2015 Subaru Legacy Problems, Recalls & Reliability

232 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2015 Subaru Legacy, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 83/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Visibility & wipers leads the reports, typically around 9,500 miles.

Avoid this year if you can. The 2015 Subaru Legacy sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2004, 2007, 2021–2022.

232Complaints
83/100Trouble index
3Recalls
18,751Typical trouble mileage

Avoid

Where 2015 sits among all Legacy years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Visibility & wipers 41 complaints (18%) · typically ~9,500 miles
“Windshield crack (2nd time) from bottom right corner of passenger side. Vehicle was stationary.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Legacy
Electrical 40 complaints (17%) · typically ~11,200 miles
“Battery has failed repeatedly. 6yr old car on 4th battery. First replaced by Subaru, then AAA, then by AAA by warranty”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Legacy
Other 31 complaints (13%) · typically ~18,000 miles
“Starlink multimedia features/screen is totally obstructed during daylight driving and the sun is reflected off the factory installed navigational system. The screen displays squiggly lines on a gray/black screen until sun is not reflecting”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 Legacy
Engine 24 complaints (10%) · typically ~34,630 miles
Transmission & drivetrain 15 complaints (6%)
Fuel system 15 complaints (6%) · typically ~12,700 miles

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 143 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 18,751 miles. Half of those reports fall between 5,000 and 60,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (3)

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 16V251000 2016

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured on July 20, 2015. The brake fluid used in these vehicles may contain excess moisture which may adversely affect the performance of the electronic…

Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will perform an ABS activation, then flush and replace the brake fluid, free of charge. The recall began on May 20, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer…

POWER TRAIN 15V502000 2015

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.

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…

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 15V366000 2015

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy vehicles manufactured March 10, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Outback vehicles manufactured February 24, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Impreza vehicles manufactured September 9, 2014, to April…

Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the driver assist system, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783.…

Federal defect investigations

Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture EA21002 opened September 17, 2021 · still open

Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…

Model years named: 2015, 2016, 2017

Technical service bulletins

516 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2015 Subaru Legacy. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2015 Legacy TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2014peak 65 in 20152026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2015 Subaru Legacy reliable?

The 2015 Subaru Legacy drew 232 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 83/100, scored against the model's worst year (1995).

What are the most common 2015 Subaru Legacy problems?

The top reported problems for the 2015 Subaru Legacy are visibility & wipers (41 complaints), electrical (40), and other (31).

At what mileage do 2015 Subaru Legacy problems show up?

Owners most often report 2015 Subaru Legacy problems around 18,751 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 5,000 and 60,000 miles.

Does the 2015 Subaru Legacy have recalls?

3 recall campaigns apply to the 2015 Subaru Legacy. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

← 2014 Legacy All Legacy years 2016 Legacy →
Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

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.