2004 Subaru Legacy: common problems and reliability

The 2004 Subaru Legacy has 49 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 11 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are air bags and engine. Owners most often flag poor fuel economy: described as significantly worse than epa estimates and segment competitors, affecting all models. frequency: very frequent.

Safety record for the 2004 model year

49
Owner complaints
11
Recalls
5
Crash reports
0
Fire reports

Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2004 Subaru Legacy vehicles (US, public record).

Is 2004 a good year for the Legacy?

Across the 17 Legacy model years we track, complaint volume runs from 31 (2022) to 182 (2005). With 49 complaints, the 2004 Legacy sits belowthe model's median of 81.

These are raw NHTSA complaint totals, not adjusted for how many cars sold or how long each model year has been on the road. Older and higher-selling years accumulate more complaints.

Where owners report problems

air bags
26
engine
5
vehicle speed control
5
fuel/propulsion system
4
service brakes
3

Recalls affecting the 2004 Legacy

air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

Campaign 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,

air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

Campaign 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 ev

air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

Campaign 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, o

air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

Campaign 16V361000

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, and Baja vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massac

What owners say across generations

Mixed sentiment with a strong generational divide. Long-term owner reports for older generations (pre-2010) frequently praise the 3.0R and 3.6R flat-six engines for smoothness and potential longevity, with some examples cited as reaching…

  • Poor fuel economy: described as significantly worse than EPA estimates and segment competitors, affecting all models. Frequency: very frequent.
  • CVT transmission reliability concerns: early failures, especially in models from approximately 2014-2015; jerky behavior when cold; requires diligent fluid service. Frequency: very frequent.

Owner insights cover all generations of the Legacy. See the full Legacy owner picture and every model year.

Typical used price

Used Legacy listings typically run $11,500–$22,749 across 2003 to 2025 model years.

Other Legacy model years

Compare every Legacy year side by side to see how 2004 ranks against the rest.

Compare the Legacy against its rivals