Reliable Auto DB

2016 Subaru Legacy reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Subaru Legacy holds 147 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 12 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 Column and Driveshaft.

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

147

Per year

12

Recalls

3

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (51 of 147), then Visibility and wipers (17) and Steering (16). Those filings include 9 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 Legacy has 159 complaints, 26 per year, and the 2017 has 119 complaints, 7 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

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 2016 Subaru Legacy. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall steering, column 2016-05-11 · NHTSA campaign 16V292000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured February 29, 2016, to May 6, 2016. The steering column on the affected vehicles may have been improperly machined, and as a result, turning the steering wheel may have no effect on the direction of the wheels.
Remedy Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lot number on the steering column, replacing the steering column, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 13, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783 or by visiting http://www.wtd65.service-campaign.com. Subaru's number for this recall is WTD-65. Note: Until the vehicles have been inspected, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles.
Recall Driveshaft 2015-11-24 · NHTSA campaign 15V794000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016 Legacy vehicles manufactured October 24, 2015, to November 16, 2015, and Outback vehicles manufactured October 24, 2015, to November 17, 2015. Due to the improper tightening of the securing nuts, the drive shaft may separate from the rear differential.
Remedy Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the fastening nuts, and tighten or replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 10, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500. Subaru's number for this recall is WQV-57.
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.

Complaints by component (147 total)

Electrical system
51
Visibility and wipers
17
Steering
16
Powertrain
13
Speed control
9
Service brakes
8
Engine
7
Structure
6
Fuel and propulsion system
3
Wheels
3
Air bags
2
Back-over prevention
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
Seat belts
2
Seats
2
Suspension
2
Tires
2
Child seat
1
Engine and engine cooling
1
Forward collision avoidance
1
Lane departure
1
Visibility
1
Show 14 more Show less
Crash-flagged

9

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

3

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

3201511201615201782018192019202020272021152022122023420248202552026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The infotainment screen would do random cycling through source, maps and other functions all without the driver’s input. Also the screen would just randomly freeze and become insensitive to touch inputs. The steering…"
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-09-12
  • "While traveling approximately 70 mph, my 2016 Subaru Legacy experienced a sudden drivetrain failure. The vehicle made a loud bang, immediately lost acceleration/power, and approximately five seconds later the front…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-01
  • "The factory touchscreen infotainment system is experiencing severe screen delamination (internal adhesive failure). This defect causes uncontrollable 'ghost touching,' where the screen registers phantom inputs. The…"
    Electrical system, Back-over prevention · filed 2026-06-08
  • "Battery dies all the time. Parasitic drain from the Starlink program in the car. There is/was a lawsuit. It involves some DCW fuse or something. Ive had to prematurely replace my battery. It also seems to be affecting…"
    Electrical system, Unknown or other · filed 2026-06-03
  • "Battery continuously dies, likely due to a parasitic drain, and it is extremely hard-taking up to 15 to 20 minutes to open the car door using the the wierd key you slide out of the key fob. As a woman, it is very…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-02-18

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 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 2015 Subaru Legacy Next year 2017 Subaru Legacy See every Subaru Legacy model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Subaru Legacy reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Subaru Legacy holds 147 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 12 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 Column and Driveshaft.

What are common problems with a 2016 Subaru Legacy?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (51 of 147), then Visibility and wipers (17) and Steering (16). Those filings include 9 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Is the 2016 Subaru Legacy more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 Legacy has 159 complaints, 26 per year, and the 2017 has 119 complaints, 7 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

Has the 2016 Subaru Legacy been recalled?

The 2016 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 2016 Subaru Legacy?

Owners have filed 147 complaints about the 2016 Subaru Legacy with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Subaru Legacy get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 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.