2012 Subaru Legacy Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2012 Subaru Legacy has a Complaint Index of 55, ranking 10th worst out of 21 model years, with a Caution verdict. NHTSA logged 90 complaints, 16 recalls, 7 crashes, and 7 injuries, led by transmission and powertrain problems.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 55/100
- #10 of 21 Legacy years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 90
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 16
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 7
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 7
- Top issue
- Transmission & Powertrain
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 21.5
- 18.5 city / 25.5 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 7 / 0
Top 2012 Subaru Legacy problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA 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%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Owners report airbags failing to deploy in moderate-to-severe frontal and side-impact crashes.
- Some describe the engine idling low, bogging down, or nearly stalling intermittently, sometimes with the oil light illuminated.
- Others report the steering becoming difficult to keep aligned at highway speed, with the wheel occasionally seizing mid-turn.
- One owner described the undercarriage bottoming out over a dip with little shock absorption, causing spinal injury to occupants.
- Headlights have failed while driving and recurred after dealer repair, according to one complaint.
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 55 and a Caution verdict, ranking 10th worst among 21 model years. Transmission and powertrain issues make up 38% of its complaints.
- What are the most common problems with the 2012 Subaru Legacy?
- NHTSA complaints show Transmission & Powertrain problems lead at 38% of complaints, followed by Engine issues at 28% and Airbags at 12%.
- Does the 2012 Subaru Legacy have airbag recalls?
- Yes. NHTSA lists multiple airbag recall campaigns affecting the 2012 Legacy, including several passenger air bag inflator replacements, alongside 16 total recalls for the year.
- How does the 2012 Legacy compare to other Legacy years?
- The 2012 model's Complaint Index of 55 is worse than years like 2021 (15) and 2023 (0), but better than 2010, 2011, and 2015, which carry Avoid verdicts with indexes of 95, 85, and 100.
- What is the median mileage for reported failures on the 2012 Legacy?
- NHTSA data shows a median mileage at failure of 87,500 miles across reported problems for the 2012 Legacy.