1997 Subaru Legacy Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe engine overheating traced to a failed head gasket, especially on the 2.5L engine, and often report it at moderate mileage rather than after heavy use. A second cluster involves cold-weather brake behavior (a hard pedal or the car creeping against the brakes) and a third involves automatic-transmission shift and park-lock problems. Many complaints come from vehicles well past 100,000 miles, and several describe rust-related fuel filler leaks on older, high-mileage cars.

1. 1
   Engine cooling

   Blown head gasket and overheating (2.5L engine)

   • 11 complaints (8%)
   • median 104,706 mi at 11.5 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2000–2014

   Owners describe sudden or recurrent overheating, sometimes with the check engine light on, coolant loss with no obvious external leak, and bubbling or air pockets in the cooling system. Several say a shop confirmed a failed head gasket after a block or pressure test; some report coolant and oil spraying over the engine and, in a few cases, a small fire on the exhaust manifold that went out on its own. Some owners say a dealer disputed the diagnosis or attributed the problem to another component, while others report repairing or replacing the engine repeatedly. Mostly reported between roughly 60,000 and 120,000 miles, with some cases past 190,000 miles.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the head gasket has been replaced and request records of any cooling-system pressure or block test. Check the coolant reservoir for discoloration, bubbles, or a persistent loss of coolant, and look for oil or coolant residue around the engine and exhaust.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was out driving on a sunny sunday with a couple of friends to see the fall color, and without warning my car overheated. I took it to my mechanic to have find out what caused the problem and he said it was a blown head gasket . I have not had the repairs done yet because I am trying to decide whether or not to put in a new engine or just repair the old one. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10247657, filed 2008-11, 116,000 miles

   “I have now replaced my Subaru 97 engine 5 times, and each time the new/used engine failed. Each engine had between 60 and 80,000 miles on it. In most of these cases, the engine blew a headgasket.”

   NHTSA complaint #10060133, filed 2004-03, 80,500 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Brakes weak or hard in cold weather

   • 17 complaints (12%)
   • median 70,000 mi at 8.2 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1996–2008

   Owners describe a brake pedal that becomes hard or ineffective in cold weather, with the vehicle creeping or lurching forward at idle even with the brakes applied, sometimes requiring a shift into neutral. Others report wheels locking and skidding on dry or slippery pavement, and uneven or rapid pad and rotor wear. According to complaints, dealers sometimes bled the brake lines, turned the rotors, or said the behavior was not unusual and had no easy fix; in some cases the problem returned. Reported from about 44,000 to 80,000 miles, frequently in cold weather or below-freezing temperatures.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Test the brakes from cold start and at idle with the car in gear, and ask about recent brake fluid service, pad and rotor replacement, and any caliper or line work.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10226565, filed 2008-05, 70,000 miles

   “Vehicle lurches forward after brakes are applied. Vehicle jumps forward a few feet before stopping completely. Happens when vehicle is stopped. Last incident resulted to impact with another car in parking lot. Dealer could not find fault on two occasions. Says it may be due to air conditioner coming on.”

   NHTSA complaint #10105986, filed 2005-01, 44,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine cooling

   Hood latch releases while driving

   • 6 complaints (4%)
   • median 105,000 mi at 10.0 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2001–2006

   Owners describe the hood unlatching at highway speed and flipping back into the windshield and roof, cracking or shattering the glass. In several accounts the hood had not been opened recently, and one owner said the manufacturer told them nothing was wrong and that it sometimes happens. These complaints describe a latches/locks category that is not among the listed top components, but the pattern is consistent across the sample. Reported at highway speeds, mostly on vehicles with no stated mileage; one case at about 105,000 miles.

   What to check: Check that the hood closes with a firm second-stage catch and that the release cable and secondary latch move freely; ask whether the latch assembly has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving on the highway when all of a sudden the hood unlatched and blewout, open breaking my windsheild and denting my hood at the same time. I was unable to see through my windsheild, but was still able to safely bring my vehicle to a stop on the shoulder. I do not know why the hood latch failed or even was open as I had not done anything under the hood in a long time.”

   NHTSA complaint #755645, filed 2001-12

   “While driving at highway speeds hood latch came loose causing the hood to bounce up and down. This happened twice causing me to pull of to the shoulder and close hood. Hood did not unlatch all the way put if I continued without stopping hood would of popped fully at some point.”

   NHTSA complaint #761173, filed 2002-04
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission stuck in park or popping out of gear

   • 13 complaints (9%)
   • median 75,000 mi at 11.3 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 1997–2017

   Owners of automatic cars report being unable to move the shifter out of park, with one shop attributing it to a poor ground at the shift solenoid; dealers reportedly lubricated the shifter without success and, in one case, said the needed part was no longer available. Other complaints describe the transmission dropping out of gear into neutral on its own, including while driving downhill, and a shop unable to reproduce the problem. Reported from about 19,000 to 113,000 miles, often on repeated occasions.

   Recall 98V042000

   What to check: With the engine running, shift through all gears and back into park several times, and ask whether the shift lock module, shifter linkage, or solenoid ground has been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While the vehicle was running in the park position, the consumer was unable to shift the gears in any direction. Vehicle was not drivable. The cause was due to poor ground to the shifter solenoid. This would not acuate to allow the shifter in gear. The consumer was told by several mechanics that this was a common problem in this make/model.”

   NHTSA complaint #10042764, filed 2003-11, 113,000 miles

   “While traveling on a steep hill gear will move to another gear as if vehicle is coasting. Engine does not hold car when going down hills or stopping, had to decend a steep mountain road using only brakes, when slowing vehicle acts if though it is in neutral when in 0,3,2,1. New transmission cost $3000.”

   NHTSA complaint #8009378, filed 2002-05
5. 5
   Fuel system

   Fuel filler neck rusts and leaks

   • 15 complaints (11%)
   • median 97,255 mi at 12.0 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1997–2020

   Owners report gasoline leaking onto the ground near the rear of the vehicle, typically when the tank is more than about half full, traced to a rusted or loose fuel filler neck or tube. Repair is described as labor-intensive because the rear axle and exhaust must be moved, and owners say dealers told them the work was their responsibility because no safety recall covered it. Reported mostly between about 83,000 and 140,000 miles on older vehicles.

   What to check: Inspect the fuel filler neck and tube for rust or seepage and look for a fuel smell or wet spots under the rear after filling the tank.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When the gas tank is filled above half a tank, fuel leaks onto the ground in large amounts near the rear of the vehicle. This is extremely dangerous since a spark or cigarette would cause an explosion.”

   NHTSA complaint #10551508, filed 2013-11, 199,932 miles

   “The contact owns a 1997 Subaru Legacy. The vehicle is leaking gasoline from the filler tube. The dealer stated that the repair would be the contact's responsibility because there was no safety recall. The VIN was unknown. The current mileage was 140,000 and failure mileage was 136,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #10242783, filed 2008-09, 136,000 miles

Buying note. Give the cooling system the most attention: confirm head gasket and water pump history and check for coolant loss, then verify the brakes behave normally from cold and that the hood latch and shift linkage work reliably. Rust at the fuel filler neck is worth a direct look on any example with high mileage or a long history in road-salt states.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 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.