Reliable Auto DB

2015 Subaru Legacy reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 159 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Subaru Legacy over 12 years — 26 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Legacy years here — over the median of the other years, which is 7. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Electronic stability control (ESC), Driveshaft, and Crash-imminent braking.

2012 Subaru Legacy
Photo by IFCAR, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons Public domain
Complaints

159

Per year

26

Recalls

3

Years on the road

12

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (37 of 159), then Visibility and wipers (36) and Engine (23). Those filings include 15 that report a crash, 3 that report a fire, and 7 that report an injury.

Next to 2014 and 2016

The 2014 Legacy has 53 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2016 has 147 complaints, 12 per year. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2016.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2015 Subaru Legacy. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall Electronic stability control (ESC) 2016-04-27 · NHTSA campaign 16V251000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured on July 20, 2015. The brake fluid used in these vehicles may contain excess moisture which may adversely affect the performance of the electronic stability control system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Remedy Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will perform an ABS activation, then flush and replace the brake fluid, free of charge. The recall began on May 20, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTC-64.
Recall Driveshaft 2015-08-10 · NHTSA campaign 15V502000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015 and 2016 model year Subaru Legacy 4-Door and Outback vehicles manufactured July 3, 2015, to July 27, 2015. Transmission oil may leak from a deformed seal cap on the propeller shaft yoke.
Remedy Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the propeller shaft, free of charge. The recall began on August 28, 2015. Owners may contact 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQU-56.
Recall forward collision avoidance, crash-imminent braking 2015-06-12 · NHTSA campaign 15V366000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy vehicles manufactured March 10, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Outback vehicles manufactured February 24, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Impreza vehicles manufactured September 9, 2014, to April 14, 2015, XV Crosstrek vehicles manufactured October 16, 2014, to April 15, 2015, and 2016 WRX vehicles manufactured March 23, 2015, and equipped with the Eyesight Driver Assist System. If the switch that activates the brake lights fails, the automatic pre-collision braking component of the driver assist system will not function.
Remedy Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the driver assist system, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQS-54.

Complaints by component (159 total)

Electrical system
37
Visibility and wipers
36
Engine
23
Powertrain
15
Fuel and propulsion system
14
Speed control
14
Service brakes
12
Air bags
10
Structure
10
Visibility
5
Forward collision avoidance
4
Suspension
4
Exterior lighting
3
Seats
3
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
Tires
2
Adaptive and mobility equipment
1
Back-over prevention
1
Engine and engine cooling
1
Equipment
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Lane departure
1
Seat belts
1
Steering
1
Wheels
1
Show 18 more Show less
Crash-flagged

15

Fire-flagged

3

Injury reports

7

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

22014462015182016112017132018112019102020192021122022720237202432026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "2015 Subaru Legacy 2.5i, approximately 48,000 miles. CVT transmission failed suddenly with no prior warning signs. Vehicle was exclusively dealer-serviced for its entire life. While driving, the transmission began…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-03-10
  • "I am reporting a Sudden Unintended Deceleration event in my Subaru. The vehicle grinded to a halt without driver input. The car stopped in the left lane of a major highway. We put on our hazards and called the state…"
    Engine, Fuel and propulsion system, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-02-27
  • "Incident ~ 5:40 pm, Geneva NY Weather ~ 10 F, not snowing. Background. On or shortly after being started, the vehicle had exhibited prior incidents of extremely rapid engine acceleration not initiated by the operator.…"
    Unknown or other, Service brakes, Engine · filed 2026-01-31
  • "The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated while reversing into the driveway, the driver's side air bag unintendedly deployed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the…"
    Air bags · filed 2024-11-21
  • "The contact owned a 2015 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact opened and closed the trunk, triggering the alarm system. The alarm system failed to deactivate immediately. The…"
    Hydraulic brakes, Powertrain · filed 2024-09-23

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2015 Subaru Legacy 4 DR AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Legacy all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S6) All-wheel drive 26 35 29 MPG $2250
Legacy all-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic (AV-S6) All-wheel drive 20 28 23 MPG $2800

Specs and fitment

6th generation (BN/BS), 2015–2019
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-20 synthetic (2.5L; 5W-30 if 0W-20 unavailable) , 5.1 qt capacity
Tire size 225/50R18, 225/55R17 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 21V587000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail. Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21. When NHTSA lists multiple Subaru nameplates in one campaign, the published unit count is shared across them.

Compare

Previous year 2014 Subaru Legacy Next year 2016 Subaru Legacy See every Subaru Legacy model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Subaru Legacy reliable?

Owners have filed 159 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Subaru Legacy over 12 years — 26 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Legacy years here — over the median of the other years, which is 7. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Electronic stability control (ESC), Driveshaft, and Crash-imminent braking.

What are common problems with a 2015 Subaru Legacy?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (37 of 159), then Visibility and wipers (36) and Engine (23). Those filings include 15 that report a crash, 3 that report a fire, and 7 that report an injury.

Is the 2015 Subaru Legacy more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2014 Legacy has 53 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2016 has 147 complaints, 12 per year. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2016.

Has the 2015 Subaru Legacy been recalled?

The 2015 Subaru Legacy has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2015 Subaru Legacy?

Owners have filed 159 complaints about the 2015 Subaru Legacy with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2015 Subaru Legacy get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2015 Subaru Legacy is 26 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a Subaru Legacy use?

Recent Legacy 2.5L US manuals specify 0W-20 synthetic, with 5W-30 only when 0W-20 is unavailable.

What generation is the 2021 Subaru Legacy?

7th generation / BW (2020-on).

What tire sizes does a Subaru Legacy use?

Recent US generations commonly list 225/50R18 and 225/55R17 among trim options.