The 1998 Subaru Legacy has two recalls of equal seriousness: an oil filter that can crack and spray vaporized oil onto the exhaust system, potentially starting an underhood fire, and a brake master cylinder that can fail in extreme cold, sending the pedal to the floor and greatly extending stopping distance.
The brake issue affects only vehicles equipped with ABS. In very cold weather, the master cylinder can lose pressure, causing the brake pedal to drop all the way down and the vehicle to take significantly longer to stop than expected. The oil filter defect involves a filter housing that can fracture, leaking and misting oil near hot exhaust components where it can ignite.
At a glance
What can fail
In extremely cold weather, the brake pedal sinks to the floor and the vehicle takes longer to stop due to reduced braking power.
What the fix does
The brake master cylinder will be replaced.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
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At a glance
What can fail
The engine oil filter can crack, causing pressurized oil to spray inside the engine compartment and leak.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect and replace the affected oil filters.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
