2016 Subaru Legacy Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Legacy years
- More complaints than other years 6th of 31 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 147 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Subaru Legacy. That ranks 6th out of 31 Legacy model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (51 complaints, 35%), typically at around 51,000 miles. Complaints mention 9 crashes, 3 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 147owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 9complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 Subaru Legacy problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 51 | 35% | 51,000 | “remove key” (12%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 41 | 28% | 34,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 17 | 12% | 36,600 | — | — |
| Steering | 16 | 11% | 19,250 | — | — |
| Power Train | 13 | 9% | 14,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 6% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 8 | 5% | 7,700 | — | — |
| Engine | 7 | 5% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 6 | 4% | 32,217 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 2% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 2% | 46,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 1% | 29,500 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 1% | 9,006 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 59,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | 2,520 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 1% | 450 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | 36,000 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 1% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 1% | 54,514 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 1% | 44,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 Subaru Legacy recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Steering:columnDo not drive
Problem: 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.
Power train:driveline:differential unit; power train:driveline:driveshaft
Problem: 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 shaft may separate from the rear differential.
Risk: If the drive shaft detaches from the rear differential, it may strike the fuel tank and result in a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the fastening nuts, and tighten or replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 10, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500. Subaru's number for this recall is WQV-57.
Power train:driveline:driveshaft; power train:automatic transmission
Problem: 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.
Risk: If the transmission oil leaks onto the exhaust pipe, there is a possible risk of fire.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the propeller shaft, free of charge. The recall began on August 28, 2015. Owners may contact 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQU-56.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The infotainment screen would do random cycling through source, maps and other functions all without the driverâs input. Also the screen would just randomly freeze and become insensitive to touch inputs. The steering wheel controls for the infotainment randomly malfunctions. The most concerting…
While traveling approximately 70 mph, my 2016 Subaru Legacy experienced a sudden drivetrain failure. The vehicle made a loud bang, immediately lost acceleration/power, and approximately five seconds later the front drivetrain locked, causing the tires to skid and leaving a long skid mark. The…
The factory touchscreen infotainment system is experiencing severe screen delamination (internal adhesive failure). This defect causes uncontrollable 'ghost touching,' where the screen registers phantom inputs. The system cycles through radio stations, changes audio sources, and changes navigation…
Battery dies all the time. Parasitic drain from the Starlink program in the car. There is/was a lawsuit. It involves some DCW fuse or something. Ive had to prematurely replace my battery. It also seems to be affecting the radio. It switches stations randomly.
Battery continuously dies, likely due to a parasitic drain, and it is extremely hard-taking up to 15 to 20 minutes to open the car door using the the wierd key you slide out of the key fob. As a woman, it is very dangerous when my battery dies and I am in a dark parking lot and I can't even get…
Other Subaru Legacy years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Legacy | 6 | 0 |
| 2024 Legacy | 17 | 0 |
| 2023 Legacy | 10 | 2 |
| 2022 Legacy | 34 | 2 |
| 2021 Legacy | 31 | 3 |
| 2020 Legacy | 121 | 6 |
| 2019 Legacy | 123 | 3 |
| 2018 Legacy | 117 | 3 |
| 2017 Legacy | 119 | 2 |
| 2016 | 147 | 3 |
| 2015 Legacy | 160 | 3 |
| 2014 Legacy | 53 | 10 |
| 2013 Legacy | 66 | 12 |
| 2012 Legacy | 90 | 16 |
| 2011 Legacy | 167 | 16 |
| 2010 Legacy | 150 | 18 |
| 2009 Legacy | 65 | 13 |
| 2008 Legacy | 65 | 9 |
| 2007 Legacy | 33 | 9 |
| 2006 Legacy | 87 | 7 |
| 2005 Legacy | 184 | 9 |
| 2004 Legacy | 49 | 10 |
| 2003 Legacy | 60 | 14 |
| 2002 Legacy | 54 | 4 |
| 2001 Legacy | 77 | 7 |
| 2000 Legacy | 94 | 3 |
| 1999 Legacy | 94 | 3 |
| 1998 Legacy | 114 | 4 |
| 1997 Legacy | 139 | 5 |
| 1996 Legacy | 123 | 3 |
| 1995 Legacy | 182 | 2 |
See all Subaru Legacy problems by year, every Subaru model, or the Subaru VIN decoder.
Similar Subaru models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Subaru Legacy?
Owners most often report electrical system, unknown or other, visibility/wiper problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 51 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Subaru Legacy?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 Subaru Legacy a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Legacy model years, the 2016 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.