Five problems related to gasoline engine have been reported for the 1997 Subaru Legacy. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Entire bottom surface to the engine was covered with rustproofing causing illness (chest tightness, breathing difficulty, dizziness and confusion, from leakage of fumes into compartment.
Engine problem 1. After each oil change, engine shows severe hesitation during acceleration at rpm's below 2500 (feels like late ignition timing), which results in loss of power - dangerous when merging into traffic. When rpm's reach 2500, the power returns to normal, and the car starts accelerating much faster, creating a possibility of running into a car in front. This behavior gradually disappears over the next 1500 miles and reappears again after the next oil change. Subaru dealers do not admit any problem. Engine problem 2. When cruising in neutral (standard 5-speed transmission), the rpm stay around 1200 - 1500 in most cases (~95%). They fall to normal 800 only after full stop. In other 5% of situations they fall to normal as you would expect them to. Again, Subaru dealers do not admit any problem.
Engine races at high rpm's without pressing the accelerator.
Engine surges erratically when vehicle is stopped. Rpm goes suddenly from approximately 600 to 1,100, lunging the vehicle unexpectedly forward.
Intermittent severe hesitation - has become safety issue when sudden power loss occurs in traffic under acceleration.