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Light NHTSA footprint — 31 owner complaints and 3 active recall campaigns. Either a clean record or thin data; we'll show what's there.
The 2021 Subaru Legacy has 31 NHTSA owner complaints and 3 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). The most-reported system is visibility at 6 complaints, typically surfacing around 1,100 miles (~$350 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 Legacy | 116 | 3 |
| 2019 Legacy | 123 | 3 |
| 2020 Legacy | 121 | 6 |
| 2021 Legacy (this page) | 31 | 3 |
| 2022 Legacy | 32 | 2 |
| 2023 Legacy | 10 | 2 |
| 2024 Legacy | 16 | 0 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
Run the VIN from the listing — 3 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 7.8/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
The component that failed is the windshield. The windshield has a 14 inch stress crack. The crack suddenly appeared, there was no impact. The crack interferes with the Subaru Eyesight Driver Assistance. The Subaru Eyesight Driver Assistance could malfunction while driving. The…
A Recall was issued Mar 22, 2024 for a dangerous safety issue. AN AIR BAG That Does NOT Deploy During A Crash CAN Increase THE Risk OF Injury. Remedy Dealers Will Replace THE ODS Sensors ON THE Front Passenger Seat, Free OF Charge. Interim Letters Informing Owners OF THE Safety…
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…
ODS sensor recall still not fixed/remedy available, used heat for first time since i purchased the car, minor cracks in the windshield, car radio/monitors randomly go black, reverse camera won’t work, restarts on there own after a while
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
An air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.8 out of 10 based on 31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2021 Subaru Legacy is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
The 2021 Subaru Legacy is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Reliability score 7.8/10 — above the segment average; 3 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the visibility first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 6 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 1,100 miles. Average repair cost runs about $350 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 7.8 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 31 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is visibility. Typical failure occurs around 1,100 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is visibility, with 6 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 1,100 miles. Average repair cost runs about $350 at an independent shop.
The visibility is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $350 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 1,100 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 31 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $350, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.