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2012 Subaru LegacyProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 90 owner complaints about the 2012 Subaru Legacy, most often about the power train. It is covered by 16 safety recalls, and for recall 19V-297 the manufacturer reports only 62% of affected cars repaired.

2012 Subaru Legacy
50
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.0× the Legacy median · #17 of 35 years by complaints
Safety recalls16Lowest repair rate 62%Owner complaints9011 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage109kPower train, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through June 7, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Ethan Llamas, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2012 Subaru Legacy has problems

90 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
Power train341
Engine230
Air bags114
Steering71
Service brakes61
Vehicle speed control41
Suspension41
Electrical system40
Visibility/wiper30
8 other systems110

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

16 recalls

2012 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 12 more recalls
92%repaired · 2023 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 19V-007 · Jan 9, 2019 · 43,394 vehicles · 39,772 repaired

Risk. An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

89%repaired · 2023 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 19V-009 · Jan 9, 2019 · 452,630 vehicles · 404,993 repaired

Risk. An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

89%repaired · 2023 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 19V-008 · Jan 9, 2019 · 330,120 vehicles · 294,036 repaired

Risk. An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

92%repaired · 2023 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 18V-012 · Jan 9, 2018 · 64,179 vehicles · 59,344 repaired

Risk. An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

94%repaired · 2023 Q1

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 17V-014 · Jan 10, 2017 · 53,480 vehicles · 50,046 repaired

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

73%repaired · 2018 Q1

Windshield wiper/washer: motor

Recall 16V-694 · Sep 27, 2016 · 592,647 vehicles · 434,845 repaired

Risk. If the windshield wiper motor overheats, the wipers may fail, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly

Recall 13V-077 · Mar 5, 2013 · 14 vehicles

Risk. The moonroof glass can loosen and detach from the vehicle during driving, resulting in a potential road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Service brakes, hydraulic: pedals and linkages

Recall 11V-562 · Nov 29, 2011 · 32,685 vehicles

Risk. THE DRIVER MIGHT MISJUDGE THE AMOUNT OF BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED STOPPING DISTANCE.

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 power train problems start?

109kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 26 power train complaints. 31% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
2under 30k miles8under 100k miles18100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2012 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

2012 Subaru Legacy safety ratings

2012 Subaru Legacy 4 DR AWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2012 Subaru Legacy frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crash★★★★★
2012 Subaru Legacy side pole test, NHTSA
Side pole★★★★★
  • Rollover: 5 stars (10.1% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2012 Subaru Legacy, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Autoliv Air Bag Propellant MixtureEQ12002 · closed May 8, 2012
    No recall
In owners' words

What Legacy owners report

Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

My 2012 Subaru Legacy experiences involuntary engine stalling when coming to a quick stop, such as in stop-and-go traffic or during sudden braking at intersections. When the engine shuts off without warning, power steering and braking assist are lost, creating a serious risk of collision. This is a…
Complaint 11706789 · Dec 23, 2025
CVT transmission issues persist beyond the limited warranty extension that has now expired from Subaru. Vehicle RPMs regularly drop from 1000 to 500 when coming to a stop, causing engine to knock as it tries to stall. Vehicle then occasionally hesitates when attempting to move under power. Knocking…
Complaint 11528026 · Jun 20, 2023
Faulty torque converter. The car will unexpectedly turn off when coming to a fast, sudden stop. The 1st time it happened, I was in a left-hand turn lane and didn't realize my car had turned off and I had to quickly restart it to complete the turn. A transmission repair shop confirmed that the…
Complaint 11513708 · Mar 25, 2023

Own a 2012 Legacy?

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