2002 Subaru Legacy Subaru Legacy 2002

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2002 Subaru Legacy repairs by problem area

Engine (52%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (20%)

Brakes and Traction Control (2%)

Suspension and Steering (14%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (5%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (7%)

Other (0%)

Chart based on 44 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2002 Subaru Legacy.

2002 Subaru Legacy engine repair cost distribution

$2500+ (10%)

$1000 - $2499 (10%)

$500 - $999 (20%)

$100 - $499 (30%)

< $100 (30%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 20 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2002 Subaru Legacy

Engine not specified

41540 mi did an engine over haul. since then the car is overheating . 
136000 mi

US $750
began running extremely rough about 1/2 mile after filling the gas tank. dealer replaced the fuel pump. 

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2002 Subaru Legacy 4dr Wagon

165-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD

125240 mi

C $150
Car used to occasionally buck like a wild horse. Sporadic and started Fall 2014. Worse by December. Repair shop replaced coil on cylinder 2 and checked car. Car ran okay for about a week. Problem returned and check engine light. Car was bucking like wild horse and check engine light came on. The problem was an air flow sensor needed to be replaced. Clutch started slipping so new clutch and plate installed 
212000 mi Both head gaskets failed, 50000 miles of driving post failure caused bottom end wear. Need to repl. Engine from junkyard would be about $2,500. 
217000 mi Engine basically shot - rings worn, headgaskets leaking oil into the water and into the environment, low compression. 
120000 mi

US $150
Spark plug wells full of oil - replacing valve cover gasket and spark plug wires. 

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2002 Subaru Legacy 4dr Wagon

165-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD

180000 mi

US $3000
fuel line replaced head gasket-2nd-second time 
167000 mi CEL still on after replacing just about every evaporative system component. 
171100 mi

US $250
Car had head rebuild when transmission failed. Ever since, the engine began overheating on long freeway trips. Installed HQ aftermarket radiator. Stock radiator literally crumbled apart when touched.  Defective thermostat installed during head rebuild. Replaced free of charge. Overheating problem solved; hopefully overheating did not damage engine 
174000 mi Engine overheats during long freeway trips, but not during city driving. Mechanic said he could not replicate the overheating and indicated "all Subaru's run hot." *Car NEVER ran hot prior to head rebuild. 
178300 mi

US $200
Exhaust midpipe rotted off at the catalytic converter 
237000 mi

US $1000
water pump gasket 
238000 mi

US $2600
head gasket leak, replace engine. 
76000 mi

US $178
Replace section of exhaust pipe 

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2002 Subaru Legacy 4dr Sedan

165-horsepower 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD

129000 mi

US $28
Oil was leaking from valve cover seals onto the spark plugs and wires. Valve cover gaskets and seals were replaced. 

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2002 Subaru Legacy 4dr Sedan

165-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed automatic AWD

78000 mi

US $600
muffler system replaced 
72000 mi

US $3000
exhaust system rusted out again for the 3rd time 
139000 mi

US $30
replace thermostat. Car was running hot. Did not have the original exact OEM thermostat. It appeared to stick periodically. 
131600 mi

C $500
The head gaskets had minor external leak when I first bought the car. The leak had slowly become worse over the years. I decided to replace the HG before selling the car. I also cleaned some deposits/gunk off of the cylinders and pistons. 

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2002 Subaru Legacy Engine Problems

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently 2002 Subaru Legacy problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.