2017 Subaru Legacy Problems, Recalls & Reliability
140 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2017 Subaru Legacy, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 46/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Visibility & wipers leads the reports, typically around 33,800 miles.
Below average
Where 2017 sits among all Legacy years
What owners report
“Driving on the highway all of a sudden my windshield cracked. It was due to stress nothing hit the window”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Legacy
“My battery is constantly draining and having corrosion. I have replaced the battery 3 times in 5 years”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Legacy
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 66 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 31,300 miles. Half of those reports fall between 19,500 and 47,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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 →
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,…
Technical service bulletins
381 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2017 Subaru Legacy. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2017 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 2017 Subaru Legacy reliable?
The 2017 Subaru Legacy drew 140 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 46/100, scored against the model's worst year (1995).
What are the most common 2017 Subaru Legacy problems?
The top reported problems for the 2017 Subaru Legacy are visibility & wipers (36 complaints), electrical (30), and other (21).
At what mileage do 2017 Subaru Legacy problems show up?
Owners most often report 2017 Subaru Legacy problems around 31,300 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 19,500 and 47,000 miles.
Does the 2017 Subaru Legacy have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2017 Subaru Legacy. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
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.