2017 Subaru Legacy Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Legacy years
- More complaints than other years 11th of 31 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 119 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Subaru Legacy. That ranks 11th out of 31 Legacy model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is visibility/wiper (33 complaints, 28%), typically at around 35,100 miles. Complaints mention 10 crashes, 1 fire, 6 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 119owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 10complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2017 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility/wiper | 33 | 28% | 35,100 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 30 | 25% | 54,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 21 | 18% | 29,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 9 | 8% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 7 | 6% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 6 | 5% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 5 | 4% | 31,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 4% | 16,504 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 3% | 800 | — | — |
| Power Train | 4 | 3% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 3% | 17,250 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 2% | 44,587 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 2% | 300 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 2% | 5,800 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 1% | 44,587 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2017 Subaru Legacy recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:knee bolster; steering:column
Problem: 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: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.
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.
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
Major fuel leak within engine bay
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.
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…
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…
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 | 119 | 2 |
| 2016 Legacy | 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 2017 Subaru Legacy?
Owners most often report visibility/wiper, electrical system, unknown or other problems. The top one, visibility/wiper, accounts for 33 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2017 Subaru Legacy?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2017 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 2017 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.