YearToAvoid

2019 Subaru Legacy Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

60/100

#7 most-complained of 16 Legacy years

The 2019 Subaru Legacy has 123 NHTSA complaints, 3 recalls, and a Complaint Index of 60, ranking 7th worst out of 16 model years. Verdict: Caution. Windshield cracking and electrical faults dominate owner reports.

Complaints
123
Recalls
3
Crashes / fires
2 / 1
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
26
22.5 city / 31 hwy

Top 2019 Subaru Legacy problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Visibility & Wipers51 (41%)
  2. Electrical System35 (28%)
  3. Other20 (16%)
  4. Engine9 (7%)
  5. Collision Avoidance & Cameras6 (5%)
  6. Fuel System5 (4%)
  7. Brakes3 (2%)
  8. Steering3 (2%)
  9. Structure & Body3 (2%)
  10. Suspension, Wheels & Tires2 (2%)

What owners report

  • Windshields crack spontaneously, often starting at the bottom corner or center, sometimes on vehicles only weeks old.
  • Steering wheel reportedly turns on its own at highway or city speeds without warning lights illuminating.
  • Owners report sudden, unexplained loss of speed control on the highway shortly after purchase.
  • Check engine and other warning lights illuminate with no clear cause, and reprogramming the computer did not fix the recurring fault.
  • EyeSight driver-assist braking and reverse automatic braking have reportedly failed to stop the vehicle, resulting in collisions.
2019 Subaru Legacy complaints: complaints filed per quarter102018 Q42019 Q42020 Q42021 Q42023 Q12024 Q12025 Q12026 Q1
140 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2018 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2020 Q1 (10).

2019 Subaru Legacy recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 21V587000Jul 29, 2021Fuel System175,968 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

    Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.

  2. NHTSA 20V218000Apr 16, 2020Fuel System188,207 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Impreza, Outback, Legacy, and Ascent vehicles. The low pressure fuel pump may become inoperative.

    Risk: If the low pressure fuel pump fails, the engine may stall without the ability to restart the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the low pressure fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2020. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRD-20.

  3. NHTSA 19V493000Jun 26, 2019Structure & Body2,107 vehicles

    Structure

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019 Legacy and Outback vehicles. Spot welds located on the duct below the cowl panel may have been improperly applied, impacting the vehicle's body strength.

    Risk: In the event of a crash, the reduced strength of the vehicle body may increase the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and repair or repurchase the vehicle, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUH-93.

2019 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.

2019 compared with other Legacy years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2017Caution731192 !26
2018Caution53117326
2019Caution60123326
2020Caution67121628.5
2021Best1331328.5

All Subaru Legacy years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 Subaru Legacy reliable?
NHTSA lists 123 complaints and a Complaint Index of 60 for the 2019 Legacy, ranking 7th worst of 16 model years, earning a Caution verdict relative to other Legacy years.
What are the most common problems with the 2019 Subaru Legacy?
Visibility & Wipers issues, mainly windshield cracking, account for 41% of complaints (51 cases), followed by Electrical System problems at 28% (35 cases), often appearing at low mileage.
Does the 2019 Subaru Legacy have any recalls?
Yes, NHTSA lists 3 recalls: two involving the low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank and one for improperly applied spot welds on the cowl panel duct affecting body strength.
At what mileage do 2019 Legacy problems typically show up?
The median mileage at failure across all reported issues is 6,125 miles, with windshield cracking reported at a median of 6,700 miles and electrical faults at a median of just 900 miles.
How does the 2019 Legacy compare to other years?
With a Complaint Index of 60, the 2019 Legacy ranks better than Avoid years like 2015 (100) and 2010 (93), but worse than Best years like 2014 (20) and 2021 (13).

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.