There are 2 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2003 Subaru Legacyin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
THE ELECTRICAL IN MY CAR SOMETIMES WORKS AND SOMETIMES NOT WHILE DRIVING THE LIGHTS FOR NOTIFICATION OF BRAKE OR ANS GO OFF AND ON. MY HEADLIGHTS WILL OCCASIONALLY BLINK TOO.
I HAVE A 2003 SUBARU LEGACY SEDAN. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN "DRIVE" AND YOU ARE SITTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR STOP SIGN,FOR NO APPARENT REASON THE RPM'S INCREASE BY 200 TO 330 RPM'S AND THE VEHICLE LUNGES FORWARD. THIS IS A CONSTANT ON-GOING PROBLEM AND I HAVE TO VERY CAREFUL WHEN PULLING INTO MY GARAGE TO MAKE SURE I DON'T RUN THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE BACK WALL OF THE GARAGE. I REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER ON 2 OCCASIONS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS IS "NORMAL ENGINE OPERATION". THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ENGINE'S COMPUTER DETERMINES WHAT THE RPM'S SHOULD BE ACCORDING TO THE ELECTRICAL DEMAND. THIS IS AN UNACCEPTABLE EXPLANATION. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THE VEHICLE IS ABOUT TO LUNGE FORWARD. *JB
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026