Subaru Legacy

976 complaints across 12 scored model years and 43 recall campaigns.

Which years to avoid

Ownership label · Subaru Legacy Full report

Grade 2010–2021

2015 vs model median 2.6×

Model median3× median

Lights & Visibility 34

Electrical 17

Fuel System 13

Avoid

2015 · 2020

Best

2012 · 2021

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Severity-weighted complaint volume and grade by model year for the Subaru Legacy
Year	vs median	Reports	Grade
2010	1.03×	61	C
2011	1.18×	84	C
2012	0.35×	20	B
2013	0.66×	38	C
2014	0.70×	36	C
2015	2.61×	145	F
2016	1.31×	97	D
2017	1.07×	71	C
2018	0.97×	80	C
2019	0.89×	82	B
2020	1.57×	132	D
2021	0.47×	38	B
2022 P	0.56×	41	B
2023 P	0.22×	12	A
2024 P	0.33×	29	A
2025 P	0.23×	10	A

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What it costs to run

EPA figures for the most recent model year on record.

EPA fuel economy and drivetrain
Combined MPG	28
City / Highway	25 / 33
Engine	2.45L, 4 cyl
Drive	All-Wheel Drive
Annual fuel cost	$2,200

Recalls

43 campaigns on record, 1 carrying a Park It or Park Outside warning.

Recall campaigns, largest first
Campaign	Component	Model years	Units affected
12V602000	EXTERIOR LIGHTING	2010, 2011	633,842
16V694000	VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR	2010–2014	592,647
19V009000	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE	2010–2014	452,630
19V008000	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE	2010–2014	330,120
16V358000	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE	2010, 2011	302,127
20V001000	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE	2010–2014	258,813
18V773000	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE	2018	228,648
21V955000	POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)	2020	198,255

+ 35 further campaigns

Others in Midsize Cars

Same body and size class. Each grade describes that model against its own history — these are not ranked against each other.

Other models in the same segment
Model	Years to avoid	Grade
Acura TL	2012	C
Acura TLX	20152020	C
Acura TSX	2010	C
Alfa Romeo Giulia	2017	C
Audi A4	none flagged	B
Audi A4 Allroad	2013	C
Audi A5	none flagged	C
Audi S4	none flagged	B

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2015 Legacy

Complaints in window: 145
Severity-weighted: 252.5
Model median (weighted): 97
vs model median: 2.61×
Recall campaigns (weighted): 3
Open investigations: 1

Score 23.9 F