2023 Subaru Legacy problems

General information about Subaru-Legacy
Overview of popular issues
Analysis of common problems
Сomplaints list
Recalls list
Negative car reviews
Positive car reviews

The Subaru Legacy (Japanese: スバル・レガシィ, Hepburn: Subaru Regashi) is a mid-size car built by Japanese automobile manufacturer Subaru since 1989. 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. The Legacy was sold as the Liberty in Australia out of deference to Legacy Australia, an organisation dedicated to caring for the families of military service veterans.

In 1996, a variant of the Legacy with heightened suspension called the Legacy Outback was introduced to compete in the burgeoning sport-utility vehicle class and proved to be a sales success for Subaru. The Outback line was split into its own model in 2008, known as the Subaru Outback.

As of 2008, 3.6 million Legacy models have been built since its 1989 introduction.

Production of the Legacy ended in Japan in June 2020, with the sixth-generation Legacy being the last model produced and marketed in Japan. Subaru of America announced in an internal email that 2025 will be the last model year for the Subaru Legacy. The Subaru Outback will remain in production, after being the company's top selling model in 2023.

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Common 2023 Subaru Legacy problems

The 2023 Subaru Legacy is a well-regarded car in terms of luxury, smoothness, quietness, spaciousness, and cargo space. However, there are some common problems and issues that 2023 Subaru Legacy owners have reported, which are discussed in detail below.

Infotainment System Issues: Some owners have reported issues with the infotainment system, particularly when passing under bridges or between tall buildings, where the screen goes black and takes 10 seconds to return to normal. This problem has not been resolved yet, and it affects the overall user experience.

Hood and Windshield Chips: Some owners have reported that the hood flexes at highway speeds, giving it a flimsy appearance, while others have noticed small rock chips on the windshield after driving only a short distance. These issues may not significantly affect the car's performance, but they can be frustrating for owners.

Rattling Plastic Covers: A few owners have mentioned that the plastic covers on the eyesight system are not secured very well and rattle on all but the smoothest roads. This can be distracting and annoying during daily driving.

Limited Power: Some owners have expressed concerns about the lack of power under the hood, especially when compared to larger vehicles with V8 engines. This may not be a significant issue for those who use the car primarily for commuting, but it could be a concern for those who need more power for towing or other heavy-duty tasks.

Drive Shaft/Propeller Shaft Issues: Subaru has issued a recall for the 2023 Legacy, along with other models, due to an issue with the drive shaft center support brace bolts. Some of these bolts may have been painted during the manufacturing process when they shouldn't have been, which could lead to a loss of torque and a potential separation of the front end of the drive shaft. This issue could increase the risk of a crash and may cause irregular sounds and/or vibrations from the drive shaft area.

Reliability Concerns: While the 2023 Subaru Legacy has not been on the market long enough to have extensive reliability data, some owners and experts have expressed concerns about Subaru's overall reliability, citing issues such as head gasket problems in older models. However, it is important to note that proper maintenance can significantly improve a vehicle's reliability.

In conclusion, while the 2023 Subaru Legacy has many positive attributes, there are some common problems and issues that owners have reported. These issues range from minor annoyances, such as rattling plastic covers, to more significant concerns, such as infotainment system malfunctions and drive shaft problems. Prospective buyers should weigh these issues against the car's positive qualities and consider whether the 2023 Subaru Legacy is the right choice for their needs and preferences.

What is the most common problem with the Subaru Legacy?

What is the reliability score of the 2023 Subaru Legacy?

The Subaru Legacy Reliability Rating is 4.0 out of 5.0, which ranks it 16th out of 24 for midsize cars. The average annual repair cost is $563 which means it has average ownership costs. The severity of repairs is average, and major issues are less frequent than average, so major repairs are not common for the Legacy.

What are the cons of a Subaru Legacy?

Another issue with the Subaru Legacy is the seriously underpowered nature of the entry engine in the lineup. The base models come with a 2.5-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine, which is much less powerful than the option you get with the Sport and Touring XT trims - a 260-hp turbocharged 2.4-liter engine.

How long do Subaru Legacy engines last?

200,000 miles

The Lifespan of Subaru Engines and Safety Technology

Engine Lifespan: Subaru engines are known for their durability and longevity, with many drivers reporting engines that last well beyond 200,000 miles with proper maintenance.

What is the most common problem with the Subaru Legacy?

What is the recall on the 2023 Legacy Subaru?

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Outback, Legacy, Ascent, and Impreza vehicles. The center support bolts for the driveshaft may loosen, resulting in the disconnection of the front end of the driveshaft.

Is Subaru reliable 2023?

Key takeaways. Subarus excel in safety, with models like the 2023 Solterra, 2024 WRX, Ascent, Legacy, and Crosstrek receiving high ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA.

Is the Subaru Legacy a reliable car?

2023 Subaru Legacy car problems categorized by type of issue

After analyzing all complaints sent to the NHTSA and researching popular Subaru Legacy problems, we found that the most common problems with these 2023 model year vehicles are:

Forward collision avoidance problems
Air bags problems
Visibility problems

The graph below shows statistics for all 2023 Subaru Legacy vehicle components and the number of complaints received.

2023 Subaru Legacy complaints

The NHTSA has received 3 complaints about various vehicle components related to the 2023 Subaru Legacy.

2024-03-15

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE PROBLEM

Date Of Incident: 2022-11-01
Crash: 1
VIN: 4S3BWAF63P3
Components: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
Summary: The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the forward collision avoidance warning system would independently be active without an obstacle in front of the vehicle; the "Obstacle Detected" warning message would appear on the instrument panel. The contact also stated that the forward collision avoidance feature had failed to operate on two separate occasions in which the contact struck a deer. In both instances, the contact struck a deer while driving at about 30 MPH. No alerts, warning messages, or safety features were activated during either accident. The air bags did not deploy in either accident. A police report was not filed and no injuries occurred during either accident. The vehicle was taken to two separate dealers-Jenkins Subaru(750 Lodgeville Rd, Bridgeport, WV 26330) and Subaru of Morgantown(1730 Mileground Rd, Morgantown, WV 26505), but neither were able to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50.

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2023-07-21

AIR BAGS PROBLEM

Date Of Incident: 2023-04-03
VIN: 4S3BWAN63P3
Components: AIR BAGS
Summary: My wife is a petite woman, 4 feet 7 inches, 85pounds clothed. We bought the car March 29, 2023 and drove home, and the passenger airbag worked properly thru April 2. Behavior after that became erratic, passenger airbag sometimes on, sometimes not. Became more erratic and brought to dealer (Balise Subaru) April 12. Service technician reported system worked properly, no error codes. I asked Service manager to look at the car with my wife rather than a 180 pound technician sitting in it. He observed that with my wife in the passenger seat he would start and stop the car, and sometime the airbag was on, other times off even though she never moved or change position. He was going to check with Subaru, saying nothing in the system could be adjusted and it had a trigger weight of approximately 80.5 pounds. Erratic behavior became worse such that airbag was off 75% of the time. Tried various seat positions to no effect. Note: My wife sits 23 inches from the dashboard. On April 18 on a round trip to a doctor she weighed 84.6 pounds on a medical scale in normal indoor clothes, and wore a light coat (1.2 pounds) while in the car in both directions. The airbag was on the entire trip to the doctor, and off the entire trip home. Subaru responded she was so small and near trigger weight was the likely cause. Dealer did re zero the passenger seat, no change. Car has been at the dealer 3 times for this problem, and system has become somewhat less erratic such that the airbag is either on immediately or more often within 5 minutes of driving 50-60% of the time, yet my wife's weight has held steady. Two patterns I have found: Temperature sensitivity: more consistent when temp is in the 40s or 60s, worse in the 50s, and variable otherwise. Having the AC on seems to help so I'm wondering if the control unit or seat sensors are overheating, also high lateral forces on on-ramps will turn the airbag on. I also suspect the seat sensors lack precision and weigh my wife erratically.

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2023-02-23

VISIBILITY PROBLEM

Date Of Incident: 2023-02-10
VIN: 4S3BWAN6XP3
Components: VISIBILITY
Summary: The contact owns a 2023 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that when she entered her vehicle, she noticed that there was a crack in the windshield down by windshield wiper on the driver's side. The contact stated that the crack had begun to expand up the windshield and stopped approximately 4 inches from the where the windshield joins the vehicle subframe. The contact stated that this was the second windshield she had installed. The contact stated that dealer told her the first replacement had been from road debris. The contact stated she never had no windshield strikes in the five weeks she had owned the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local glass shop where it was diagnosed and determined that the windshield needed to be replaced. The vehicle had been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.

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2023 Subaru Legacy recalls

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued 2 recalls for different components of the 2023 Subaru Legacy.

2023-11-09

Manufacturer: Subaru of America, Inc.
Components: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
Consequence: An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WRQ-23.

2023-09-21

Manufacturer: Subaru of America, Inc.
Components: POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Outback, Legacy, Ascent, and Impreza vehicles. The center support bolts for the driveshaft may loosen, resulting in the disconnection of the front end of the driveshaft.
Consequence: Separation of the front end of the driveshaft increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will clean the bolt mounting surfaces of the center support brace and install new bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 20, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRN-23.

Negative 2023 Subaru Legacy car reviews

Chesley Ratke 2025-02-28

This car has many nice features, including a big screen to view all applications. However, there are a few flaws that could be improved. The driver's door fit is not very good, and requires a firm shut, which was not the case in my previous Subaru. The rear window defogger is not very effective and struggles to clear ice or snow, only fogging the window. Additionally, the door opener only works when the car is on, whereas in the previous model it was powered all the time. The cabin is not as quiet as my previous model, but the trunk opener has been improved and now opens all the way when you use the remote. On the plus side, the heated seats are warmer, and the gas tank opens much better than the previous model.
Terence West 2024-01-01

I purchased this car in January and have noticed a defect in the clearcoat/paint. After consulting with my local body shop, it has been determined that the entire car requires repainting. It is important to note that this issue is not caused by acid rain, as my new car is parked next to my 2012 Legacy and my daughter's 2014 Ford Escape, both of which have no issues with their clearcoat/paint.

Positive 2023 Subaru Legacy car reviews

Robb Senger 2025-03-26

I haven't had the car long enough to review its dependability, so this is more of a 'first impression/500 mile review'. Here are some of the things I like about it: the interior is great, I love the Napa leather and the big screen for the entertainment system is nice. I also appreciate having physical buttons to adjust the temperature outside of the entertainment screen. There is very little road noise and the visibility is good. The seats are very comfortable and the handling is fantastic. The power/acceleration with the turbo charged engine is good, and the adaptive cruise control with lane assist works great. I'm averaging about 28 miles per gallon driving about 85% freeway and 15% city. The ride is SUPER smooth even over roads that are in desperate need of maintenance. However, there are a few things that could be improved. My biggest complaint is probably that the back up camera is no better than a $200 aftermarket backup camera. I would expect that in 2022, the top model of the Legacy would have a bird's eye view camera (my 2017 Nissan has it) or at the very least, a higher quality back up camera. Along those same lines, the front camera is terrible! It's a grainy/pixelated looking image. I know these are 'first world problems', but I just expected more out of a car this luxurious in many other ways. A close second on my biggest complaints is that I wish there was a way to permanently disable the auto start and stop along with the eyesight that watches the driver. It's not hard to do, but it's annoying that I have to do it every time I turn off the car and restart it. Lastly, it's surprising to me that in 2022, a car manufacturer would not put an automatic start button on the key fob. Overall, I'm enjoying my experience with the car so far and I hope these suggestions can be taken into consideration for future models.I can't believe they thought it was a good idea to make consumers navigate through a mobile app and take a semester in computer software engineering just to start their cars. It's ridiculous that I can start my car from another country, but not from 10 feet away with a simple button on my key fob. Who came up with this idea? I can even start my 1956 Bel Air with my key fob, but not my 2022 Legacy. That being said, I do have a few minor complaints. The acceleration delay from a stop could be improved, and I'm not a fan of the stock wheels, but that's just my personal preference. Also, it's frustrating that there's no automatic start button on the key fob. Overall, the car has a luxurious interior and great power and ride, while also offering amazing AWD capabilities.
Ryann Strosin 2025-03-26

I got the Touring XT. It's an incredibly smooth and quiet ride. The turbo engine provides plenty of power. The car drives like a sports sedan. It's even better than BMWs!
Moriah Bradtke 2025-03-01

Pros: This car is a significant upgrade from my 2013 Altima. I chose the Subaru because of its classy looks and spacious interior. It looks and drives like a car that costs twice as much (think BMW 5 series). Before choosing the Legacy, I test drove many different sedans. What sold me on this car was the interior room compared to other cars (only the Accord matched it). As a large-ish person, this was important to me. In this car, I can comfortably seat four people, and even the passenger sitting behind the driver has plenty of room. Another selling point was the technology features that the Subaru has that many other cars don't, like the 12There was nothing wrong mechanically with the car, but the faulty navigation system was beyond frustrating before it finally got fixed. However, I would like to suggest that if you do choose the Legacy, it might be a good idea to check all of the functions on the car before taking delivery!
Jules McCullough 2025-02-27

I really appreciate the way this vehicle drives, it's so smooth and it's definitely the best one I've ever owned. In the past, I've had some nice SUVs, but none of them drove as nicely as this one. Additionally, they sat higher and were more difficult to get in and out of. The dashboard is not too complicated and I was able to operate it easily. The salesperson went through many of the controls with me, which was really helpful, and was willing to answer any questions I had.
Clement Nolan 2025-01-14

Don't worry about what others say - the engine is actually quite good, and impressively efficient for an AWD. You'll enjoy a super comfortable ride, and feel very safe with all the advanced safety features.

Additional sources

More sources of information about 2023 Subaru Legacy problems:

Are 2023 Subarus really as bad with reliability & maintenance as ...

https://www.reddit.com/r/whatcarshouldIbuy/comments/160b02u/are_2023_subarus_really_as_bad_with_reliability/

Aug 24, 2023 ... No, Subaru isn't as reliable but if you are buying new your warranty will cover any issues that arise. If you plan on keeping longer than ...

2023 Subaru Legacy CVT Transmission reliability and/or problems ...

https://www.legacygt.com/topic/138628-2023-subaru-legacy-cvt-transmission-reliability-andor-problems/

Dec 23, 2022 ... I had variety of issues taken care on the Legacy under the warranty and I saw issues with CVT in my future (CVT issues on that generation were ...

2023 Subaru Legacy Reliability - Consumer Reports

https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/subaru/legacy/2023/reliability/

Reliability ... We expect the 2024 Legacy will have about average reliability when compared to the average new car. This prediction is based on data from 2021, ...