Used 2003 Subaru Legacy Consumer Reviews
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Reliable Vehicle
ChetVA, 07/10/2005
2003 Subaru Legacy L AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Very handy vehicle for getting around in snow and icy conditions; fairly comfortable on long trips, though not overly roomy inside, especially in the back seat. Gas mileage is ok, but would prefer it to be more fuel efficient; never had a breakdown, and no mechanical problems whatsoever; have had some trouble with replacement wiper blades staying put; also have a lot of wind noise while driving with the windows up; seems like a bad seal in the driver side window; all in all a fantastic vehicle and super to get around in bad weather
Clutch Problems
in NJ, 09/23/2005
2003 Subaru Legacy L Special Edition AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
In 3 years our only real complaint is the clutch. From day 1, when you try to shift into first gear when the car has not been run for a few hours, the entire car shudders and bucks like you are learning to drive a manual for the first time. There is another review in here that mentions the same problem. Make sure you drive this car cold before you purchase. Otherwise, we are pretty happy with the car.
2003 Subaru Legacy for sale near you
Showing 3 of 7 listings
- L SedanMSRP: $10,9951,004 mi away
- L Special Edition WagonMSRP: $2,9951,007 mi away
- L WagonMSRP: $5,9881,073 mi away
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Great ideas, but rough around the edges
PCtechGUY, 04/20/2008
2003 Subaru Legacy L Special Edition AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
Purchased this car about five months ago for the AWD. AWD is great, but does add extra weight to the car. This slows acceleration, but worst of all, you can feel the shifting in the tranny much more so than a FWD. Tranny is the worst part of this car. You hit overdrive at 35 mph, and if you coast at 35-40, it kicks in and out of overdrive constantly for hills, as well as everytime you have to bleed off speed for curves, which makes for a jerky ride. Under normal driving conditions, the car will do a lot of shifting, and the tranny is not the smoothest shifter. Interior quality is good, but could have been a little better. The knobs for the AC and heater feel a little cheap.
Poor quality can't hide
louis Eastman, 12/20/2007
2003 Subaru Legacy L Special Edition AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
Not happy with braking system, chews up rotors and discs, air conditioning system needs to be recharged yearly, heating system does not heat floor very well. Destroys tires, less than 20000 miles for tires. The entire undercarriage is rusted out after only 5 years; this is a major problem. Two pistons were replaced under warranty and now the remaining two are near failure and are not covered. I would not recommend this vehicle to another person.
8 years on: many major repairs
tommchugh, 12/02/2011
2003 Subaru Legacy L AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
6 of 17 people found this review helpful
Bought this car new in 2003 because of manual transmission,wagon&4wheel disc. Until 2006 this was a reasonable car for my wife to drive for errands and commute. 2006 brought out the true character, noticed the clutch slipping at 48K. Had moved, took it to a dealer in new location, need 3 part clutch and brakes, calipers and rotors for ~$4.2K. Brakes had never "chirped", pass. front rotor very thin. Subaru after much back and forth did the parts but not the labor ($2.4K) at 48,000 miles. Fast forward to 2011, front brakes rotors and calipers @ 8 K mi., and today at 88K same for rears + fluid flush because of heat damage. Called Subaru today, thanked for report. Will NOT buy Subaru again