Subaru Legacy Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used Subaru Legacy options? We analyzed 10 model years (2017–2026) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the Subaru Legacy has 571 owner complaints and 21 safety recalls across model years 2017–2026. The most reported issue area is VISIBILITY/WIPER. 2019 drew the most complaints; 2025 drew the fewest.
- Make
- Subaru
- Model
- Legacy
- Model years analyzed
- 2017–2026 (10 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 571
- Safety recall campaigns
- 21
- Crash-related complaints
- 25
- Fire-related complaints
- 6
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2019 (122 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2025 (6 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- VISIBILITY/WIPER
- Reliability signal
- Poor
By model year
Subaru Legacy: which years to avoid & which to buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings
What the complaint data suggests
PoorThe SUBARU LEGACY has 571 NHTSA complaints and 21 recalls on record. 25 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 571 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 21 federal recall campaigns
- 25 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Jul 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
21 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION
STEERING:COLUMN
STEERING:COLUMN
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
STRUCTURE
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2017–2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 571 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
571 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
Driving my car at 39mph and approaching a vehicle stopped at an intersection perpendicular to my left, she accelerated into my path and Subaru eyesight provided no warning and did not attempt to break at all before the collision occurred. I was able to slow to maybe 15 mph but disappointed eyesight did not work as intended.
I experienced unintended acceleration while operating my vehicle. I was slowly pulling into a parking space at a gym when, without warning, the vehicle suddenly accelerated rapidly forward. I did not intentionally press the accelerator at that time. The unexpected acceleration caused the vehicle to surge ahead and collide with a light post, resulting in significant damage to the front bumper. Fortunately, there were no pedestrians or other vehicles in front of me, so no injuries occurred. This incident created a serious safety risk, as the sudden and uncontrolled acceleration could have resulted in harm to myself or others if anyone had been in the vehicle’s path. At this time, it is UNKNOWN whether the issue has been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center. It is also UNKNOWN if any warning lights, messages, or prior symptoms were present before the incident. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
Safety Hazard: Subaru Sun Visor I own a 2022 Subaru Legacy, the first new car I've ever owned. The visor (to protect eyes from the sun) is too short and not wide enough. The seat is raised as high as it will go. I CAN'T position myself to protect my eyes from the Sun. On 1/8/26, I left my home at 7:45 a.m. Around the corner from my home, local road, I approached an intersection with a Traffic Light. As I approached the intersection to turn left, the Sun (dead ahead) totally blinded me. It was a complete WHITE OUT. The Visor did NOTHING to protect my eyes from the sun. IT'S TOO SMALL and useless. I used one hand to shield my eyes from the Sun. It didn't help. I was helpless. I stopped my car, prayed I wouldn't get hit When my vision returned, I maneuvered my way into my left hand turn It was the scariest thing I've ever experienced. I was BLINDED and HELPLESS. There needs to be a RECALL on Subaru visors. I could have been killed. PLEASE do a thorough and complete Subaru investigation. This issue is all over the internet and not just with Subaru car owners. Friends who own a Subaru complain about this dangerous visor. RECALL the VISORS. Thank you. P.S. I called the dealership on 1/9/26. They have no remedy. I will drive over there and ask the manager to DO SOMETHING to fix the problem
I went to lunch today and came out to a crack on my windshield. I've seen several issues online about defects with the legacy windshields.
I have the touring model with defrosters under the windshield. This is the second time I have had my windshield cracked vertically in a year. Both scenarios include a cold snap to about 20 degrees. First one broke in the parking lot after warming up the car (windshield heat and defrosters on) This time was a similar case. Warmed up my car, started driving, and two min later heard a pop and saw the windshield split at the same spot,(windshield defroster element). So basically when it gets cold I can’t use advertised features without causing damage to my car.
Emergency breaking deployed during traffic where no indication of collision was about to take place; vehicle safety features disabled and enabled off and on automatically while driving, this led up to sudden stop of vehicle in heavy traffic and vehicle would never restart. Subaru starlink emergency services failed to work or respond after trying for several minutes. Steering wouldn’t work to guide vehicle safely out of traffic
Read 14 more owner reports
The first tire had an air bubble and I brought it in. They said it was a manufacturer error. In September 2023 I had a blowout and Subaru declared that it was a manufacturer defect. I asked him to check all the tires and they kept the original set on. This month a third tire from the original set blew while being driven. Three tires out of four have had manufacturer defects.
In April 2024 a small rock hit my windshield and it immediately cracked. I’ve had rocks hit the windshield on other vehicles but usually nothing is visible or worse case it was a chip. The 3-4 inch crack grew to over a foot by the next day. I had it repaired at Safelite and had to pay the $500 deductible. The cost was even greater due to the need to recalibrate the safety cameras. My son just had a similar experience yesterday with his 2021 Subaru Legacy. From researching this, it appears this is a too common occurrence with Subarus.
My windshield cracked when I wasn’t even driving, it cracked all the way up almost to the top of the windshield. I have heard of other Subaru owners having this same issue with the windshield cracking easily. This should not have cracked like this. It is cheaply made obviously and unsafe.
driving home from work my sunroof exploded outward. No impact to the glass, I was not operating it. Glass mostly went out and behind but some fell onto me as I was driving at highway speeds. I have seen others posting on the internet with this issue. Dealership has the car now. No warning.
Unknown. Seat belt warning lights will start beeping very loudly while on the road while seat belts are buckled. This is an extremely noisy distraction and frightens my passengers. Dealer changed one seat belt but problem remains
The contact owned a 2022 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while driving into their driveway at unknown speeds, the vehicle independently accelerated forward. The contact placed the vehicle in reverse, however, the vehicle continued to accelerate independently, and the contact's rear bumper crashed into the neighbor's garage. No injuries were sustained. The neighbor's garage was damaged. The vehicle was towed to the tow company's lot. The vehicle was diagnosed as totaled. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
In 2022, a piece of small gravel fell off the back of a dump truck, bounced off the road, and struck the windshield of my 2022 Subaru Legacy. Based on past experience with other vehicles, this should have resulted in a round or star-shaped crack to the glass but this caused cracks that continue to grow and branch off. In 2024, I replaced the windshield at Flow Subaru in Charlottesville, VA at a cost of over $1000 and within 3-4 weeks there was a linear crack halfway across the windshield directly in front of the driver's seat, which somewhat interferes with the driver's view. Online research suggests this is a known problem with Subaru cars with their "Eyesight" system. Supposedly, Subaru has settled class-action lawsuits related to their windshields cracking. This is a safety hazard from the standpoint of driver's vision and windshield integrity. These windshields are fragile and inherently defective.
Vehicles windshield appears to be defective. Small rock hit windshield I. 2/18, got replaced immediately after for around 1000 dollars. Not even three weeks later on 3/14 a semi kick up a rock and my windshield has a crack that can not be patched up, it has to be repaired. I went immediately to Safelite after second rock hit and it had spread so much that it had to be replaced.
The windshield immediately chips and cracks upon any rock/pebble impact. My safety is affected because the cracks spread into my line of sight. This has happened 3 times on my car on three different windshields in 2 years, unknown if it’s been inspected by manufacturers.
The contact leased a 2022 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that condensation was leaking onto her foot. While driving, water entered the vehicle and caused the rugs, radio, and amplifier to become wet. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that water had entered the vehicle, and the radio rugs and amplifier were replaced. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 8,000.
Vehicle windshield developed a crack unknown reasons. Crack developed at the very bottom of the windshield below the trim. Nothing has impacted the windshield whatsoever.
I was sitting at a Walmart parking lot around 6:50 am waiting for the store to open. I decided to sit in the back seat of my new 2022 Legacy and work on my laptop while sipping on my coffee. It is a beautiful 71 degrees in small-town Georgia when I hear what I could describe as an ice cube going into a warm glass of water, followed by a "dragging" sound as if a tree branch was scratching my car; only I was near nothing, not even cars as the store hadn't yet opened. But I chose to park way from careless people who may ding my new car. It wasn't until I finished and came around to the driver's seat that I noticed what'd made the sounds. The windshield was cracked. No impact. The dealership tried to make it look like I was lying and Subaru advocacy refunded the $500 deductible "As a courtesy" (because I had to use my insurance). My car was around 4-5 months old.
After a small pebble hit my windshield, an extremely large crack appeared and grew within moments of the impact. It has spiderwebbed all over the windshield and obstructed the vehicle's EYESIGHT cameras. A second impact within a few days has done the same right in front of the driver's seat. The spiderwebbing of the cracks was near immediate and grew faster than 3 inches per minute.
Horizontal stress crack on lower middle section of windshield. There has been a recall due to stress cracks on prior years, but no recall yet for the 2022 Subaru Legacy. I got in my car to go to work one morning and there was a crack in the windshield.
Showing 20 of 571 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check the exact car
Before you buy, check the exact Subaru Legacy
These pages show model-year patterns across 10 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used Subaru Legacy, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Subaru Legacy has 571 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Subaru Legacy has 21 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 25 of the Subaru Legacy's 571 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Poor) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Subaru Legacy vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two Subaru Legacy vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Subaru Legacy has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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By state
Check a Subaru Legacy by state
Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used Subaru Legacy.
Research more
Keep researching before you buy
Compare brands and categories, then check the exact car's history by VIN.
Subaru Legacy reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the Subaru Legacy reliable?
Poor. The Subaru Legacy has 571 NHTSA owner complaints and 21 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is VISIBILITY/WIPER. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which Subaru Legacy years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2019 (122 complaints), 2020 (121 complaints), 2017 (118 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common Subaru Legacy problems?
Top reported issues: VISIBILITY/WIPER (189 complaints); ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (133 complaints); UNKNOWN OR OTHER (120 complaints).
Does the Subaru Legacy have recalls?
Yes — 21 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the Subaru Legacy. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.