2006 Subaru Legacy Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Good The 2006 Subaru Legacy has a complaint index of 45, ranking 12th out of 21 model years, with a Good verdict. Engine issues dominate at 51% of its 87 complaints, and NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns, none requiring drivers to stop driving.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 45/100
- #12 of 21 Legacy years
- Verdict
- Good
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 87
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 7
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 6
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 6
- Top issue
- Engine
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 21
- 18.5 city / 25.5 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 6 / 1
Top 2006 Subaru Legacy problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Engine44 (51%)
- Electrical System18 (21%)
- Fuel System16 (18%)
- Airbags13 (15%)
- Brakes12 (14%)
- Transmission & Powertrain8 (9%)
- Other6 (7%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires6 (7%)
- Steering2 (2%)
- Seat Belts1 (1%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Engine compartment smoke and fire reported from the radiator area, sometimes with no prior warning indicators.
- Airbags failed to deploy during moderate-speed crashes, including one collision at 20 mph.
- Windshield wipers intermittently shut off during use, requiring dealer inspection.
- Manual transmission owners describe hesitation under acceleration along with a burning smell from the clutch in stop-and-go traffic.
- Fuel system reportedly stopped operating while the vehicle was in motion, on more than one occasion for the same owner.
- Low beam headlights were described as providing limited visibility on hills, which a dealer attributed to a design issue.
2006 Subaru Legacy recalls
7 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 20V001000Jan 2, 2020Airbags258,813 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-20.
- NHTSA 20V003000Jan 2, 2020Airbags111,562 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-20.
- NHTSA 20V002000Jan 2, 2020Airbags127,547 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-20.
2006 Subaru Legacy fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 18.5 MPG
- Highway
- 25.5 MPG
- Combined
- 21 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,475
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Premium
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2006 compared with other Legacy years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2006 Subaru Legacy reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2006 Legacy carries a complaint index of 45 and ranks 12th out of 21 model years, earning a Good verdict relative to other Legacy years.
- What is the most common problem with the 2006 Subaru Legacy?
- Engine problems are the top complaint category, accounting for 44 of 87 total complaints (51%), with a median mileage at failure of 98,000 for the model year overall and 103,800 for engine complaints specifically.
- Does the 2006 Subaru Legacy have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2006 Legacy, covering airbags, electrical system, and brakes. None are flagged as do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2006 Legacy compare to other Legacy years?
- The 2006 model's complaint index of 45 is lower than the 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2020 model years, which all carry Avoid verdicts with complaint indexes between 75 and 100.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2006 Subaru Legacy?
- The 2006 Legacy is EPA-rated at 21 mpg combined (18.5 city / 25.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,475.