2020 Subaru Legacy: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
121 NHTSA owner complaints · 6 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. 2020 specifically: this is one of the years the note above says to approach with care — 121 complaints on record, verdict AVOID.
Read the guide
Used Subaru Ascent and Legacy: the years to avoid, including 2020 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 121 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 20.17
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
While driving there is a loss of power, the battery fails, electronic components shut down and car stops. Has happened intermittently. Replaced battery. This is a significant safety issue happened on freeway near exit ramp, in parking lot in driveway, everything cuts out. Opened hood and seems to be battery terminal connector. Recall was issued for certain Subaru models but not legacy. No warning, just cuts off.…
Driver's seat structurally unstable due to factory-installed welded nut shearing off the seat rail anchor at approximately 32,000 miles. Confirmed by Napleton Subaru technician on video. Physical component in owner's possession. Failure is consistent with prior Subaru seat rail weld recalls. This affects seat stability, occupant restraint geometry, and crash protection.
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that during inclement weather, the front driver and front passenger’s side power windows failed to automatically roll up as intended. The contact was forced to hold the power window button to slowly roll the windows up. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where the contact was informed that there was debris in the slides inside the windows, causing the windows …
Recalls: 6 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 22V485000 | Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm) | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Outback and Legacy vehicles. |
| 21V955000 | Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm) | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2020 Legacy and Outback vehicles. |
| 20V766000 | Back Over Prevention:Display Function | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with "high" grade and "mid" grade multimedia navigation. |
| 19V664000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Pedals And Linkages | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020 Outback and Legacy vehicles. |
| 24V227000 | Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Outback and Legacy vehicles. |
| 21V587000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. |
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 30 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,050
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.
- Visibility/Wiper57 complaints · typical job: Wiper motor, linkage or windscreen replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$490–$1,200
- Unknown Or Other26 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System15 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Visibility9 complaints · typical job: Glass, wiper or defogger repair (2.5 h labour + parts)$490–$1,200
- Power Train7 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Forward Collision Avoidance7 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
Other Subaru Legacy years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2020 Subaru Legacy?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Visibility/Wiper (57 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2020 Subaru Legacy a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 45/100, computed from 121 NHTSA complaints and 6 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2020 Subaru Legacy's most common problem?
57 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2020 Subaru Legacy sit in the Visibility/Wiper group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is wiper motor, linkage or windscreen replacement: about 2.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $490–$1,200 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 2020 Subaru Legacy cost to run per year?
About $3,943 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $19,715 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 2020 Subaru Legacy have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for the 2020 Subaru Legacy, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 08/07/2022. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2020 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 — 121 complaints, 6 recalls on record
- 121 NHTSA complaints on record (20.2/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (8.5/yr)
- 6 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems