2014 Subaru Legacy: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
53 NHTSA owner complaints · 10 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2020 Subaru Legacy, which has 121 complaints, six recall campaigns and a score of 45, and treat the 2015 to 2019 cars, all CAUTION with between 117 and 159 complaints, the same way. Buy a 2021 or later car, where the 2021 has 31 complaints and scores 86 and the 2023 has 10 and scores 90, or a 2013 or 2014 car with its air bag inflator recall list confirmed. Read the full note on the model page. 2014 specifically: a year the record favours — 53 complaints, score 75/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Subaru Ascent and Legacy: the years to avoid, including 2014 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 53 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 4.42
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, there was a clicking sound coming from underneath the vehicle, and the vehicle swayed slightly before coming to a stop. The failure became more persistent, and the clicking sound became louder within a week. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who determined that the frame had severe rust that had created a hol…
The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated before accelerating. The contact stated that there was a lag in the vehicle while driving and attempting to accelerate above 65 MPH. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start immediately, and several attempts were needed to start the vehicle. The failure was intermittent; however, the failure was persistent while using the …
Believe the torque converter in the cvt transmission is causing the vehicle to stall. Happened multiple times going through an intersection and was almost side swiped. Was an extended warranty on cvt but no recalls for it yet.
Recalls: 10 campaigns (8 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 13V336000 | Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 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. |
| 20V001000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | 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… |
| 20V003000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | 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… |
| 20V002000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | 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,… |
| 19V007000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | 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),… |
| 19V009000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | 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… |
| 19V008000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | 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,… |
| 19V297000 | Electrical System:Ignition:Switch | 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. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 20 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,100
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Air Bags14 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Electrical System11 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Structure7 complaints · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,070–$2,920
- Unknown Or Other7 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Power Train6 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Visibility5 complaints · typical job: Glass, wiper or defogger repair (2.5 h labour + parts)$490–$1,200
Other Subaru Legacy years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2014 Subaru Legacy?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Air Bags (14 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2014 Subaru Legacy a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 75/100, computed from 53 NHTSA complaints and 10 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2014 Subaru Legacy's most common problem?
14 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2014 Subaru Legacy sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement: about 2.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $600–$1,700 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2014 Subaru Legacy cost to run per year?
About $5,463 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $27,318 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2014 Subaru Legacy have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 10 recall campaign(s) for the 2014 Subaru Legacy, 8 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 01/08/2013. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2014 Subaru Legacy really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 53 complaints, 10 recalls on record
- 53 NHTSA complaints on record (4.4/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (8.5/yr)
- 10 recall campaigns, 8 touching safety-critical systems