2010 Subaru Legacy Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
93/100
#2 most-complained of 16 Legacy years
The 2010 Subaru Legacy ranks 2nd-worst of 16 model years with a complaint index of 93, 145 complaints, and 18 recalls. Transmission & Powertrain issues lead at 34% of complaints, followed by Engine problems at 27%. NHTSA data supports an Avoid verdict for this year.
- Complaints
- 145
- Recalls
- 18
- Crashes / fires
- 10 / 1
- Injuries / deaths
- 8 / 1
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 21.5
- 18.5 city / 26 hwy
Top 2010 Subaru Legacy problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Transmission & Powertrain49 (34%)
- Engine39 (27%)
- Airbags27 (19%)
- Electrical System22 (15%)
- Brakes15 (10%)
- Other12 (8%)
- Steering12 (8%)
- Structure & Body9 (6%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires9 (6%)
- Fuel System5 (3%)
What owners report
- Owners report brakes not engaging when applied, causing the vehicle to roll and crash even at very low mileage.
- Vehicle stalls or shakes when coming to a rapid stop, sometimes requiring the car to be put back in park to restart.
- Airbags reportedly fail to deploy during front and side-impact crashes, even at highway closing speeds.
- Some owners describe sudden unintended acceleration where the engine surges to full throttle without input.
- Structure and body complaints describe gear slipping into neutral after impact, with cruise control unexpectedly engaging.
2010 Subaru Legacy recalls
18 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.
2010 Subaru Legacy fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 18.5 MPG
- Highway
- 26 MPG
- Combined
- 21.5 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,100
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- 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.
2010 compared with other Legacy years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2010 Subaru Legacy reliable?
- Based on NHTSA complaints and recalls, the 2010 Legacy ranks 2nd-worst among 16 model years with a complaint index of 93, well above the best year (2023, index 0). It carries an Avoid verdict relative to other Legacy years.
- What are the main problems with the 2010 Subaru Legacy?
- Transmission & Powertrain complaints make up 34% of the total (49 complaints), with a median failure mileage of 100,000. Engine complaints follow at 27% (39 complaints), also with a median mileage of 100,000.
- Does the 2010 Subaru Legacy have airbag recalls?
- Yes. NHTSA lists multiple airbag-related recalls covering the 2010 Legacy, including campaigns 20V001000, 20V003000, 20V002000, 19V008000, 19V007000, and 19V009000, mostly involving passenger airbag inflator replacement.
- How does the 2010 Legacy compare to other years?
- The 2010 Legacy's complaint index of 93 is worse than 2012 (47), 2013 (40), and 2014 (20), all rated Good or Best, but slightly better than 2015's index of 100, the worst year on record.