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2006 Subaru LegacyProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 87 owner complaints about the 2006 Subaru Legacy, most often about the vehicle speed control. It is covered by 7 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-311 the manufacturer reports only 45% of affected cars repaired.

2006 Subaru Legacy
51
CarFlaw IndexSolid year3% below the Legacy median · #18 of 35 years by complaints
Safety recalls7Lowest repair rate 45%Owner complaints8711 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage106kVehicle speed control, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 5, 2022. Updated daily. Photo: Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2006 Subaru Legacy has problems

87 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Vehicle speed control300
Electrical system172
Engine160
Air bags133
Fuel/propulsion system120
Service brakes92
Power train80
Engine and engine cooling41
Suspension41
10 other systems162

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

7 recalls

2006 Subaru Legacy recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

82%repaired · 2023 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 20V-001 · Jan 2, 2020 · 258,813 vehicles · 212,286 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

69%repaired · 2023 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 20V-003 · Jan 2, 2020 · 111,562 vehicles · 76,616 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

73%repaired · 2023 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 20V-002 · Jan 2, 2020 · 127,547 vehicles · 93,276 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 3 more recalls
76%repaired · 2023 Q1

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 15V-323 · May 28, 2015 · 432,016 vehicles · 329,703 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

45%repaired · 2015 Q4

Foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

Recall 14V-311 · Jun 10, 2014 · 461,338 vehicles · 206,870 repaired

Risk. Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

Recall 13V-110 · Mar 27, 2013 · 274,402 vehicles

Risk. Brake line corrosion may result in brake fluid leakage.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Subaru.

Mileage at failure

When do vehicle speed control problems start?

106kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 30 vehicle speed control complaints. 43% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
1under 30k miles13under 100k miles17100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2006 vs. every other Legacy year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Legacy median. How we score

'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2006 Subaru Legacy safety ratings

2006 Subaru Legacy 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
In owners' words

What Legacy owners report

Recent vehicle speed control complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED TO THE FLOORBOARD HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE…
Complaint 11297749 · Jan 7, 2020 · 125,000 miles
CAR LOSS POWER AND WENT INTO LIMP MODE WITH A SOLID CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND BLINKING CRUISE ON THE DASH. THE RPM JUMPED HIGH WITH OUT THE GAS PEDAL BEING PUSHED DOWN. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION DRIVING AT 25 MPH BEFORE THE AFOREMENTIONED HAPPENED.
Complaint 11266186 · Oct 4, 2019 · 162,000 miles
WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC ALL OF A SUDDEN THE GAS PEDAL STOPS WORKING, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATES THE CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT ILLUMINATES BUT THE PEDAL HAS NO EFFECT ON THE ENGINE THE CAR SLOWS VERY QUICKLY AND COMES CLOSE TO CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE CHECKED FORUMS ON THE WEB AND FOUND WHERE…
Complaint 11065952 · Jan 30, 2018 · 137,713 miles

Own a 2006 Legacy?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.