Subaru Legacy Engine Problems by Year
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Not unusually. Owners have filed 187 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2008–2025 Subaru Legacy. For the Subaru Legacy, that's 0.19 engine complaints per 1,000 sold across the 2015–2022 cohorts, below the 0.44 median of the 53 models we can rate. The worst years are 2010, 2011 and 2015.
Engine complaints
187
Filed with NHTSA, 2008–2025 models
Per 1,000 sold
0.19
2015–2022 cohorts
Share of all complaints
12.2%
of 1,531 complaints for this model
Engine recalls
2
NHTSA campaigns, all years
Subaru Legacy engine complaints by model year
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Engine and Engine Cooling, and per 1,000 vehicles sold where a published U.S. sales figure exists. Worst years are highlighted.
| Model year | Engine complaints | Per 1,000 sold | Share of all complaints | Crash / fire / injury | Engine recalls | Engine TSBs* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 4 | — | 6.2% | 0 | 08V460000 | 23 |
| 2009 | 8 | — | 12.3% | 1 | — | 39 |
| 2010WORST | 35 | — | 23.3% | 2 | 10V196000 | 49 |
| 2011WORST | 28 | — | 16.8% | 1 | — | 64 |
| 2012 | 23 | — | 25.6% | 0 | — | 56 |
| 2013 | 20 | — | 30.3% | 0 | — | 123 |
| 2014 | 5 | — | 9.4% | 0 | — | 81 |
| 2015WORST | 24 | 0.4 | 15.1% | 4 | — | 80 |
| 2016 | 8 | 0.12 | 5.5% | 0 | — | 63 |
| 2017 | 5 | 0.1 | 4.2% | 0 | — | 26 |
| 2018 | 10 | 0.25 | 8.6% | 3 | — | 24 |
| 2019 | 5 | 0.14 | 4.1% | 0 | — | 27 |
| 2020 | 4 | 0.15 | 3.3% | 1 | — | 109 |
| 2021 | 3 | 0.13 | 9.7% | 0 | — | 102 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0.04 | 3.1% | 1 | — | 85 |
| 2023 | 0 | — | 0% | 0 | — | 72 |
| 2024 | 0 | — | 0% | 0 | — | 47 |
| 2025 | 4 | — | 66.7% | 1 | — | 20 |
- Per 1,000 sold = complaints ÷ published U.S. calendar-year sales × 1,000. Calendar-year sales stand in for the model-year cohort. A dash means no published figure or fewer than 5,000 sold, too small to divide by.
- Older model years have had more time on the road to collect complaints, so compare neighboring years, not 2010 against 2024.
- Crash / fire / injury = complaints where the owner reported a crash, a fire or an injury.
- *Technical service bulletins in the year's leading TSB categories that name the engine.
Common Subaru Legacy engine problems owners describe
We searched the narratives of all 187 engine complaints for symptom keywords. One complaint can mention several, so the shares don't add up to 100%.
Subaru Legacy years to avoid for the engine
2010 Subaru Legacy
35 engine complaints (23.3% of the year's 150). Most often described: stalling or shutting off while driving. Covered by engine recall 10V196000.
2011 Subaru Legacy
28 engine complaints (16.8% of the year's 167). Most often described: stalling or shutting off while driving.
2015 Subaru Legacy
24 engine complaints (15.1% of the year's 159), 0.4 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: stalling or shutting off while driving.
Worst years are those with at least 10 engine complaints and at least 1.5 times the model's median year. For every year's overall verdict, including other systems, see the Subaru Legacy years to avoid.
Subaru Legacy engine recalls
NHTSA recall campaigns filed under Engine for any Subaru Legacy model year. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check a specific car by VIN on NHTSA's site.
- 10V196000 · 2010-05-07 · 2010 models
SUBARU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 OUTBACK AND LEGACY PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 31 THROUGH DECEMBER 1, 2009. A CRACK OR SPLIT CAN OCCUR IN THE CVT COOLER HOSE RESULTING IN A FLUID LEAK.
- 08V460000 · 2008-09-11 · 2008 models
SUBARU IS RECALLING 16,715 MY 2007-2008 LEGACY SEDANS AND WAGONS, MY 2008 IMPREZA SEDANS AND WAGONS, AND MY 2009 FORESTER VEHICLES. SOME VEHICLES MAY HAVE THE CYLINDER HEAD-SIDE OIL SUPPLY PIPE AND TURBOCHARGER-SIDE PIPE IMPROPERLY ASSEMBLED.
Related research
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2010 Subaru Legacy have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 35 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2010 Subaru Legacy, 23.3% of all 150 complaints for that year. The most common description is "stalling or shutting off while driving" (26 complaints). One engine-related recall covers it: 10V196000. 2 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2011 Subaru Legacy have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 28 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2011 Subaru Legacy, 16.8% of all 167 complaints for that year. The most common description is "stalling or shutting off while driving" (15 complaints). 1 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2015 Subaru Legacy have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 24 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2015 Subaru Legacy, 15.1% of all 159 complaints for that year, or 0.4 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "stalling or shutting off while driving" (3 complaints). 4 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Which Subaru Legacy years have the most engine complaints?
2010 (35), 2011 (28) and 2015 (24), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the engine. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so compare the per-1,000-sold column too.
What are the most common Subaru Legacy engine problems?
In the 187 engine complaints, owners most often describe stalling or shutting off while driving (39.6%), misfire or check-engine light (14.4%) and oil consumption or oil leaks (10.2%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.
Is this a engine failure rate?
No. These are complaints owners chose to file with NHTSA. Many failures are never reported, and one complaint is not a confirmed defect. Dividing by sales shows how often owners complain relative to how many were sold, which makes models of different sizes comparable.
How we count
Counts are unique owner complaints (by NHTSA ODI number) filed with NHTSA for each Subaru Legacy model year, from NHTSA's public complaints data fetched July 2026 to November 2026. A complaint counts as a engine complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Engine and Engine Cooling.
Per 1,000 sold divides complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales for that year. A year needs at least 5,000 sales to get a rate, and a model needs at least 3 such years for its overall rate. The comparison median covers every model with at least 50 engine complaints that clears those floors.
These are complaint rates, not failure rates. Owners report some problems more than others, and a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
Sources
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle (owner complaints API) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Report a vehicle safety problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration