
Sidewall deterioration and failure. On sidewall, 1 cm. Below the corner/beginning of tread, rubber deteriorated esposing white material underneath for the entire circumference of tire. No blowout experienced, just slow leak resulting in flat. Vehicle location at time of failure: nh route 16 south, 0.5 miles before exit 9. Very hot day - temperatures in the mid 90's. Failed tire left at tri-city Subaru (nh) service desk on 6/16 - contact service manager (paul) at [phone] (mon-fri 8 am-5 pm). Due to local unavailability of Firestone wilderness at replacement tire (on 6/16), my vehicle now has a Goodyear spirit tire on front/left. I am aware that having different design tires on my vehicle is unsafe, but I had no choice. It would have been more unsafe to continue driving on the donut spare. …
Engine & cooling
Under warranty had three head gaskets on 2000 Legacy 2.5l (38,000, 55,000, 75,600 miles respectively). At 97,000 mile spark plug blew out of #2 cyclinder. Subaru blamed me since I replaced the plugs at 65,000. I paid $1700 at lynnes Subaru in arpil to replace left side head with new one. At 99,500 mile I am seeing the coolant starting to drop in reservoir. Only 400 miles left on 100K head warranty for right side and 10K mile on warranty for new head. The car is sitting until I get it into dealer. Besides headgaskets, catalytic converter, rear wiper motor, door locks and under dash wiring have all failed. This is a lemon. Can I prosecute under the nj lemon law? Is there any other forum to get Subaru to repair or buy back vehcile?
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Subaru Legacy. The contact was driving 40 MPH when there was an increase in engine rpms and the vehicle abnormally accelerated. The contact mentioned that the check engine and automatic transmission fluid temperature warning lamps were illuminated. The contact also stated that the failure would recur sporadically and once it did, the vehicle would immediately decelerate without the contact hanging the pressure on the accelerator. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 126,000.
Transmission & drivetrain
New transmission was put in at around 40K miles. Now the car is at 85K miles. I was driving down the street and gave my car a little gas. The car reved and accelerated for no reason, but I looked at my gauges and nothing looked out of the ordinary, so I kept driving. About 5 minutes later, I was pulling into my neighbor's driveway going about 2 miles per hour (her car was about 7 feet away) when the car accelerated (like I had floored the gas pedal), and I crashed into her parked car. After car is fixed (there is extensive damage to my car), I will take to my Subaru dealer. It is still under an extended warranty.
Summary the transmission failed with 45,926 miles. It was a catastrophic failure caused by a manufacturing defect in the differential assembly rack and pinion. The gears have microscopic cracks and the teeth broke off at 30-35 MPH. The cracks are visible to the naked eye. The transmission shop that repaired the vehicle, said it was the second Subaru that had a similar failure. I have asked Subaru to review the case. Subaru indicated the failure was due to preventive maintenance issues not a product defect and refused to absorb any of the repair costs of $1695. I have the parts that failed and I will re-contact Subaru, request that a zone rep look at the failed components, and review the case again.
2000 Subaru Legacy engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 19 / 25 / 21 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 19 / 25 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2000 Subaru Legacy a good car?
Based on 94 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2000 Legacy rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Legacy at the same age. 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 2000 Subaru Legacy?
The wheels & tires — 18 complaints, 19% of all complaints for this model year, most often about tread/belt. Next are the engine & cooling (17) and transmission & drivetrain (14).
How many recalls does the 2000 Subaru Legacy have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2000 Subaru Legacy, the most recent from April 22, 2003 (rear). 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 2000 Subaru Legacy problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 100,000 miles; 11% 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.