Subaru Legacy Best and Worst Years (2010–2025)
Avoid the 2010, 2011, 2015, and 2016 Subaru Legacy, which carry the highest complaint indexes (93, 87, 100, and 80) and heavy recall counts. The 2014, 2021, 2023, and 2025 model years score lowest (complaint index 20, 13, 0, and 7) and are the best picks.
Avoid 2010Avoid 2011Avoid 2015Avoid 2016Best 2014Best 2021Best 2023Best 2025
- Model years
- 16
- 2010–2025
- NHTSA complaints
- 1,403
- Recall campaigns
- 43
- Crashes reported
- 84
- Fires reported
- 14
- Top problem area
- Electrical System
Legacy Complaint Index by year
Higher = more complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and Do-Not-Drive recalls per year on the road, relative to other years of this model.
Subaru Legacy problems and recalls by year
| Year | Verdict | Index | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Recalls | Top issue | MPG | NCAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Avoid | 93 | 145 | 10 | 1 | 18 | Transmission & Powertrain | 21.5 | — |
| 2011 | Avoid | 87 | 167 | 7 | 2 | 16 | Transmission & Powertrain | 21.5 | 4★ |
| 2012 | Good | 47 | 90 | 7 | 0 | 16 | Transmission & Powertrain | 21.5 | — |
| 2013 | Good | 40 | 66 | 6 | 0 | 12 | Engine | 24 | 5★ |
| 2014 | Best | 20 | 53 | 4 | 2 | 10 | Electrical System | 24 | 5★ |
| 2015 | Avoid | 100 | 159 | 15 | 3 | 3 | Visibility & Wipers | 26 | 5★ |
| 2016 | Avoid | 80 | 147 | 9 | 0 | 3 ! | Electrical System | 26 | 5★ |
| 2017 | Caution | 73 | 119 | 10 | 1 | 2 ! | Visibility & Wipers | 26 | 5★ |
| 2018 | Caution | 53 | 117 | 7 | 1 | 3 | Electrical System | 26 | 5★ |
| 2019 | Caution | 60 | 123 | 2 | 1 | 3 | Visibility & Wipers | 26 | 5★ |
| 2020 | Caution | 67 | 121 | 1 | 1 | 6 | Visibility & Wipers | 28.5 | 5★ |
| 2021 | Best | 13 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 3 | Airbags | 28.5 | 5★ |
| 2022 | Good | 33 | 32 | 3 | 1 | 2 | Visibility & Wipers | 28.5 | 5★ |
| 2023 | Best | 0 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | Airbags | 28 | 5★ |
| 2024 | Good | 27 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Electrical System | 28 | 5★ |
| 2025 | Best | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Engine | 28 | 5★ |
Legacy years to avoid: what went wrong
2015 Subaru Legacy Index 100 · 159 complaints · 3 recalls
The 2015 Legacy carries 159 complaints and the highest complaint index in the lineup at 100, despite only 3 recalls. Visibility & Wipers issues top the list at 26% of complaints with a low median failure mileage of 9,500, and Electrical System problems follow closely at 25% with a similar median mileage of 9,670. Engine complaints make up 23%. Owners described warning lights flashing before engine fires and coolant or electrical smells linked to water intrusion. Recalls this year addressed brake fluid moisture and a transmission oil seal defect.
2015 visibility & wipers problems →2015 electrical system problems →2015 engine problems →
2010 Subaru Legacy Index 93 · 145 complaints · 18 recalls
The 2010 Legacy has 145 complaints and a complaint index of 93, with 18 recall campaigns. Transmission & Powertrain issues lead at 34% of complaints with a median failure mileage of 100,000. Engine problems follow at 27%, also failing near 100,000 miles. Owners reported unintended movement while parking and braking failures that dealers could not diagnose. Airbag complaints, at 19% of the total, included non-deployment during crashes at a lower median mileage of about 25,062. NHTSA recalls tied to this year cover passenger airbag inflators shared across several Subaru and Saab models.
2010 transmission & powertrain problems →2010 engine problems →2010 airbags problems →
2011 Subaru Legacy Index 87 · 167 complaints · 16 recalls
The 2011 Legacy shows 167 complaints and a complaint index of 87, with 16 recalls. Transmission & Powertrain problems make up 28% of complaints with a median failure mileage of 115,000, including reports of unexpected acceleration and rollaway incidents. Electrical System issues follow at 20%, with owners describing dashboard warning lights, smoke, and in one case a fire that started under the hood. Engine complaints also account for 20% of the total. Airbag recalls tied to inflator defects apply to this year as well.
2011 transmission & powertrain problems →2011 electrical system problems →2011 engine problems →
2016 Subaru Legacy Index 80 · 147 complaints · 3 recalls
The 2016 Legacy has 147 complaints, a complaint index of 80, and includes a do-not-drive recall. Electrical System problems dominate at 35% of complaints with a median failure mileage of 51,000. Visibility & Wipers and Engine issues follow at 12% each. A steering column recall for this year was flagged do-not-drive due to improper assembly. Owners also reported brake failures during stops and airbags that failed to deploy in side-impact collisions.
2016 electrical system problems →2016 visibility & wipers problems →2016 engine problems →
Most common Subaru Legacy problems (all years)
Share of NHTSA complaints by component group. A complaint naming two components counts once in each.
- Electrical System310 (22%)
- Visibility & Wipers289 (21%)
- Other249 (18%)
- Engine228 (16%)
- Transmission & Powertrain192 (14%)
- Airbags127 (9%)
- Brakes92 (7%)
- Steering77 (5%)
- Structure & Body72 (5%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires67 (5%)
Frequently asked questions
- What are the worst Subaru Legacy years to avoid?
- NHTSA data flags 2010, 2011, 2015, and 2016 as the years to avoid, with complaint indexes of 93, 87, 100, and 80 respectively, the highest among all 16 model years covered.
- What is the best Subaru Legacy year to buy?
- The 2014, 2021, 2023, and 2025 Legacy score lowest on complaint index (20, 13, 0, and 7), making them the strongest picks based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls.
- What problems does the 2015 Subaru Legacy have?
- The 2015 Legacy has 159 complaints and the highest complaint index of any year, 100. Visibility & Wipers issues account for 26% of complaints and Electrical System issues 25%, both with median failure mileages under 10,000.
- Does the 2016 Subaru Legacy have a steering recall?
- Yes. The 2016 Legacy is covered by a do-not-drive steering column recall (campaign 16V292000) due to improper assembly, alongside two transmission-related recalls.
- How many total complaints does the Subaru Legacy have?
- Across the 2010-2025 model years, NHTSA lists 1,403 total complaints and 43 recall campaigns for the Subaru Legacy.