Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2010 Subaru Legacy
NHTSA data on file today
The 2010 Subaru Legacy has 18 NHTSA recall campaigns and 151 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #20V002000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #20V001000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #20V003000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #19V297000 Ignition Switch may Turn Off NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #19V007000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #19V009000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #19V008000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #18V626000 Electronic Parking Brake may Fail NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #18V012000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #18V013000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #17V014000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #16V694000 Windshield Wiper Motor Bottom Cover may Melt NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #16V358000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #13V061000 Remote Engine Starter Fob Malfunction NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #12V602000 Accessory Puddle Light may Short-circuit NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #10V326000 TRANSMISSION NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #10V283000 OPEN CIRCUIT OF STEERING ROLL CONNECTOR NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #10V196000 CRACK OF THE CVT FLUID COOLER HOSE NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Power Train 50 complaints
- Engine 31 complaints
- Air Bags 28 complaints
- Electrical System 12 complaints
- Service Brakes 12 complaints
- Steering 12 complaints
Of the 151 complaints on file, 10 report a crash and 1 a fire; across all 151 complaints, owners report 8 injuries and 1 death (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $7,000–$12,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2010 Subaru Legacy has several recalls, notably for airbag inflators and parking brake defects, but mostly region-specific. Common complaints include powertrain and engine issues. Despite these concerns, repair frequency and recall data suggest it maintains an average cost and reliability profile within its class.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| powertrain | 70,000–100,000 miles | $1,000–$3,500 | common |
| engine | 80,000–110,000 miles | $1,500–$4,000 | common |
| airbags | any mileage | No reliable estimate | occasional |
| steering | 60,000–90,000 miles | $500–$1,500 | occasional |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Change oil every 5,000 miles
- Replace air filter annually
- Brake fluid every 2 years
- Transmission fluid every 40,000 miles
- Coolant system check every 30,000 miles
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Unusual transmission noises
- Recurring engine misfires
- Airbag warning light
- Persistent steering vibration
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2010 Subaru Legacy at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.