Best and worst Subaru Legacy years — which to avoid

The Subaru Legacy has been a top model in the Japanese car giant’s lineup for decades, and it wouldn’t be the case if it wasn’t a reliable model. Even as such, there have been quite a few issues that made drivers wonder about the Subaru Legacy years to avoid and that’s why we’ll clear those doubts through this buying guide.

Our team has reviewed the best and worst Subaru Legacy years through official recalls, reliability reports on complaints filed to NHTSA, and details available in Subaru Legacy reviews, so let’s take a closer look together.

Why you can trust REREV’s advice on which car model years to avoid: Our car experts look at official data, ask real drivers what they think, and talk to experienced mechanics to make sure our list is useful. This reliable info can make buying a car easier for you. Want to know how we do it? Find out more about our research methodology.

How we rated the best and worst Subaru Legacy years

While making this guide, our team of experts examined different Subaru Legacy years through the lens of official reports on NHTSA and IIHS regarding driving safety, reliability ratings, and complaints. We also wanted to know what caused Subaru to issue so many recalls despite reliable boxer engines being used, so we based our research on those aspects.

Of course, we also needed to expand our reach by giving you first-hand experiences through driver reviews for each of the “bad” model years of the Legacy. Since the Legacy didn’t have many issues before the fourth-gen model, we started there and these are our results:

Most common Subaru Legacy problems

Having in mind how long the Subaru Legacy was in production, this model doesn’t have that many problematic model years. However, some common problems based on driver experiences are more serious than others and may cause expensive repairs that you’ll surely wish to avoid.

1. Transmission problems

While the transmission issues that Subaru Legacy had as a model were rarely fatal for the transmission, they were present in several generations of the model. Some of the most notable transmission malfunctions include problems with the 6-speed manual transmission gear lubrication.

Cars that came with this issue couldn’t properly go through gear shifts without shifting noises and vibrations, eventually resulting in a loss of power. When it comes to automatic transmission, several difficulties are worth mentioning. The crucial thing is a transmission fluid leak that occurred for the 2015-2016 model.

While the transmission fluid leak on its own is bad enough, the engineering fault sometimes caused the fluid to tap onto the exhaust. This created a fire risk, so it’s no wonder that Subaru had to go through a recall in 2015 to deal with this factory error. Finally, there’s also the problem reported by some drivers concerning the inability of the shifter to achieve the park position which led to rollover risk.

2. Airbag system problems

We’ve all been there – even if you hear about the potential transmission problems, you’d probably be willing to skip buying a car. Still, although these issues weren’t frequent for all the Legacy models, other problems also led to safety risks. One such issue is the faulty airbag module that sometimes results in an explosion triggered by increased pressure.

This problem concerns both the driver’s and passenger’s side airbags and there were numerous recalls in Subaru’s attempt to deal with the problem. We hope that you’ll avoid the model years affected by this issue, or at least check if the model you’ve got your eyes on has gone through a recall.

3. Engine cooling and coolant leaks

The matter of engine cooling is also a serious aspect to consider when buying a used Legacy since some models struggle with coolant leaks. Upon the first symptoms of low coolant liquid, drivers have complained about increasing engine temperatures and overheating risk.

This problem was mostly present for the fifth generation of the Legacy and Subaru had a recall in 2010 to deal with the matter. As it turns out, it was only a matter of the coolant hose that was prone to cracks and drivers could be relieved as it’s not a more serious cooling system issue. It’s still a problem that’s worth checking for used Legacy vehicles. Along with that, frequent increases in oil consumption also added to the problems and further prevented proper engine cooling.

4. Electric system fault

When it comes to modern cars, you have to be aware that so many electric systems in a car almost guarantee at least some flaws. Well, the Legacy isn’t an exception and there are several issues based on electrical connections that could occur even in the latest generation.

First, there’s a problematic STARLINK infotainment system that’s known to restart on its own sometimes. Nevertheless, it’s still a useful system, and therefore it’s even worse if this happens to you and the navigation and climate control go out. There’s also a matter of defective brake light switches and faulty wiper motors that may reduce windshield visibility on some models.

Worst Subaru Legacy years to avoid

It seems that modernization brought more trouble than good when it comes to Subaru Legacy models since the first three generations were pretty solid. Of course, these are now older vehicles and it’s no wonder if they need a bit more attention when purchased as used cars.

However, bigger issues started with the fourth generation, and now that we’ve gone through the issues, you may wonder – what are the worst Subaru Legacy years to avoid? The worst Subaru Legacy years are 2005 and 2010, but you should avoid any of these:

• 2005
• 2006
• 2010
• 2011
• 2015
• 2016
• 2017
• 2018

We’ll explain what we mean by “bad” model years further in the following sections as we deal with each of the mentioned problematic years.

Fourth-generation Subaru Legacy (2005-2006 model years)

Don’t get us wrong here – the fourth generation of the Legacy was well-built and these were highly durable cars with only a few slight issues. However, we want to help you feel safe with your used car picks, so perhaps it’s best to skip the 2005-2006 model years.

This is the time when Subaru struggled with diesel engines and the main problem included crankshaft breakdown and sudden oil level drops. Going for the ever-popular 2.5-liter turbo boxer engine is a good idea, though, as long as you change the oil regularly as instructed by the manufacturer.

Fifth-generation Subaru Legacy (2010-2011 model years)

The fifth generation of the Legacy got the much-needed exterior design update and it still looks quite modern even today. However, it’s one of the least sought-after generations so far, and the main focus is on the 2010 and 2011 model years.

These model years faced a lot of criticism from drivers regarding the engine cooling problem and transmission faults. On top of that, they received the most complaints among the fifth-gen models and there’s that coolant hose problem that many drivers didn’t know about before the official recall.

Sixth-generation Subaru Legacy (2015 and 2018 model years)

The sixth generation is luckily the final Subaru Legacy generation here we’ve seen a lot of complaints. The 2015 model year stands out as one of the worst for Subaru when it comes to the Legacy model, if not the worst. The reason for this lies in numerous airbag recalls, the burning smell from the car, and increased oil consumption that was associated with the burning smell.

For the 2018 model year, we finally came to the infamous STARLINK infotainment system and other electrical issues that can be sorted out easily, although they may appear expensive.

What are the best Subaru Legacy years to buy?

And now, for the part you’ve been waiting for – we’ll go over and recommend some of the best Legacy model years. It’s a good thing that there are many more of these when compared to bad production years. We won’t include the first three generations to prevent this list from being two pages long, and so you could find a decent model from the troubled Legacy generations:

• 2003
• 2004
• 2007
• 2008
• 2009
• 2012
• 2013
• 2014
• 2016
• 2017
• 2019
• 2020
• 2021
• 2022

According to the number of driver complaints, the most reliable model year is by far 2004. It comes with the least reported issues and a recommended engine is certainly the famous 2.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine that’s virtually indestructible.

Also, we can recommend the model year 2007 from the fourth generation, as well as 2009 when it comes to model years that fit in the fifth generation. For the sixth-gen, it’s safe to go with 2014 and 2019 as the best-rated and most reliable model years.

2004 Subaru Legacy

The 2004 Subaru Legacy held its ground in a true Subaru fashion without any major issues or defects. In fact, it’s the best-rated Legacy model so far with less than 50 complaints ever being submitted to NHTSA, so as long as you maintain yours well, you shouldn’t fear going to the mechanic too often.

Some of the best selling points of this model include reliable four-cylinder turbo engines and at least in this model year, they didn’t waste as much oil as some of the following model years did. The gearbox was pretty reliable too, especially if you paired the turbo engine with a manual, so if you can find a Legacy with this configuration, we advise you to get it right away.

Is the Subaru Legacy worth buying?

When the time comes to sum things up, Subaru Legacy is a reliable car and a vehicle that should serve you well in years to come after purchase. The latest generation hadn’t gone through any scrutiny so far and driver reports are above average, while the fifth and sixth generations had a fair share of issues.

The fourth generation is pretty safe as long as you avoid problematic diesel engines, and our advice is to stick with the well-known 2.5-liter turbo engine.

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