2014 Subaru Legacy Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2014 Subaru Legacy has 53 NHTSA complaints and a complaint index of 25, but its verdict is capped at Caution because it carries 10 recall campaigns needing a dealer visit. It ranks 16th out of 21 model years, better than the 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2020 Avoid-rated years.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 25/100
- #16 of 21 Legacy years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 53
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 10
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 4
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 2
- Injuries
- 1
- Top issue
- Electrical System
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 24
- 21 city / 29 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 1 / 0
Top 2014 Subaru Legacy problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Electrical System15 (28%)
- Airbags14 (26%)
- Structure & Body9 (17%)
- Engine7 (13%)
- Other7 (13%)
- Transmission & Powertrain6 (11%)
- Visibility & Wipers6 (11%)
- Brakes2 (4%)
- Steering2 (4%)
- Collision Avoidance & Cameras1 (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 an electrical fire starting after front-end collision repairs, in one case following a deer strike.
- Some owners say the Takata airbag failed to deploy in low-speed crashes, including one where a driver's leg was injured.
- A rear deck shelf fabric reportedly causes hazing and glare through the rear window, reducing visibility.
- Owners describe a seat-back adjustment mechanism that fails to engage properly even after dealer replacement under warranty.
- Some report sudden, unexplained loss of power while accelerating that returns to normal seconds later.
- Owners describe the vehicle wandering across lanes and needing constant steering correction even after a dealer alignment.
2014 Subaru Legacy recalls
10 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.
2014 Subaru Legacy fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 21 MPG
- Highway
- 29 MPG
- Combined
- 24 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,700
- 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.
2014 compared with other Legacy years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2014 Subaru Legacy reliable?
- NHTSA lists 53 complaints for the 2014 Legacy, giving it a complaint index of 25 out of the other model years. Its verdict is Caution mainly because of 10 recall campaigns, not high complaint volume.
- What problems does the 2014 Subaru Legacy have?
- The top problem area is the Electrical System with 15 complaints (28% share), including reports of fire after repair work. Airbags follow with 14 complaints (26%), largely tied to Takata inflator issues.
- Does the 2014 Subaru Legacy have a recall?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns for the 2014 Legacy, covering airbags, electrical system ignition switches, and brakes on manual-transmission models. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2014 Legacy compare to other Legacy years?
- The 2014 model ranks 16th worst out of 21 model years with data, with a complaint index of 25. Years like 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2020 rank worse with Avoid verdicts and higher complaint indexes.
- What is the median mileage for failures in the 2014 Legacy?
- Across all reported problems, the median mileage at failure was 30,567 miles, though this varies by component, with Electrical System failures reported around 80,000 miles.