2016 Subaru Legacy: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 145 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 3 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
145
Complaints
3
Recalls
9
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
3
Injuries
41.4
Severity index
Severity index 41.4 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 140 2016 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2016 Subaru Legacy ranks 97 of 140 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 31% of its model-year peers. See the full 2016 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 51 | 35.2% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 40 | 27.6% |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 17 | 11.7% |
| STEERING | 16 | 11.0% |
| POWER TRAIN | 13 | 9.0% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 9 | 6.2% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 8 | 5.5% |
| ENGINE | 7 | 4.8% |
The single most-reported system is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, cited in 51 of 145 complaints (35.2%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 11 |
| 2017 | 15 |
| 2018 | 8 |
| 2019 | 19 |
| 2020 | 20 |
| 2021 | 27 |
| 2022 | 15 |
| 2023 | 12 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 8 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 3 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15V794000 | 24/11/2015 | POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT | 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 sha |
| 16V292000 | 11/05/2016 | STEERING:COLUMN | 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 |
| 15V502000 | 10/08/2015 | POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT | 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. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.