Subaru Legacy

Registered from 1992 to 2021.

About this model

The Subaru Legacy is a mid-size car built by Japanese automobile manufacturer Subaru from 1989 to 2025. The maker's flagship car, it is unique in its class for offering all-wheel drive as a standard feature, and Subaru's traditional boxer engine.

From the Wikipedia article Subaru Legacy, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

What fails its inspection

Great Britain's MOT record for the 2006 2.0 petrol. 180 of 635 tests failed, 28%.

Better than 41% of 2006 cars. The typical one fails 27%, across 889 models with enough tests behind them to say.

Where	Share of failures	Failed tests
Suspension	48%	87
Lights and electrics	47%	85
Exhaust and emissions	41%	73
Body and structure	27%	48
Tyres and wheels	25%	45
Brakes	22%	39

The defects inspectors cite

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
Exhaust system leaking or insecure
A tyre seriously damaged

Where it stands out against its peers

Exhaust and emissions: failed more often than 96% of 2006 cars — 41% of its 180 failed tests, where an ordinary 2006 car has 13%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

NHTSA's investigations are American; no European regulator publishes an equivalent record, so this section has nothing to draw on for a European car. There is no European equivalent of the service-bulletin register either.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

Suspension — 48% of its failures
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Exhaust and emissions — 41% of its failures
- Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer
- Exhaust system leaking or insecure
Tyres and wheels — 25% of its failures
- A tyre seriously damaged
Brakes — 22% of its failures
Lights and electrics — 47% of its failures
- A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
- Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
Body and structure — 27% of its failures

When it starts failing

At 160–180k miles this one fails 33% of its inspections, against the 31% an ordinary car of the same age fails.

Odometer	Rate	Its age	Tests
60–80k miles	16%	25%	57
80–100k miles	26%	27%	106
100–120k miles	31%	29%	146
120–140k miles	34%	30%	113
140–160k miles	32%	31%	69
160–180k miles	33%	31%	69

560 British inspections, grouped by the odometer reading recorded at the test.

Half of these have more than 100k miles on them. That is how far people drive this car, not how long it lasts.

Specification

Year	Measured
2013	2.0 diesel · 148 hp · 1657 kg · 2747 mm wheelbase · 6.0 L/100km (NEDC)
2012	2.0 petrol · 148 hp · 1542 kg · 2741 mm wheelbase · 8.0 L/100km (NEDC)
2011	2.0 diesel · 148 hp · 1647 kg · 2717 mm wheelbase · 6.2 L/100km (NEDC)
2010	2.0 diesel · 1640 kg · 2730 mm wheelbase · 6.1 L/100km (NEDC)

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

A12/00601/20
The fuel pump harness connector can overheat and melt, causing the fuel pump to become inoperative. As a result, the engine will stall or will not be able to start, increasing the risk of an accident.
Recall of the product from end users
A12/1071/19
The gas generator on the passenger side airbags may be defective. Metal fragments can be released when the airbag is activated, causing injuries to the occupants.
Recall of the product from end users