Two problems related to service brakes have been reported for the 1997 Subaru Legacy. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
In cold weather (zero or below), the brake pedal on my 1997 Subaru Legacy sedan becomes hard, and when I put it any gear, forward or reverse, the idle speed will cause the car to move and the brakes will not stop the car-I have to shift into neutral. I have learned that pumping the brake pedal while the car is at idle in n or p will usually help, at -20 degrees, I have to let the car idle for 5 to 10 minutes and then try it. The dealer indicated that this is not uncommon, but that there is no easy fix for this. This has happened every winter since I bought the car in 2001.
The brakes malfunctioned when the weather started to get cold. The brakes seem to freeze up. Dealer had to bleed the lines. However the problem recurred.