2015 Subaru Legacy: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
159 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 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. 2015 specifically: 159 complaints on record, score 67/100 — read the year table on the model page to see where it sits among its siblings.
Read the guide
Used Subaru Ascent and Legacy: the years to avoid, including 2015 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 159 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 14.45
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
I am reporting a Sudden Unintended Deceleration event in my Subaru. The vehicle grinded to a halt without driver input. The car stopped in the left lane of a major highway. We put on our hazards and called the state police for help. They were unable to get to us in time. We were hit from the rear. The car's failure created a stationary hazard that led to a high-speed rear-end collision by a Jeep and truck which…
The contact owns a 2015 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated while reversing into the driveway, the driver's side air bag unintendedly deployed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The vehicle was scheduled to be towed to the local dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to have the vehicle towed to the local dealer for diagnostic t…
The contact owned a 2015 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact opened and closed the trunk, triggering the alarm system. The alarm system failed to deactivate immediately. The vehicle then failed to restart as needed, and the "Shift to Park" message was displayed while the transmission was in park(P). The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the brake fuse was replaced; ho…
Recalls: 3 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 15V502000 | Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015 and 2016 model year Subaru Legacy 4-Door and Outback vehicles manufactured July 3, 2015, to July 27, 2015. |
| 15V366000 | Forward Collision Avoidance: Crash Imminent Braking | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy vehicles manufactured March 10, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Outback vehicles manufactured February 24, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Impreza vehicles manufactured September 9, 2014, to April 14, 2015, XV Crosstrek vehicles manufactured October 16, 2014, to April 15, 2015, and 2016 WRX… |
| 16V251000 | Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured on July 20, 2015. |
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 29 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,100
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.
- Electrical System37 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Visibility/Wiper36 complaints · typical job: Wiper motor, linkage or windscreen replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$490–$1,200
- Unknown Or Other27 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Engine23 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train15 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Fuel/Propulsion System14 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
Other Subaru Legacy years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2015 Subaru Legacy?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (37 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2015 Subaru Legacy a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 67/100, computed from 159 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2015 Subaru Legacy's most common problem?
37 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2015 Subaru Legacy sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $540–$1,310 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 2015 Subaru Legacy cost to run per year?
About $4,584 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $22,920 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 2015 Subaru Legacy have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2015 Subaru Legacy, 0 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 10/08/2015. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2015 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.
Strong evidence — 159 complaints, 3 recalls on record
- 159 NHTSA complaints on record (14.5/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (8.5/yr)
- 3 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems