2006 Subaru Legacy Problems, Recalls & Reliability
135 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2006 Subaru Legacy, alongside 7 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 45/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Speed control leads the reports, typically around 105,550 miles.
Below average
Where 2006 sits among all Legacy years
What owners report
“While driving, the check engine light comes on and there is no power to the gas pedal. The car is unable to accelerate or maintain speed and the driver needs to avoid potential collisions by pulling over on the road or freeway.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Legacy
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 118 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 93,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 63,892 and 137,713 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (7)
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of…
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may…
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of…
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may…
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of…
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7,…
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition…
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 10, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru…
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to July 21, 2004, 2004-2005 Impreza vehicles manufactured January 28, 2003, to May 31, 2005, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy vehicles…
Fix: Subaru will notify their owners and General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The Subaru recall began on June 17, 2015. Owners…
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy, 2008-2011 Impreza and 2008-2014 Impreza WRX/STI, and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana,…
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will test the brake system by depressing the brake pedal and inspecting for brake fluid leaks. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected areas will…
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy vehicles manufactured from December 2003, through April 2009 and currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,…
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles. If no brake fluid seepage is observed, the affected area will be rustproofed with anti-corrosion wax. If brake fluid seepage is…
Technical service bulletins
208 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2006 Subaru Legacy. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2006 Legacy TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2006 Subaru Legacy reliable?
The 2006 Subaru Legacy drew 135 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 45/100, scored against the model's worst year (1995).
What are the most common 2006 Subaru Legacy problems?
The top reported problems for the 2006 Subaru Legacy are speed control (30 complaints), engine (20), and electrical (18).
At what mileage do 2006 Subaru Legacy problems show up?
Owners most often report 2006 Subaru Legacy problems around 93,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 63,892 and 137,713 miles.
Does the 2006 Subaru Legacy have recalls?
7 recall campaigns apply to the 2006 Subaru Legacy. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.