2012 Subaru Legacy Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
GoodComplaint Index
47/100
#9 most-complained of 16 Legacy years
The 2012 Subaru Legacy has a complaint index of 47 and ranks 9th worst out of 16 model years, earning a 'Good' verdict relative to other Legacy years. It has 90 complaints, 16 recalls, and no fires or deaths reported.
- Complaints
- 90
- Recalls
- 16
- Crashes / fires
- 7 / 0
- Injuries / deaths
- 7 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 21.5
- 18.5 city / 25.5 hwy
Top 2012 Subaru Legacy problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Transmission & Powertrain34 (38%)
- Engine25 (28%)
- Other12 (13%)
- Airbags11 (12%)
- Brakes7 (8%)
- Steering7 (8%)
- Electrical System6 (7%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires6 (7%)
- Visibility & Wipers4 (4%)
- Fuel System2 (2%)
What owners report
- Owners report the brake pedal freezing during a park-to-drive shift, causing sudden unintended backward acceleration into a fixed object.
- Front and side-impact crashes were reported where the airbags failed to deploy despite significant vehicle damage and injuries.
- Some drivers describe the steering becoming difficult to keep aligned at highway speed, veering left and right, with the wheel seizing during turns.
- The engine is reported to idle low, bog down, and nearly stall intermittently, sometimes with the oil light illuminating, an issue dealers could not diagnose.
- Owners report headlights failing while driving at moderate speed, with the problem recurring multiple times after dealer repairs.
- One owner described the suspension and undercarriage offering little shock absorption after the vehicle bottomed out off an embankment, causing injury.
2012 Subaru Legacy recalls
16 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.
2012 Subaru Legacy fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 18.5 MPG
- Highway
- 25.5 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.
2012 compared with other Legacy years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2012 Subaru Legacy reliable?
- NHTSA data gives the 2012 Legacy a complaint index of 47, ranking 9th worst among 16 model years, which earns it a 'Good' verdict compared to other Legacy years.
- What are the most common problems with the 2012 Subaru Legacy?
- Transmission & Powertrain complaints make up 38% of reports (34 complaints) and Engine issues make up 28% (25 complaints), the two largest problem areas.
- Does the 2012 Subaru Legacy have airbag recalls?
- Yes. NHTSA lists several airbag-related recalls covering the 2012 Legacy, including campaigns 20V001000, 20V003000, 20V002000, 19V008000, 19V007000, and 19V009000, mostly involving passenger air bag inflator replacement.
- How does the 2012 Legacy compare to the 2010 and 2011 Legacy?
- The 2010 Legacy has a complaint index of 93 and the 2011 has 87, both rated 'Avoid,' while the 2012 has a much lower index of 47 and a 'Good' verdict.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2012 Subaru Legacy?
- EPA rates the 2012 Legacy at 21.5 mpg combined (18.5 city, 25.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,100.