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Subaru · vehicle model

Subaru Legacy

4,117 NHTSA complaints and 189 safety recalls across model years 1987–2025.

Complaints
4,117
Recalls
189
Model years
39

The verdict

The Subaru Legacy pairs above-average complaint volume with 189 recalls (heavily recalled).

4th pctile
complaint volume, US models
189
recall campaigns
Follow this model's NHTSA record changes

Subaru Legacy vs. all tracked models

Total NHTSA ODI complaints across models with substantive safety data

4,117 Higher than most more complaints than 96% of 3,088 models

tracked vehicle models, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more models. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · August 2026

The Subaru Legacy appears in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database with 4,117 consumer safety complaints and 189 recall campaigns across 39 model years (1987–2025). That averages roughly 106 complaints per model year. Report counts can differ between model years for many reasons; this dataset does not establish the cause of a difference.

Complaint volume on a nameplate alone is not a reliability verdict: a long-running bestseller can accumulate more filings than a low-volume niche model because more vehicles are on the road. The table below shows report counts and published NHTSA crash-test ratings side by side for each model year. The filing-year histogram shows the timing of submitted reports, not a causal trend.

NHTSA has 14 investigation files tied to this model. Investigation records, complaint reports, and recall campaigns each provide different context. Use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and the underlying notices to research a specific vehicle; PlainCars does not infer a vehicle-risk or pricing conclusion from these records.

Complaints by Year

Year Complaints
2025 10
2024 23
2023 10
2022 39
2021 42
2020 139
2019 135
2018 155
2017 140
2016 188
2015 228
2014 73
2013 84
2012 117
2011 234
2010 217
2009 75
2008 83
2007 45
2006 135
2005 247
2004 55
2003 69
2002 71
2001 90
2000 119
1999 119
1998 155
1997 179
1996 161
1995 230
1994 67
1993 90
1992 66
1991 121
1990 103
1989 1
1988 1
1987 1

Complaint Filing Trend

NHTSA complaint volume by year filed (not model year).

Filings moved from 1,056 in 2017-2021 to 599 in 2022-2026, a fall of 43.3% . That is the 45th percentile of change across the 763 nameplates with enough filings in both windows to compare, where 0 is the steepest fall and 100 the steepest rise.

Filing volume, not a reliability verdict: counts also move with how many vehicles are on the road, how old they are, and whether a recall drew attention. Computed from this portal's NHTSA filing-year records over the same two windows the trend rankings use.

76
’95
124
’96
105
’97
131
’98
230
’99
170
’00
164
’01
106
’02
96
’03
91
’04
86
’05
56
’06
36
’07
66
’08
42
’09
89
’10
75
’11
87
’12
103
’13
144
’14
181
’15
204
’16
190
’17
147
’18
240
’19
238
’20
241
’21
172
’22
158
’23
130
’24
122
’25
17
’26

Year filed (bar labels show the complaint count).

View all trending models →

Compare Subaru Legacy to Similar Vehicles

Subaru Legacy vs Cadillac SRX → Subaru Legacy vs Chrysler Sebring → Subaru Legacy vs GMC Terrain → Subaru Legacy vs Acura MDX →

NHTSA Investigations

PE19009 Preliminary Evaluation Closed 2019-08-06

Occupant Detection System (ODS) Failure
PE15012 Preliminary Evaluation Closed 2015-04-10

Passenger Front Air Bag Suppression
PE11011 Preliminary Evaluation Closed 2011-04-07

Front suspension control arm failure
EA09007 Engineering Analysis Closed 2009-05-21

FUEL PUMP LEAKS
PE09017 Preliminary Evaluation Closed 2009-03-10

FUEL LINE LEAK
PE08064 Preliminary Evaluation Closed 2008-11-14

FUEL PUMP LEAK
PE04002 Preliminary Evaluation Closed 2004-01-07

FUEL LINE LEAKAGE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT
EA03024 Engineering Analysis Closed 2003-11-19

EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES
PE03029 Preliminary Evaluation Closed 2003-07-08

BRAKING SYSTEM/ABS
PE99020 Preliminary Evaluation Closed 1999-03-05

SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE SEPARATION

View all 14 investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is the Subaru Legacy?▼
The Subaru Legacy has received 4,117 NHTSA complaints spanning model years 1987 to 2025, with 189 recalls. That averages about 106 complaints per model year.
What years of Subaru Legacy are available?▼
PlainCars has complaint and recall data for the Subaru Legacy from 1987 to 2025 (39 model years). Select any year to see component-level complaint breakdowns and safety ratings.
Does the Subaru Legacy have safety ratings?▼
NHTSA safety ratings (NCAP 5-star program) are available for many Subaru Legacy model years from 2011 onward. Select a specific year to see front crash, side crash, and rollover ratings where available.
What are the most common Subaru Legacy complaints?▼
NHTSA complaints for the Subaru Legacy are categorized by component, common areas include engine, transmission, electrical system, airbags, and brakes. Select a model year for a detailed component-by-component breakdown.
How do I check if my Subaru Legacy has been recalled?▼
Visit the year-specific page on PlainCars to see all recalls for your model year, or enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov for official recall status and available remedies.
Data sources

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. Subaru Legacy totals are aggregated from the linked NHTSA model-year rows; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.