Two problems related to service brakes have been reported for the 2001 Subaru Legacy. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2001 Subaru Legacy based on all problems reported for the 2001 Legacy.
Cold weather below 32 degrees no brake pedal on cold start- difficult to stop car moving under 5mph. After warm up for 5-10 minutes- depending on how cold the temp. Pedal comes back and brakes seem to operate normally.
On a cold start, with the ambient temperature at or below freezing (32f), the 3rd time I press the brake pedal, it will not go down. There is a hard stop and the brakes do not engage. The vehicle, if in motion, will not stop. Repeated pumping of the brake pedal eventually frees up the brake pedal and braking function is restored. Notice a distinct revving of the engine when the problem is remedied. This is a repeatable problem.