2012 Subaru Legacy: common problems and reliability

The 2012 Subaru Legacy has 90 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 16 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are power train 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 2012 model year

90
Owner complaints
16
Recalls
7
Crash reports
0
Fire reports

Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2012 Subaru Legacy vehicles (US, public record).

Is 2012 a good year for the Legacy?

Across the 17 Legacy model years we track, complaint volume runs from 31 (2022) to 182 (2005). With 90 complaints, the 2012 Legacy sits about the same asthe 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

power train
34
engine
23
air bags
11
steering
7
service brakes
6

Recalls affecting the 2012 Legacy

air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

Campaign 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, Col

parking brake

Campaign 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

air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

Campaign 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, A

air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

Campaign 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, G

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 2012 ranks against the rest.

Compare the Legacy against its rivals