2017 Subaru Legacy problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Visibility/Wiper (32) · Electrical System (25) · Steering (7)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Subaru Legacy model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
60 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (2)
Air Bags:knee Bolster 2016-10-06 · campaign 16V716000 · 54 vehicles
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2017 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured September 21, 2016, to September 23, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the knee guard bracket may not be properly attached to the steering beam assembly.
Risk: If the knee guard is not properly attached and the driver is not wearing a seatbelt, the knee guard may not be able to properly restrain the driver's lower body in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the knee guard welding on each vehicle's steering beam, replacing the beam as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 14, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTL-72.
Steering:column 2016-05-11 · campaign 16V292000 · 48,819 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: 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 have no effect on the direction of the wheels.
Risk: The loss of steering ability would increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lot number on the steering column, replacing the steering column, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 13, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783 or by visiting http://www.wtd65.service-campaign.com. Subaru's number for this recall is WTD-65. Note: Until the vehicles have been inspected, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles.
Service bulletins (394)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-10-05 · SubaruNet Announcement (M · Other
this announcement provides information on a new software update for the midtronics dss and dca machines.
Power Train 2026-09-28 · SubaruNet Announcement (T · Other
this announcement provides information on an enhancement of the techshare cvt diagnostic assitance application.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-18 · 13-109-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles.
Electrical System 2026-09-18 · 18-244-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
"this bulletin announces additional troubleshooting steps for the following dtcs: dtc c1956: rh actuator circuit dtc c1957: lh actuator circuit"
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-15 · SubaruNet Announcement (C · Other
this announcement provides an update to all 2027 model year subaru warranty coverages for wear items and adjustments.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-14 · 15-333-25R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. this is an revised version of the original bulletin.
Showing the 6 most recent of 394 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-09-05 · Electrical System“since the battery replacement settlement i've had 3 batteries die from my car being off, the latest battery replacement was 3/2026. i can't tell what my milage is since the battery is so dead that none of the displays turn on when i hit the start button …”
2026-02-15 · Fuel/Propulsion System“major fuel leak within engine bay…”
2026-01-28 · Electrical System“the battery has died several times and had to be replaced over the years due to a likely slow drain issue that subaru is well aware of and was part of a class action suit against them.…”
2026-01-27 · Service Brakes · 💥 crash“i drove into the parking lot of walgreens, then drove around and pulled into a parking spot facing the south side of the building and put my foot on the brake to stop and park. instead of stopping, the car suddenly lurched forward violently and slammed into the brick wall of the building. my wife called 911 since i told her my chest really hurt. …”
2025-12-10 · Visibility/Wiper“my 2017 legacy is on it's 3rd windshield this year. i had impact damage on july 17th, had it replaced the first week of august, and it cracked without impact damage in october. subaru refused to replace it under warranty and it was replaced through insurance in december. the genuine subaru replacement windshields for 2015-2019 legacy and outback…”
2025-05-06 · Air Bags“the ocs sensor is faulty and doesn’t detect a passanger and may cause the airbag not to deploy, this is common according to other subaru owners. this is a common problem on many cars and those cars have been recalled …”
2025-03-12 · Fuel/Propulsion System“the catalytic converter has been replaced twice and is now needing a third replacement. the car emits gas fumes, unsafe emissions, and the fuel causes the mechanism to be extremely hot and unsafe. over time, the car has had reduced gas flow and will stop running. the dealer has confirmed the three converters installed have been defective. the…”
2024-10-17 · Unknown Or Other“the mirror drivers side mirror wiggles. i. the even of a battery failure the electrical brake may fail…”
2024-10-06 · Electrical System“the key frequently gets stuck in the ignition. it takes several attempts to release the key. turning the wheel to ensure the wheel isn’t locked and turning the ignition/car on does not help release the key from ignition. …”
2024-02-20 · Unknown Or Other“the key constantly stuck in ignition. sometimes 10 minutes to get out. then won’t start ignition key broke off in ignition … your stuck with this situation that subaru is pretending to not know about …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.