2021 Subaru Legacy: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
31 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. 2021 specifically: a year the record favours — 31 complaints, score 86/100. 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 2021 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 31 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 6.2
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Car intermittently will studder and not go into first gear or go into second gear dangerously having car bog down and almost stall and then it violently downshifts having car RMP Hague go very high then slip and have no power to wheels and then a few seconds later go into second gear violently taking off again. Have tried taking issue to dealer but won’t even look unless check engine light comes on. Which it sometime…
The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds during colder weather, the heater failed to operate as intended. Additionally, the Eyesight system was inoperable. The check engine and other unknown warning lights were displayed. In addition, the contact stated that the engine failed to warm up as intended after being started, and the engine temperature was 107°F, which w…
CVT Transmission Failure. Failure occurred at approximately 66,706 miles on 5/16/25. The Check Engine and AT Temp lights appeared in the instrument cluster. The driving conditions when this happened were a safety concern. First, the vehicle would crawl, shutter, and almost stall with high RPMs when attempting to climb a hill. Second, on a level surface at any given time the vehicle would not respond then lunge f…
Recalls: 3 campaigns (1 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. |
| 23V755000 | Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Park/Neutral Start Interlock Switch | Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. |
| 24V227000 | Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger | Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Outback and Legacy 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.
- Unknown Or Other7 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Air Bags6 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Electrical System5 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Visibility/Wiper5 complaints · typical job: Wiper motor, linkage or windscreen replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$490–$1,200
- Engine2 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train2 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
Other Subaru Legacy years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Subaru Legacy?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Unknown Or Other (7 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2021 Subaru Legacy a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 86/100, computed from 31 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2021 Subaru Legacy's most common problem?
7 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2021 Subaru Legacy sit in the Unknown Or Other group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is diagnosis and mixed repair: about 2.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $360–$940 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 2021 Subaru Legacy cost to run per year?
About $3,537 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $17,688 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 2021 Subaru Legacy have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2021 Subaru Legacy, 1 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 2021 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.
Thin evidence — 31 complaints, 3 recalls on record
- 31 NHTSA complaints on record (6.2/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (8.5/yr)
- 3 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality