2021 Subaru Legacy Reliability & Recall Report

Based on 3 NHTSA recalls and 31 owner complaints. All data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — free, no signup required.

77/100

Moderate Reported Activity — 2021 Subaru Legacy

The 2021 Subaru Legacy shows moderate recall and complaint activity in NHTSA data. Review the recall campaigns and common complaints below before buying.

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NHTSA Recalls

3 recalls on record

Owner Complaints

Filed with NHTSA

Crash Reports

In NHTSA complaints

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NHTSA Recalls — 2021 Subaru Legacy (3)

All recalls listed below must be repaired by an authorized Subaru dealer at no charge to the owner.

🔧 Power Train: Automatic Transmission: Control Module (tcm/Pcm/Tecm)

An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.

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…

NHTSA #22V485000

🔧 Power Train: Automatic Transmission: Park/Neutral Start Interlock Switch

An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.

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…

NHTSA #23V755000

🔧 Air Bags: Sensor: Occupant Classification: Front Passenger

An air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.

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…

NHTSA #24V227000

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Most Common Problems — 2021 Subaru Legacy

Based on 31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Bars show relative complaint frequency.

Unknown Or Other

Visibility/wiper

Air Bags

Electrical System

Engine

Power Train

Suspension

Engine And Engine Cooling

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Subaru Legacy — Complaints by Year

A spike means more owner complaints were filed for that model year. The 2021 model year is highlighted.

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⚠ Higher-complaint years: 2015, 2016 — These model years have more owner complaints in NHTSA data than the other years compared.

✅ Best model years: 2021, 2022, 2023 — Lowest complaint rates for this model.

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Frequently Asked Questions — 2021 Subaru Legacy

Is the 2021 Subaru Legacy reliable?

Based on NHTSA data, the 2021 Subaru Legacy has 3 recall campaigns and 31 owner complaints. This model year shows relatively low recall and complaint activity in NHTSA data.

How many recalls does the 2021 Subaru Legacy have?

The 2021 Subaru Legacy has 3 NHTSA recalls. Affected systems include: see recall details above. All recalls are repaired free at authorized dealers.

What are the most common problems with the 2021 Subaru Legacy?

The most commonly reported problems for the 2021 Subaru Legacy are: Unknown Or Other, Visibility/wiper, Air Bags, Electrical System. See the complaint breakdown above for full details.

Is the 2021 Subaru Legacy safe to buy?

The 2021 Subaru Legacy has some safety and reliability items to review before buying. Ensure all 3 recalls are completed at a dealer. A pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic is strongly recommended.

What year Subaru Legacy should I buy?

Based on NHTSA complaint data, the best years for the Subaru Legacy are: 2021, 2022, 2023. These show the lowest complaint rates. Years with higher complaint counts: 2015, 2016.

How we score this: The score starts at 100 and subtracts points for the number of NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints filed for this model year, and for complaints that report crashes or fires. Newer model years get a small bonus because they have had less time to collect reports. These are raw counts and are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, so popular models tend to have more recalls and complaints. Complaints are unverified owner reports. This grade is not a prediction about any individual vehicle and is not an inspection: check a specific car’s VIN for open recalls and get an independent pre-purchase inspection.

Data source: All recall and complaint data is sourced directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public API. Data is cached and refreshed every 7 days. Recall and complaint counts reflect data available at the time of last cache update. For the most current recall status on a specific vehicle, enter the VIN above or visit NHTSA.gov/recalls.