The 2004 Legacy GT introduced Subaru's EJ255 turbo motor to the sedan platform—a solid performer plagued by ringland failures when modded or abused, plus the usual Subaru head gasket vulnerabilities and expensive automatic transmission cooler line corrosion that can destroy the trans if ignored.
Ringland Failure / Piston Cracking (Cyl #4 most common)
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 80,000-150,000 mi
Symptoms: Sudden misfire on cylinder 4, White/blue smoke under boost, Rattling/knocking at idle after cold start, Loss of compression on one cylinder
Fix: Requires engine removal and full teardown. If caught early, single piston replacement with upgraded aftermarket forged piston (~18-22 hours labor). If detonation damaged cylinder wall or crank, you're into short-block territory (~25-30 hours). Almost always linked to aggressive tuning, poor-quality fuel, or running lean under boost.
Estimated cost: $3,500-7,500
Head Gasket Failure (External Oil Leaks)
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 100,000-150,000 mi
Symptoms: Oil seepage at head/block mating surface, Oil smell after driving, Small puddles under car after sitting, No coolant mixing—just external weeping
Fix: Turbo models tend to leak oil externally rather than blow coolant internally like NA EJ25s. Engine-out job preferred for access to turbo hardware and exhaust studs. Both heads, timing components, water pump, all seals while you're in there. 20-24 hours labor with engine removal.
Estimated cost: $2,800-4,200
Transmission Oil Cooler Line Corrosion (Automatic only)
Common · high severity
Typical onset: Not mileage-driven—age and salt exposure
Symptoms: Trans fluid dripping near radiator, Pink fluid puddle under front of car, Sudden loss of forward gears after leak, Burnt smell if driven low on fluid
Fix: Steel lines rust through where they pass behind the radiator. If you catch it early, replace lines and flush trans (~3-4 hours). If you drove it empty, you've destroyed clutch packs and need a rebuild or replacement trans (12-16 hours). Absolutely check these lines on any used purchase—they WILL fail in rust-belt states.
Estimated cost: $400-800 (lines only), $3,000-4,500 (with trans rebuild)
Turbo Inlet Y-Pipe Cracking
Occasional · low severity
Typical onset: 90,000-140,000 mi
Symptoms: Hissing under boost, Slight loss of power/boost, CEL for lean condition (P0171/P0174), Visible crack in plastic Y-pipe behind intercooler
Fix: Plastic intake manifold Y-pipe develops cracks at stress points. Causes unmetered air and limp performance. Aftermarket aluminum replacements available and preferred. 2-3 hours labor—tight quarters but doable without engine removal.
Estimated cost: $350-600
Banjo Bolt Filter Clogging (Turbo Oil Feed)
Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: 60,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: Turbo whine or whistle changes pitch, Blue smoke on deceleration, Eventual turbo bearing failure, Low oil pressure to turbo (not visible without gauge)
Fix: Tiny filter screen inside turbo oil feed banjo bolt clogs with debris from engine break-in or poor oil change intervals. Starves turbo bearings. Remove bolt, clean or replace screen, verify oil feed line is clear. 1 hour labor. Preventive: do this every 60k or when doing head gaskets. If turbo already damaged, add another $1,200-1,800 for CHRA or replacement.
Symptoms: Clunk when shifting from Park to Drive, Excessive drivetrain movement when launching, Vibration at idle in gear, Visible sagging or torn rubber on rear trans mount
Fix: Rear transmission mount (crossmember mount) tears or collapses. Allows excessive drivetrain motion and harsh engagement. Simple replacement, but requires supporting trans on jack. 1.5-2 hours labor. Use OEM or quality aftermarket—cheap mounts fail in 20k miles.
Estimated cost: $200-350
Crank Position Sensor Failure
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: Not mileage-driven—heat-related
Symptoms: No-start when engine is hot, Cranks but won't fire after driving, Starts fine when cold, CEL for crank/cam correlation if it's failing intermittently
Fix: Sensor mounted low on block near oil pan, gets heat-soaked and fails. Engine cranks forever but won't start until it cools down. Replace sensor (1 hour labor from underneath). Verify reluctor ring on crank pulley isn't damaged while you're there—rare but catastrophic if teeth are missing.
Estimated cost: $180-280
Owner tips
Change oil every 3,750 miles with quality synthetic—these turbos are hard on oil and the banjo filter clogs fast with cheap stuff.
Inspect transmission cooler lines annually if you live where they salt roads—replace preemptively around 12-15 years old.
Never tune or modify without supporting mods (fuel system, intercooler, proper dyno tune). Ringlands crack under detonation.
If buying used, verify timing belt and water pump were done in last 60k mi—interference motor will destroy itself if belt fails.
Check for oil weeping at head gaskets during PPI—it's a when-not-if issue, plan $3k-4k into ownership within 120k mi.
Buy one if it's stock or lightly modded with service records, budget $4k-5k for inevitable head gaskets and trans cooler lines—fantastic chassis and drivetrain when maintained, nightmare if flogged by a vape-bro tuner.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
Be the first to unlock repairs for the 2004 Subaru Legacy GT
Procedures haven't been generated for this vehicle yet. Become the founding sponsor and we'll generate expert-grade, step-by-step repair walkthroughs for every common job on it — free for every mechanic and DIYer who looks it up after, forever.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 20V001000
2020-01-02 · EA15001
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A."
These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-20.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 20V002000
2020-01-02 · EA15001
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B."
These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-20.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 20V003000
2020-01-02 · EA15001
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C."
These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-20.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 16V358000
2016-05-25 · EA15001
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2009-2011 Legacy, Outback, Forester, 2006-2011 Impreza, Tribeca, 2003-2006 Baja, and 2006 Saab 9-2x vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A."
These vehicles may be equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 26, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500. Saab owners may contact GM at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-16.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 16V359000
2016-05-25 · EA15001
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2006-2008 Impreza, Tribeca, 2006 Saab 9-2x, and 2003-2006 Baja vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B."
These vehicles may be equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 24, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-16.
Note: This notice is only for vehicles that were not covered by 16V-358 for Zone A.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 16V361000
2016-05-25 · EA15001
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, and Baja vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, or "Zone C.".
These vehicles may be equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 24, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-16.
Note: This recall covers vehicles that were not previously covered in 16V-358 for Zone A or 16V-359 for Zone B.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 15V323000
2015-05-28 · EA15001
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to July 21, 2004, 2004-2005 Impreza vehicles manufactured January 28, 2003, to May 31, 2005, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to May 2, 2008, 2003-2008 Subaru Outback vehicles manufactured February 18, 2003, to May 5, 2008, and 2005 Saab 9-2x vehicles manufactured February 11, 2004, to March 17, 2005. The affected vehicles are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture upon its deployment.
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners and General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The Subaru recall began on June 17, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. The Saab recall began on July 27, 2015. Owners of Saab vehicles may call 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is WQR-53. Note: The recall completely supersedes recall 14V-399 (WQL-48) and partially supersedes recall 14V-763 (WQP-51) in that model year 2004 through 2005 Subaru Impreza and model year 2005 Saab 9-2x vehicles are now only part of this campaign. Note: On December 18, 2015 Subaru informed NHTSA of an expansion of this recall to include certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy and 2003-2008 Subaru Outback vehicles.
AIR BAGS · 14V763000
2014-12-01 · PE14016
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy and Outback vehicles, and 2003-2005 Baja vehicles sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity. Specifically, vehicles sold, or ever registered, in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Florida and adjacent counties in southern Georgia, as well as the coastal areas of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengers frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQP-51. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-471. This recall has been partially superseded by 15V-323. All 2005 model year Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles will now be repaired under recall 15V-323.
Airtex Products LP (Airtex) is recalling certain model E8598M, E8518M, E8600M, E8596M, and E8597M fuel pumps manufactured July 26, 2013, and July 29, 2013 and used as aftermarket replacements on Subaru Baja's, Outback's and Legacy's. The affected fuel pumps were sold or installed into the aftermarket applications on or after July 26, 2013, and may may leak fuel from the base of a fuel line connection when the gas tank is full.
Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Airtex will notify owners, and will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. Recall is expected to begin on January 2, 2014. Customers may contact Airtex at 1-800-880-3056. The recall is expected to begin during January 2014. This recall is being conducted by Airtex, not by Subaru.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES · 04V128000
2004-03-16
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER SEDANS, WAGONS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE COULD COME OUT OF ITS TRACK ON THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVER AND LODGE ON THE CONTROL LEVER TAB WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS RELEASED. IF THIS CONDITION OCCURS, THE THROTTLE WILL NOT RETURN TO THE IDLE POSITION AND WILL REMAIN IN AN OPEN POSITION.
Consequence: IF THIS OCCURS DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, THE DRIVER COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A CRUISE CONTROL CABLE RETAINING CLIP TO THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVER TAB ON THE THROTTLE SHAFT IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE FROM COMING OUT OF ITS TRACK. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON APRIL 12, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP · 03V303000
2003-08-20
CERTAIN PASSENGER OR SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES MAY HAVE A LOOSE OR OUT OF POSITION FUEL FILLER HOSE CLAMP.
Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN FUEL LEAKAGE. FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND TIGHTEN THE CLAMP ON THE FUEL FILLER HOSE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 27, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.
Performance
Horsepower
250hp
Torque
250lb-ft
0–60 mph
6.1sec
Quarter mile
14.6sec
Top speed
143mph
Capability & size
Towing capacity
2,000lb
Payload
1,100lb
Curb weight
3,485lb
Fuel economy figures are EPA data via fueleconomy.gov (median across matching trims). Performance figures are compiled estimates for the 2004 Subaru Legacy GT 2.5L H4 Turbo and can vary by trim.
🔧 Database maintained under the daily editorial review of Chris Hackleman · Master Technician · 20+ years and Jeff Moore · Master Lexus & Toyota Mechanic · 20+ years.