2017 Subaru Legacy: common problems and reliability

The 2017 Subaru Legacy has 118 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 2 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are visibility/wiper and electrical system. 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 2017 model year

118
Owner complaints
2
Recalls
10
Crash reports
1
Fire reports

Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2017 Subaru Legacy vehicles (US, public record).

Is 2017 a good year for the Legacy?

Across the 17 Legacy model years we track, complaint volume runs from 31 (2022) to 182 (2005). With 118 complaints, the 2017 Legacy sits abovethe 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

visibility/wiper
33
electrical system
29
steering
9
air bags
7
structure
6

Recalls affecting the 2017 Legacy

steering:column

Campaign 16V716000

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 proper

steering:column

Campaign 16V292000

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

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 2017 ranks against the rest.

Compare the Legacy against its rivals