Fuel System complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 17% | — |
| 2020 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2019 | 5 | 4% | — |
| 2018 | 8 | 7% | 15,000 miles |
| 2017 | 4 | 3% | 1,000 miles |
| 2016 | 3 | 2% | 65,000 miles |
| 2015 | 15 | 9% | 12,000 miles |
| 2014 | 1 | 2% | 3,000 miles |
| 2013 | 1 | 2% | 60,000 miles |
| 2012 | 2 | 2% | 200,000 miles |
| 2011 | 7 | 4% | 100,000 miles |
| 2010 | 5 | 3% | 100,000 miles |
| 2009 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2008 | 3 | 5% | 75,000 miles |
| 2006 | 16 | 18% | 129,000 miles |
| 2005 | 27 | 15% | 82,000 miles |
| 2004 | 5 | 10% | 149,000 miles |
| 2003 | 9 | 15% | 130,000 miles |
| 2002 | 15 | 28% | 68,000 miles |
| 2001 | 19 | 25% | 64,000 miles |
| 2000 | 5 | 5% | 156,000 miles |
| 1999 | 7 | 7% | 129,000 miles |
| 1998 | 8 | 7% | 126,000 miles |
| 1997 | 9 | 6% | 97,000 miles |
| 1996 | 8 | 7% | 98,000 miles |
| 1995 | 18 | 10% | 184,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I am reporting a safety issue with my 2019 Subaru Legacy that hesitates and nearly stalls when accelerating from a stop and is now undriveable due to stalling and shaking. I bought the car new from AutoNation Subaru Carlsbad in 2019. It has about 65,000 miles and I have driven it less than 2,000 miles since its last dealer visit in August 2025. Since around August 2025, the car has intermittently lost power under light acceleration from a stop or low speed, especially while pulling into or through intersections. Pressing the accelerator sometimes produces very little power, the engine feels like it may stall, and traffic behind me must brake or go around me, creating a risk of a rear end collision in intersections. In August 2025 I took the car to AutoNation Subaru Carlsbad and reported that the symptoms seemed like a fuel pump problem (my independent mechanic agreed). …
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. …
A friend was trying to move the car from the street when it suddenly lurched and accelerated and hit a tree, and boulder, and another car. They had not stepped on the accelerator yet. She lost control of the car. It was totaled as per State Farm.
When running on a highway and you press down on the accelerator hard to merge onto a highway or go around a vehicle to move out of the way of vehicles quickly coming up behind you, the engine takes over and speeds up on its own. It has occurred three times on a newly purchased used car and it will increase speed up to 100mph. You have to press intermittently on the brakes to pull over to the shoulder and turn off the car for five minutes for the car to reset. If you try to just break, you get a burning smell. I see two class action lawsuits on similar acceleration issues for 2015 to 2017 Outback/Legacy series.
The catalytic converter has been replaced twice and is now needing a third replacement. The car emits gas fumes, unsafe emissions, and the fuel causes the mechanism to be extremely hot and unsafe. Over time, the car has had reduced gas flow and will stop running. The dealer has confirmed the three converters installed have been defective. The manufacturer, Subaru, was contacted to inspect the car but refused. Precious years have recalls of the fuel mechanisms. The check engine light stays on when unsafe emissions are detected.
I was driving on highway and engine failed light came on, along with low fuel sign. Engine shut off. Luckily I was able to safely pull over. The Dealer determined that the low fuel sensor failed thus shutoff the engine. Shutting engine off on a highway is dangerous and life threatening event. Need a different strategy to warn the driver with a time to safely pull over. It cost me over $1,500 to get the part repalce.
Drove on a straight stretch of interstate at 75 MPH in a sunny afternoon on a 400 mile trip with fuel tank between 1/8 and 1/4 full. The engine suddenly lost power. Pressed the gas to rev up the engine but still no power moving forward. Had to pull over to the shoulder and stopped the car. That was a pretty dangerous situation since it happened without any warnings. Tried to restart the car but failed. The starter turns but engine will not start. Attempted several times over the period of 30 - 40 minutes to no avail. Had to call a tow truck to a shop near by. Once unloaded (about 2 hours later) from the truck, the technician hooked on instruments to check. The electricals (alternator, battery) were fine. Then restarting the engine worked. Shortly after, the low fuel warning light came on. Not confident of continuing the trip, stayed in the town overnight. …
I am reporting a Sudden Unintended Deceleration event in my Subaru. The vehicle grinded to a halt without driver input. The car stopped in the left lane of a major highway. We put on our hazards and called the state police for help. They were unable to get to us in time. We were hit from the rear. The car's failure created a stationary hazard that led to a high-speed rear-end collision by a Jeep and truck which caused the car to do a 360-degree spin.
Related recalls (4)
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Impreza, Outback, Legacy, and Ascent vehicles. The low pressure fuel pump may become inoperative.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the low pressure fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614.
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly › Filler pipe and cap
Certain passenger or sport utility vehicles May have a loose or out of position fuel filler hose clamp.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the clamp on the fuel filler hose. Owner notification began August 27, 2003. Owners should contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Possible fuel leakage of under-hood fuel hoses at low ambient temperatures (-40 degrees c) once the fuel hoses age and become less flexible.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect for under-hood fuel hoses with lot numbers 0804 and 0806 and all fuel hoses with those numbers will be replaced.
Frequently asked questions
Which Subaru Legacy years have fuel system problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2005 (27), 2001 (19), 1995 (18), 2006 (16) and 2002 (15) model years. Fuel System complaints make up 15% of all complaints for the 2005.
Is there a recall for Subaru Legacy fuel system problems?
Yes — 4 recalls, including 21V-587 (fuel pump, Jul 29, 2021); 20V-218 (fuel pump, Apr 16, 2020); 03V-303 (filler pipe and cap, Aug 20, 2003). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Subaru Legacy fuel system problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 92,000 miles; 26% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the delivery › hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (15 mentions), followed by the storage › tank assembly › filler pipe and cap (12).
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.