Does the 2012 Subaru Legacy have transmission problems?

NHTSA has 34 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2012 Legacy, making up 38% of all complaints filed for that model year, the highest share among the years listed.

Is there a recall for the 2012 Subaru Legacy transmission?

No related recall is listed in the data for this issue.

At what mileage do 2012 Legacy transmission problems usually show up?

The median mileage at failure across these complaints is 108,802 miles, though individual reports range widely.

What exactly do owners report about the transmission?

Most describe stalling or shuddering when coming to a stop, often blamed on the torque converter, along with at least one report of gear slipping between 5th and 6th.

Did the transmission issue cause any crashes?

NHTSA data shows 1 crash and 0 fires or injuries tied to Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2012 Legacy.

2012 Subaru Legacy Transmission & Powertrain Problems

NHTSA lists 34 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2012 Subaru Legacy, 38% of all complaints filed for that year. No related recall is listed for this issue. Median mileage at failure was 108,802 miles.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints: 34; 38% of 90
Crashes reported: 1
Fires reported: 0
Injuries reported: 0
Median mileage: 108,802 mi
Related recalls: 0

Typical transmission symptoms owners report

Owners describe the car shuddering and stalling when coming to a stop, especially at intersections or on hills.
Several drivers report the vehicle nearly got rear-ended after stalling unexpectedly at stop lights or in slow traffic.
Multiple complaints point to a faulty torque converter, sometimes replaced under an extended warranty when the vehicle was still under mileage limits.
One owner reported a whining sound and stalling at low speed shortly after purchase, which the dealer traced to a faulty transmission that was replaced.
A separate complaint describes the transmission slipping between 5th and 6th gear, unrelated to the torque converter shudder pattern.
Some owners mention the problem recurring repeatedly over months, with the vehicle needing to be shifted into neutral to keep it from stalling.

When 2012 Subaru Legacy transmission complaints were filed

First complaint Jul 23, 2014, latest Dec 23, 2025.

34 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jul 2014 to Dec 2025; peak Dec 2018 (2).

Transmission & Powertrain recalls for the 2012 Subaru Legacy

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints by Legacy model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

201049 (34%)
201147 (28%)
201234 (38%)
201312 (18%)
20146 (11%)
201515 (9%)
201613 (9%)
20174 (3%)
20182 (2%)
20191 (1%)
20207 (6%)
20212 (6%)
20220 (0%)
20230 (0%)
20240 (0%)
20250 (0%)

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2012 Subaru Legacy have transmission problems?: NHTSA has 34 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2012 Legacy, making up 38% of all complaints filed for that model year, the highest share among the years listed.
Is there a recall for the 2012 Subaru Legacy transmission?: No related recall is listed in the data for this issue.
At what mileage do 2012 Legacy transmission problems usually show up?: The median mileage at failure across these complaints is 108,802 miles, though individual reports range widely.
What exactly do owners report about the transmission?: Most describe stalling or shuddering when coming to a stop, often blamed on the torque converter, along with at least one report of gear slipping between 5th and 6th.
Did the transmission issue cause any crashes?: NHTSA data shows 1 crash and 0 fires or injuries tied to Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2012 Legacy.