2017 Subaru Legacy Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2017 Subaru Legacy has a complaint index of 75, ranking 6th worst among 21 model years and earning an Avoid verdict. Its top issues are Visibility & Wipers (29% of complaints) and Electrical System (25%), plus two recalls, one marked do-not-drive.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 75/100
- #6 of 21 Legacy years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 119
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 2
- 1 Do Not Drive
- Crashes
- 10
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 6
- Top issue
- Visibility & Wipers
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 26
- 22.5 city / 31 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 6 / 0
Top 2017 Subaru Legacy problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Visibility & Wipers35 (29%)
- Electrical System30 (25%)
- Other21 (18%)
- Steering9 (8%)
- Airbags7 (6%)
- Engine6 (5%)
- Structure & Body6 (5%)
- Brakes5 (4%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires5 (4%)
- Fuel System4 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Sunroof glass spontaneously shattered while driving, scattering glass onto passengers inside the cabin.
- Vehicles experienced unintended acceleration when the driver's foot came off the accelerator pedal, in one case causing a crash into a wall.
- Side and curtain airbags failed to deploy properly during deer-strike and t-bone collisions, or deployed with a delay after head contact.
- Steering pulled to one side after tire repairs and did not resolve even after a wheel alignment.
- Brake pedal sank slowly to the floor after coming to a complete stop, repeating on every stop.
- The engine shut off without warning while braking to a stop, then restarted and ran normally before recurring.
2017 Subaru Legacy recalls
2 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 16V716000Oct 6, 2016Airbags54 vehicles
Air bags:knee bolster
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2017 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured September 21, 2016, to September 23, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the knee guard bracket may not be properly attached to the steering beam assembly.
Risk: If the knee guard is not properly attached and the driver is not wearing a seatbelt, the knee guard may not be able to properly restrain the driver's lower body in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the knee guard welding on each vehicle's steering beam, replacing the beam as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 14, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTL-72.
- NHTSA 16V292000May 11, 2016Steering48,819 vehiclesDo Not Drive
Steering:column
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured February 29, 2016, to May 6, 2016. The steering column on the affected vehicles may have been improperly machined, and as a result, turning the steering wheel may have no effect on the direction of the wheels.
Risk: The loss of steering ability would increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lot number on the steering column, replacing the steering column, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 13, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783 or by visiting http://www.wtd65.service-campaign.com. Subaru's number for this recall is WTD-65. Note: Until the vehicles have been inspected, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles.
2017 Subaru Legacy fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 22.5 MPG
- Highway
- 31 MPG
- Combined
- 26 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,525
- 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.
2017 compared with other Legacy years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2017 Subaru Legacy reliable?
- NHTSA data gives the 2017 Legacy a complaint index of 75, the 6th worst of 21 model years tracked, so it carries an Avoid verdict relative to other Legacy years.
- What are the most common problems on the 2017 Subaru Legacy?
- Visibility & Wipers complaints make up 29% of all reports (35 complaints, median mileage 34,100), followed by Electrical System issues at 25% (30 complaints, median mileage 54,000).
- Does the 2017 Subaru Legacy have a recall?
- Yes, NHTSA lists two recalls: one for an airbag knee guard bracket issue and one steering column recall marked do-not-drive.
- How does the 2017 Legacy compare to other years?
- The 2017 model's complaint index of 75 is worse than most other Legacy years except 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, and 2020, all of which also carry Avoid verdicts.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2017 Subaru Legacy?
- EPA rates the 2017 Legacy at 26 mpg combined (22.5 city / 31 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,525.