Subaru Legacy
Problems & Worst Years

The oldest Subaru Legacy year in this data, 2011, stands apart from the rest: its top complaints describe subframe corrosion leading to structural issues (11 reports, safety-rated) alongside torque converter problems causing both stalling and transmission slippage (11 reports each) and an engine stall at idle tied to torque converter failure, also safety-rated. With three of seven problem categories flagged safety-severity out of just 58 total complaints, 2011 has the highest safety-to-volume ratio of any Legacy year here. Recall 10V326 applies to that model year.

From 2016 onward, the pattern shifts toward electrical and battery complaints, with windshield cracking as a steady secondary theme. The 2016 model (85 complaints) leads with battery drain and failure (32 reports) and an ignition key that jams in the park position (20), plus steering column issues tied to key removal (14) and an unintended acceleration complaint rated safety-severity; recall 16V292 covers that year. The 2017 model, at 89 total complaints, repeats the battery-drain theme (33 reports) alongside windshield cracking (29) and general steering issues (15), with recalls 16V292 and 16V716 on file, and logs no safety-rated complaints.

The 2018 and 2019 model years each have one safety-rated complaint category apiece. In 2018 (52 total), general electrical system errors (20 reports) and windshield cracking and chipping (16) dominate, with recalls 18V773 and 21V587 attached. In 2019 (56 total), windshield cracking without impact jumps to the top complaint at 28 reports, alongside battery drain from a parasitic draw (11) and an infotainment system reported to delaminate and malfunction (8).

By 2020, windshield cracking without impact grows further to 52 reports out of 84 total complaints, with battery issues causing complete discharge (20) as the clear second theme; recalls 21V955 and 22V485 apply. No safety-rated complaints appear that year.

Across this whole run, battery drain and windshield cracking are the two complaints worth asking about on nearly any used Legacy from this window, while the 2011 model's structural and torque converter reports deserve a closer mechanical look given their safety rating. As always, these complaint counts reflect what owners chose to report to NHTSA rather than a measured failure rate, and newer model years simply haven't had as long to accumulate reports; a documented service history and hands-on pre-purchase inspection tell you more about a specific car's condition than any model year's complaint count.