Reliable Auto DB

2021 Subaru Legacy reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 31 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Subaru Legacy over 6 years — 5 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Legacy years here — under the median of the other years, which is 8. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Front passenger seat weight sensor, Park/neutral start switch, and Transmission control module.

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

31

Per year

5

Recalls

3

Years on the road

6

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (6 of 31), then Electrical system (5) and Visibility and wipers (5). Those filings include 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 Legacy has 121 complaints, 31 per year, and the 2022 has 32 complaints, 9 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2022.

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 2021 Subaru Legacy. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall Front passenger seat weight sensor 2024-03-22 · NHTSA campaign 24V227000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A capacitor in the sensors for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may crack and short circuit, which can prevent the front passenger air bag from deploying in a crash.
Remedy Dealers will replace the ODS sensors on the front passenger seat, free of charge. Owner notifications were mailed February 3, 2025. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRA-24.
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, park/neutral start switch 2023-11-09 · NHTSA campaign 23V755000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
Remedy Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WRQ-23.
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, transmission control module 2022-07-08 · NHTSA campaign 22V485000
Summary Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A programming error in the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) may allow the clutch to engage before the drive chain is completely clamped.
Remedy Dealers will reprogram the TCU, inspect TCU data for chain slip, and visually inspect the chain guide. If evidence of chain slippage or damage is found, the transmission will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 24, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRK-22. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 21V-955.

Complaints by component (31 total)

Air bags
6
Electrical system
5
Visibility and wipers
5
Back-over prevention
2
Engine
2
Forward collision avoidance
2
Powertrain
2
Service brakes
2
Engine and engine cooling
1
Equipment
1
Seat belts
1
Seats
1
Speed control
1
Structure
1
Suspension
1
Visibility
1
Show 8 more Show less
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

1

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

720217202222023820246202512026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Vehicle: 2021 Subaru Legacy Base 2.5i Mileage:~65,000 miles My engine suddenly began making loud internal knocking/tapping noises with no warning lights, no overheating, and no prior symptoms. The vehicle immediately…"
    Engine · filed 2026-06-04
  • "See attached document for complaint."
    Suspension · filed 2025-11-24
  • "Car intermittently will studder and not go into first gear or go into second gear dangerously having car bog down and almost stall and then it violently downshifts having car RMP Hague go very high then slip and have no…"
    Powertrain · filed 2025-11-21
  • "The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds during colder weather, the heater failed to operate as intended. Additionally, the Eyesight system was inoperable. The check…"
    Engine and engine cooling, Electrical system · filed 2025-10-27
  • "CVT Transmission Failure. Failure occurred at approximately 66,706 miles on 5/16/25. The Check Engine and AT Temp lights appeared in the instrument cluster. The driving conditions when this happened were a safety…"
    Powertrain · filed 2025-07-21

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2021 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-S8) All-wheel drive 27 35 30 MPG $2150
Legacy all-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S8) All-wheel drive 24 32 27 MPG $2400

Specs and fitment

7th generation (BW), 2020–present
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

Recall 22V-485 covers certain 2020-2021 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles: a Transmission Control Unit programming error may allow the clutch to engage before the drive chain is fully clamped, so the chain can slip or break and cause loss of drive; dealers reprogram the TCU, inspect for chain slip, and replace the transmission if damage is found. Recall 24V-227 covers certain 2020-2022 Legacy and Outback vehicles: a capacitor in the Occupant Detection System sensors may crack and short, preventing front passenger air bag deployment; dealers replace the ODS sensors. Both campaigns list Legacy and Outback under shared unit totals.

Compare

Previous year 2020 Subaru Legacy Next year 2022 Subaru Legacy See every Subaru Legacy model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Subaru Legacy reliable?

Owners have filed 31 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Subaru Legacy over 6 years — 5 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Legacy years here — under the median of the other years, which is 8. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Front passenger seat weight sensor, Park/neutral start switch, and Transmission control module.

What are common problems with a 2021 Subaru Legacy?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (6 of 31), then Electrical system (5) and Visibility and wipers (5). Those filings include 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2021 Subaru Legacy more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 Legacy has 121 complaints, 31 per year, and the 2022 has 32 complaints, 9 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2022.

Has the 2021 Subaru Legacy been recalled?

The 2021 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 2021 Subaru Legacy?

Owners have filed 31 complaints about the 2021 Subaru Legacy with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Subaru Legacy get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Subaru Legacy is 28.5 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.