Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2011 Subaru Legacy
NHTSA data on file today
The 2011 Subaru Legacy has 16 NHTSA recall campaigns and 167 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
NCAP overall rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars, for the 1 NHTSA-tested trim.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #20V001000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #20V003000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #20V002000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #19V297000 Ignition Switch may Turn Off NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #19V009000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #19V007000 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 #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 #11V467000 MOONROOF GLASS - SEPARATION/DETACHMENT NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #10V326000 TRANSMISSION NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Power Train 47 complaints
- Air Bags 25 complaints
- Engine 22 complaints
- Electrical System 19 complaints
- Suspension 19 complaints
- Exterior Lighting 18 complaints
Of the 167 complaints on file, 7 report a crash and 2 a fire; across all 167 complaints, owners report 3 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $6,000–$9,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2011 Subaru Legacy has an average reliability rating due to multiple recalls related to airbag inflators and electrical issues, alongside some user complaints about the powertrain. Despite these problems, significant issues prevalent in other years or models do not appear as frequently.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| airbags | 90,000–120,000 miles | $600–$1,200 | common |
| ignition switch | 80,000–110,000 miles | $300–$500 | occasional |
| windshield wiper motor | 75,000–100,000 miles | $100–$300 | rare |
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.
- Oil change every 5,000 miles
- Tire rotation with every oil change
- Brake fluid replacement every 2 years
- Spark plug replacement every 60,000 miles
- Coolant system service every 30,000 miles
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Unresponsive ignition switch
- Airbag warning light
- Irregular engine noise
- Sluggish transmission response
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2011 Subaru Legacy at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.