2010 Subaru Legacy problems
Owners have filed 218 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Subaru Legacy. Drivetrain & axles is the most reported problem area, at 19% of complaints. After that come engine (16%) and air bags (13%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 218 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Drivetrain & axles 19% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 18 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 14 and 3
- Typical mileage
- 71,000 miles 161 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 46 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 14 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 5 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 22 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 19 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 18 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 13 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 12 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 4 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 4 |
| 200k+ miles | 4 |
What the data shows
Among the 161 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 71,000 miles. For drivetrain & axles specifically, the median reported mileage is about 111,000 miles (34 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 18 complaints mention a crash; 3 complaints mention a fire; 14 injuries reported; 3 deaths reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2010 ranks 12th most-complained-about out of 34 model years of the Subaru Legacy with enough data (94 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 18 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
On wednesday, november 19, 2014 my son left for work at his usual time and started the subaru. Immediately, the engine roared at full throttle, and the vehicle took off down the street, where it jumped the curb and crashed into a tree at 45 MPH. Distance traveled was less than 400 feet from where it started. Based on an eyewitness account, it is presumed that the vehicle suffered an unintended acceleration mechanical issue outside of the driver's control.
Update to complaint number 11254310 summary of previous complaint: the subaru legacy has an issue where the vehicle will stall if the brakes are applied too firmly. Subaru refuses to fix this issue since the vehicle is out of warranty, even though they are aware of the defect. Update: this issue has caused an accident. My mother has been conditioned to not hit the brakes too hard for fear of stalling the vehicle.
Vehicle will shudder and stall when coming to a stop most often in the uphill position, it will also stall when coming to a stop after braking hard. This problem is avoided if you place the car in neutral but that is the only way. Engine idle will drop drastically and the vehicle has a hard time reengaging into drive after coming to a complete stop. I assume it is the CVT transmission or the torque convertor.