The 2003 Subaru Legacy has 10 recalls, the most serious being the passenger-side front airbag inflator, which can rupture and send metal fragments into the cabin, causing serious injury or death.
Multiple recalls cover this same airbag issue, and prior repair attempts did not fully resolve it for all vehicles, which is why it appears across several filings. On the chassis side, front suspension transverse links on vehicles registered in certain northern and mid-Atlantic states can corrode and break without warning, causing a sudden loss of steering control. Vehicles with 6-cylinder engines have a separate concern: aluminum wheels may be slightly off-center, which can gradually loosen the wheel nuts while driving and increase the risk of a wheel detaching. On 4-cylinder models, the water pump pulley can work loose from its shaft, which can cause the cooling system to stop circulating coolant and lead to engine overheating.
At a glance
What can fail
The passenger front air bag inflator may explode due to propellant breakdown caused by long-term exposure to humidity, heat, and temperature changes.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
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At a glance
What can fail
The passenger air bag inflator may explode due to propellant breakdown caused by prolonged exposure to high humidity, heat, and temperature changes.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator with a different design at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The passenger front air bag inflator may explode due to propellant breakdown from exposure to high humidity, temperature changes, and heat over time.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The passenger front air bag inflator may rupture during a crash because the explosive propellant degrades after prolonged exposure to heat and humidity in certain regions.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the passenger front air bag inflator at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The passenger front air bag inflator may rupture during a crash due to propellant breakdown from long-term exposure to humidity and temperature changes in certain climate zones.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the passenger front air bag inflator at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The passenger front air bag inflator may rupture during a crash because the propellant degrades after exposure to humidity and temperature changes over time.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the passenger front air bag inflator at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Moisture can seep into the passenger side front air bag inflator. Over time, this causes the inflator to rupture when the air bag deploys.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator at no charge.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The left front transverse link has poor paint quality. In salt-belt areas, salt exposure can cause this component to rust and eventually break.
What the fix does
Dealers will apply anti-rust material to the left front transverse link to prevent rust and failure.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The water pump pulley center hole was machined incorrectly on certain sport utility and passenger vehicles with 4-cylinder engines.
What the fix does
The dealer will replace the water pump at no cost. Contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783 if service is not completed within a reasonable time.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The aluminum wheels on some 6-cylinder models have an off-center diameter, which can cause imbalance.
What the fix does
Your dealer will replace all 4 aluminum wheels at no charge.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
