Subaru Legacy Years to Avoid
Based on federal records, the Subaru Legacy years to avoid are 2015, 2020, 2016: the 2015 alone has 159 NHTSA owner complaints and 513 manufacturer service bulletins on file, led by electrical system issues. The cleanest recent records so far belong to the 2025 and 2024 model years.
Sources: NHTSA complaints, manufacturer service bulletins, recall campaigns, CarWhere verified buyer prices · Updated 2026-08-09 · By CarWhere Research
| Model year | NHTSA complaints | Service bulletins | Recall campaigns | Avg. price buyers paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 53 | 359 | 10 | — |
| 2015AVOID | 159 | 513 | 3 | — |
| 2016AVOID | 146 | 454 | 3 | — |
| 2017 | 118 | 378 | 2 | — |
| 2018 | 116 | 426 | 3 | — |
| 2019 | 123 | 410 | 3 | — |
| 2020AVOID | 121 | 563 | 6 | — |
| 2021 | 31 | 428 | 3 | — |
| 2022 | 32 | 349 | 2 | — |
| 2023 | 10 | 291 | 2 | — |
| 2024BEST | 16 | 207 | 0 | — |
| 2025BEST | 6 | 126 | 0 | — |
Methodology: complaint counts are owner reports filed with NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation; service bulletins are manufacturer communications filed with NHTSA; counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume. Prices are averages of CarWhere verified buyer transactions (shown when 3+ deals exist for the year).
Common Subaru Legacy problems by year
Across NHTSA owner complaints, the most-reported problem areas on the Subaru Legacy are visibility/wiper, electrical system, unknown or other, air bags. The years below carry the highest combined complaint and service-bulletin counts on federal record.
2015 Subaru Legacy: 159 owner complaints, 513 service bulletins, 3 recall campaigns — most-reported areas: electrical system, visibility/wiper, unknown or other.
2020 Subaru Legacy: 121 owner complaints, 563 service bulletins, 6 recall campaigns — most-reported areas: visibility/wiper, unknown or other, electrical system.
2016 Subaru Legacy: 146 owner complaints, 454 service bulletins, 3 recall campaigns — most-reported areas: electrical system, unknown or other, visibility/wiper.
2025 Subaru Legacy: cleanest recent federal record (6 complaints, 126 bulletins).
2024 Subaru Legacy: cleanest recent federal record (16 complaints, 207 bulletins).
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FAQ
What are the worst years for the Subaru Legacy?
Based on federal records, the Subaru Legacy years to avoid are 2015, 2020, 2016: the 2015 alone has 159 NHTSA owner complaints and 513 manufacturer service bulletins on file, led by electrical system issues. The cleanest recent records so far belong to the 2025 and 2024 model years. Counts are raw federal filings (NHTSA complaints, manufacturer communications, open recall campaigns) and are not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the Subaru Legacy?
Among recent model years, the 2025 and 2024 Subaru Legacy show the lowest combined complaint and service-bulletin counts on federal record.
Is the Subaru Legacy reliable?
The Subaru Legacy's reliability varies by model year. Across 931 NHTSA owner complaints on federal record, 2015, 2020, 2016 stand out as the years to avoid, while the 2025 and 2024 model years show the cleanest records — see the year-by-year table above. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the Subaru Legacy?
The most-reported problem areas for the Subaru Legacy are visibility/wiper, electrical system, unknown or other, based on NHTSA owner complaints. See the year-by-year table above for how these cluster by model year.
How do I check a specific Subaru Legacy before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report for that VIN — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for the exact model year, the original window sticker where the manufacturer publishes one, and a market price check from verified buyers. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Where does this data come from?
Three federal sources — NHTSA owner complaints (ODI), manufacturer service bulletins filed with NHTSA, and open recall campaigns — plus CarWhere's verified buyer-paid transaction prices. Counts are presented raw and refreshed regularly.