Generation-specific owner insights from 18+ substantive owner discussions, with US complaint and recall records.
Should I buy a 2009–2014 Legacy?591
US owner complaints (NHTSA), 2009–2014
85
recall campaigns
power train
most-complained area
Our take, from owner reports
Owners generally view this generation as a solid, comfortable, and reliable daily driver, with many reporting high mileage (200k+) without major issues.
11 problems reported (1 very frequent, 4 recurrent, 6 isolated) · high confidence
Multiple owners report failures between 102k-172k miles, with replacement costs ranging from $1,700 (used) to over $9,000 (new). One owner reported grinding noises for 18 months before failure. The CVT is a sealed unit that cannot be rebuilt.
Owners report stalling at stoplights and torque converter clutch wear, with one suggesting shifting to neutral while braking to reduce strain.
Described as "probably the worst year for oil burning issues" due to a new engine design with teething problems, fixed in 2014.
Multiple owners report overheating traced to head gaskets, though this generation has fewer issues than earlier EJ engines. One owner reported coolant in oil from a damaged gasket.
Multiple owners report consuming 1-2 wheel bearings per year, with one owner jokingly suggesting buying them in bulk.
One owner reports the stock intercooler end tanks are known to fail.
One owner reports radiator failure, replaced cheaply with an aftermarket unit.
One owner reports persistent P2763 code requiring valve body replacement, with another noting a DIY replacement cost of $980 for the part.
One owner reports a loose ground connection causing intermittent Christmas-tree dashboard illumination.
One owner reports the housing opening being too narrow for most aftermarket LED bulbs, requiring housing disassembly.
One owner reports these codes on a 2015 (not this generation), but the discussion was about a 2015 model and is not attributed here.
Owners show a clear preference for the 3.6R engine and manual transmission variants. One owner specifically sought out a 2012 6MT Outback (same platform) to avoid early CVT issues, stating "these early years for the CVT's are a bit rough." The 3.6R is mentioned as a desirable variant, with a clean example under 100k miles valued at roughly double the $7k salvage-title example discussed. The 2014 model year is noted as having the improved 2.5L engine design, with one owner stating the 2013 issues "were fixed on 2014's and up."
Owners compare it most often with the 2011 Toyota Corolla, 2017 Hyundai Elantra, 2016 Ford Edge, 2019 Ford Fusion and 2014 Ford Fusion.
Is a 2009–2014 Legacy right for you?
Get an answer for your year, mileage and budget.
Owners generally view this generation as a solid, comfortable, and reliable daily driver, with many reporting high mileage (200k+) without major issues. The most common praise centers on snow capability and overall durability. However, the early CVT transmissions (2010-2012) are a recurring source of anxiety and reported failures, and the 2013 2.5L engine is singled out as a problematic first-year design with oil consumption issues. Owners also note that the non-turbo engines largely avoided the severe head gasket failures of earlier generations, though overheating and head gasket concerns still appear in discussions.
Owners comparing this generation to competitors often note that the Legacy offers better all-weather capability and long-term durability than the Fords and Hyundais mentioned, with one owner stating the Subaru "will outlast and outperform the hyundai" aside from head gasket concerns. However, some buyers chose newer competitors like the 2017 Elantra for better technology and interior refinement. The CVT is seen as a dynamic weak point versus traditional automatics in competitors. One owner comparing a 2009 Legacy to a 2011 Corolla found the Corolla had transmission slipping, making the Legacy the better option despite dealer concerns.
Owners recommend avoiding the 2013 2.5L with the new engine design unless documentation proves the engine was replaced, as it is described as "probably the worst year for oil burning issues." The 3.6R is the preferred engine choice for those wanting to avoid the 2.5L concerns. Manual transmission examples are implicitly preferred by owners who express regret over choosing a CVT. For the 2.5L, 2014 model year is the safest choice within this generation. Owners also advise checking whether the timing belt and head gaskets have been addressed on higher-mileage examples.
This generation suits buyers wanting an affordable, capable all-weather sedan that can reach high mileage with routine maintenance. Owners recommend avoiding the 2013 2.5L unless the engine has been replaced, and being cautious with early CVT examples (2010-2012), checking transmission behavior carefully on test drives including highway speeds and heavy acceleration. Pre-purchase inspections should include checking for rust underneath, CVT fluid condition and service history, and verifying whether timing belt service was completed. Owners advise that these cars respond well to DIY maintenance, with parts costing roughly 20% of shop repair bills. A salvage title example is strongly discouraged by multiple owners.
Owners frequently note that this generation's non-turbo engines use MLS head gaskets and have far fewer head gasket failures than earlier EJ25 engines. The 2009 model year is a transition year sharing many parts with the previous generation, and owners of the 2009 GT note it already has the reliability improvements (catless uppipe, fixed oil pickup) that were problematic in 2005-2006 models. Several owners report their examples lasting 200k+ miles until being totaled in accidents, suggesting structural integrity is good. One owner warns that the stock tune on the 2009 GT runs lean and can burn valves, recommending a pro-tune. The 2013 model year also has a known electronic parking brake quirk where it releases itself if not manually released when starting to drive. Analysis based on approximately 18 substantive owner discussions about this generation.
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 53 | 10 | air bags |
| 2013 | 66 | 12 | engine |
| 2012 | 90 | 16 | power train |
| 2011 | 167 | 16 | power train |
| 2010 | 150 | 18 | power train |
| 2009 | 65 | 13 | air bags |
Source: US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Higher-selling years naturally accumulate more complaints.
2014 · parking brakecampaign 18V626000
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. The electronic parking brake (EPB) may not engage as intended, allowing the vehicle to rollaway if the transmission is not in the proper gear when parked.
2014 · air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator modulecampaign 19V007000
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Forester, 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, Legacy, and 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
2014 · air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator modulecampaign 19V009000
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
2014 · air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator modulecampaign 19V008000
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, and Legacy vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
2014 · electrical system:ignition:switchcampaign 19V297000
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 switch installed as a replacement part. The ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.
2014 · visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motorcampaign 16V694000
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Legacy vehicles manufactured November 26, 2008, to June 7, 2013, and 2010-2014 Outback vehicles manufactured January 9, 2009 to June 7, 2013. Due to contamination, components within the windshield wiper motor bottom cover may interfere with each other. If an obstruction, such as a buildup of snow or ice prevents the wiper arms from being able to stop in the parked position, the wiper motor may overheat and the bottom cover may melt.
2014 · power train:automatic transmissioncampaign 13V336000
Subaru of America is recalling certain model year 2014 Legacy 3.6R and Outback 3.6R and 2013 Tribeca vehicles manufactured June 12, 2013, through June 28, 2013 and equipped with 5-speed automatic transmissions. In the affected vehicles, the parking rod may come loose inside the automatic transmission.
2014 · air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator modulecampaign 20V001000
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 Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
2014 · air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator modulecampaign 20V003000
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 Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
2014 · air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator modulecampaign 20V002000
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 Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
2013 · air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator modulecampaign 19V009000
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
2013 · air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator modulecampaign 19V007000
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Forester, 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, Legacy, and 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
20 more recalls not shown. Check nhtsa.gov with your VIN for the full history.
Owner insights summarize real ownership discussions for this generation only. Complaint and recall data is public NHTSA (US) information. Always verify recalls against your VIN at nhtsa.gov.