Subaru
Subaru Legacy years to avoid
No year to avoid stands out. Best years: 2021, 2023 and 2024.
No Subaru Legacy model year stands out. None from 2014 to 2024 draws 1.5 times the median of 12 complaints for each year on the road, and the highest is not clearly ahead of the next, so the individual car and its history matter more than the year.
- 784complaints
- 16recall campaigns
- 6model years with a page
Newest report Sep 12, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
- No year stands out.
Best years
2021
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2023
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2024
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2015 has the most complaints of any Subaru Legacy year here: 157 of 784 (20%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Windshield leads in 4 of the 6 model years and has the most reports overall, 225. Pooled across the years, half of the 155 owners who gave a mileage for windshield were under about 15,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 7% of Subaru Legacy complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2015, 17 of its 157 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 1 of the 6 model years where owners report windshield have a recall on the same system: 2018. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2021 at 144 and have dropped every year since, to 48 in 2025. So far in 2026, 27 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Elise240SX, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Sixth generation
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 157 | 13 | 3 | Windshield cracks or distorts (38) | 18,751 |
| 2016 | 147 | 13 | 3 | Battery dies or the car will not start (28) | 39,000 |
| 2017 | 119 | 12 | 2 | Windshield cracks or distorts (33) | 31,000 |
| 2018 | 117 | 13 | 3 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (41) | 23,191 |
| 2019 | 123 | 15 | 3 | Windshield cracks or distorts (47) | 13,000 |
Photo: Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2014 (48), 2021 (31), 2022 (33), 2023 (10), 2024 (17).
Year by year
2020 Subaru Legacy
121 owner complaints, 17 for each year on the road (1.5 times the model median). Most reported: windshield (63 reports, median 5,800 miles). 1 report involved a crash and 1 person was hurt. 6 recalls, including 24V-227 on the airbags and 22V-485 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2019 Subaru Legacy
123 owner complaints, 15 for each year on the road (1.3 times the model median). Most reported: windshield (47 reports, median 12,000 miles), dead battery (24 reports) and infotainment (16 reports). 2 reports involved a crash. 3 recalls, including 19V-493 on the structure and 21V-587 on the fuel system.
2018 Subaru Legacy
117 owner complaints, 13 for each year on the road (1.1 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (41 reports, median 30,000 miles), windshield (27 reports, median 27,000 miles) and dead battery (13 reports). 7 reports involved a crash and 1 person was hurt. 3 recalls, including 18V-935 on the visibility and 18V-773 on the electrical system.
2017 Subaru Legacy
119 owner complaints, 12 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: windshield (33 reports, median 36,100 miles) and dead battery (25 reports). 10 reports involved a crash and 6 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 16V-292 on the steering system (do not drive) and 16V-716 on the steering system.
2016 Subaru Legacy
147 owner complaints, 13 for each year on the road (1.1 times the model median). Most reported: dead battery (28 reports), windshield (17 reports, median 44,000 miles) and infotainment (11 reports). 9 reports involved a crash and 3 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 16V-292 on the steering system (do not drive) and 15V-794 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2015 Subaru Legacy
157 owner complaints, 13 for each year on the road (1.1 times the model median). Most reported: windshield (38 reports, median 9,500 miles), dead battery (16 reports) and brake wear (12 reports). 15 reports involved a crash and 9 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 16V-251 on stability control and 15V-502 on the transmission and drivetrain.
Recalls that cover several model years
The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
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.
Transmission oil may leak from a deformed seal cap on the propeller shaft yoke.
Questions
What Subaru Legacy years should you avoid?
No Subaru Legacy model year stands out. None from 2014 to 2024 draws 1.5 times the median of 12 complaints for each year on the road, and the highest is not clearly ahead of the next, so the individual car and its history matter more than the year.
What are the best years for the Subaru Legacy?
The 2021, 2023 and 2024 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2021 has 31 (5 a year), 2023 has 10 (2 a year) and 2024 has 17 (6 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Subaru Legacy?
Windshield, with 225 reports across the 6 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020.
How many recalls does the Subaru Legacy have?
16 recall campaigns cover the Subaru Legacy model years 2015 to 2020 on this site. The widest, 21V-587 on the fuel system, covers 3 model years.
How many Subaru Legacy complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
7% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2015 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for windshield on the Subaru Legacy?
On 1 of the 6 model years where owners report it: 2018.