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).

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 over 200,000 and even

  • 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.
  • Infotainment system problems — laggy, unresponsive touchscreen (particularly in models with large screens); system crashes; screen delamination in 2015-2019 models. Frequency: recurrent.
  • Engine issues (varies by generation) — head gasket failures on older models (pre-2010); oil pan leaks on newer turbo models; isolated catastrophic engine failures. Frequency: recurrent.
  • Excessive corrosion/rust — severe rust on rear wheel arches, strut towers, and sills on older models, especially in regions using road salt. Frequency: recurrent.

Owner insights cover all generations of the Legacy.

Typical used price

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

Other Legacy model years

2022 Legacy2019 Legacy2014 Legacy2012 Legacy2009 Legacy2008 Legacy2007 Legacy2006 Legacy2005 Legacy2004 Legacy2003 Legacy2002 Legacy2001 Legacy1998 Legacy1997 Legacy1996 Legacy
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