1990 Subaru Legacy Problems

What owners report

Owners of this 1990 Subaru Legacy most often describe doors that are hard to open from the inside, and door locks that re-engage on their own. Complaints also describe door latch repairs under a recall that owners say did not cover their car or did not stop the problem. Mileage is rarely stated, and the door problems are mainly described when getting in or out of the car.

1. 1
   Latches, locks and linkages

   Door hard to open from inside; lock must be held

   • 19 complaints (23%)
   • median 104,000 mi at 13.4 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 1996–2004

   Owners report that a door could not be opened from the inside, or opened only after the lock control was held or the handle was pulled at the same time. Some describe a broken internal latch assembly, or a lock that stays engaged so the door does not release normally. According to complaints, the dealer repaired some of these doors, while in other cases the manufacturer or dealer declined to fix them or charged for the work. Where mileage is given in these complaints, it is 104,000 miles, and the complaints mainly describe the problem when entering or leaving the car.

   Recall 90V184000

   What to check: Open each door from the inside in both lock positions and check that the handle releases with one hand. Ask the dealer whether the internal latch assembly has been inspected or replaced, and check the VIN for open door latch recalls.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Mfg refused to fix rear door latches under NHTSA recall 90v18400. The problem is the same as with the front doors. Failure of the latches would not permit exit from car in a wreck and who is likely to ride in the rear..children who would panic. I was charged $140 to correct these manufacture defects that had been part of, in my opinion, a safety recall as noted. Was it your intent from a safety standpoint that all latches were to be repaired on these cars or just the front lateches??”

   NHTSA complaint #744906, filed 2001-05

   “Door locks fail in the locked position and will not stay open without manually holding the lock open. The door cannot be opened unless you use one hand to hold the lock open and the other to pull the handle. If you cannot reach the door lock with 2 hands you are a virtual captive unless someone helps from either the inside or outside.”

   NHTSA complaint #704214, filed 1999-03
2. 2
   Latches, locks and linkages

   Doors lock on their own when entering or exiting

   • 14 complaints (17%)
   • typically at 8.1 yrs old
   • filed 1995–2002

   Owners report that door locks engage by themselves after the door is unlocked, opened or closed. Some say the lock control must be held up while the door is pushed open, and that the passenger door can lock while a passenger is getting in or out. According to complaints, some dealers were unwilling to repair without a charge, and some owners were told the problem was outside the warranty. Mileage is rarely stated in these complaints, and the conditions described are mainly when the door is closed, when entering the car, or when exiting it.

   What to check: Test each door's lock and inside handle while parked, including after closing the door and with the lock control in the unlocked position. Ask the dealer whether the lock and door latch assembly have been inspected, and check the VIN for open door latch recalls.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 1990 Subaru Legacy. Each time I try to exit the car the doors lock automatically. It has automatic door locks that are accuated by pushing the drivers door lock. I have had the lock apart and the problem with all 4 of my door is that a single spring in the lock mechanism is responsible for having the inside door handle return to the closed position and to have the lock buyyon stay open. The handle is attached to the bottom half of the spring and that part of the sping keeps the door lock open. …”

   NHTSA complaint #758422, filed 2002-02

   “The door handle when opened causes the door to automatically lock when opened from the inside. The passenger side front broke in 1993. The passenger side rear door broke in 1998. The driver side front door broke in 1999 which is the most annoying as it locks all the door every time the handle is used to open the door from the inside. It costs $80 to replace the part.”

   NHTSA complaint #718675, filed 2000-02
3. 3
   Latches, locks and linkages

   Door latch recall reported not to fix the problem

   Mentioned in 4 of 38 sampled complaints

   Some owners state that the door latch recall did not cover their car, or that the recall repair did not fix a door that is still hard to open. According to complaints, the dealer declined to repair a door because the vehicle was outside the recall scope, and an owner says the manufacturer would not fix the problem at no charge. Complaints also describe the same problem on other doors, such as the rear doors or the front driver door. Where mileage is given in these complaints, it is 40,000 and 104,000 miles.

   Recall 90V184000

   What to check: Check the VIN on the NHTSA recall lookup to see whether recall 90V184000 is listed as open for the car. If door latch work was done, ask the dealer for the repair record and which doors it covered.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The vehicle's door locks experienced the defect stated in recall 90 v 184 000 but it's VIN was outside of the remedy scope. The dealership refused to repair the door.”

   NHTSA complaint #10040136, filed 2003-09, 40,000 miles

   “Lock has been disengaged, the door will not open. A recall was issued on vehicle make and model. This particular vehicle was not included under the recall. Manufacturer and dealer has been notified.”

   NHTSA complaint #825675, filed 1998-07

Buying note. Before buying, test every door from the inside in both lock positions and check the VIN for open door latch recalls. Ask for records of any latch or lock repairs, since some complaints describe door problems returning after earlier repairs.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 38 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.