The Lemon Index

All cars · Subaru Legacy · 2018

2018 Subaru Legacy. Advanced data.

The raw numbers: engines, recall campaign numbers, failure mileage and manufacturer communications.

Lemon Index141100 = average car
Complaints62NHTSA, first 3 years
Sold40,109U.S. model year
Per 100K sold155complaints
Year rank#10 of 13#1 = fewest complaints

Engines and drivetrains 2

EngineTransmissionDriveCity / hwy / combinedFuelFuel cost/yr
2.5L 4-cylAuto (AV-S7)AWD25 / 34 / 29Regular$2,150
3.6L 6-cylAuto (AV-S6)AWD20 / 28 / 23Regular$2,700

EPA test versions for this model year. Fuel cost is the EPA's current estimate, not the price in that year.

Failure mileage by system

Half of owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 6,900 and 35,000 miles. Median 20,400, from 54 complaints with a mileage.

SystemMedianMiddle halfComplaints
Electrical16,7006,400–29,80012
Wipers & visibility23,5009,400–34,20018
Engine23,60017,300–46,1006
Visibility37,60033,200–70,2008

Mileage owners typed into their NHTSA complaint, all complaints for this model year. People report some problems late, so read it as a range.

Complaints by system

SystemShare of complaints
Wipers & visibility35%
Electrical24%
Visibility10%
Fuel or ev drive system8%
Engine8%

One complaint can name more than one system, so shares can add to more than 100%.

Severity, all complaints

TotalCrashesFiresInjuriesDeathsTows
11771104

As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.

Recall campaigns 3

  • 21V587000 Jul 2021 Fuel System, Gasoline / Delivery / Fuel Pump

    Defect. Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

    Risk. Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy. Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.

  • 18V935000 Dec 2018 Visibility / Rearview Mirrors/Devices

    Defect. Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Legacy, Outback, and BRZ vehicles. In the affected vehicles, a software issue may cause the audio display system to not initialize, resulting in the camera display remaining blank. If this occurs, the rearview image will not display while backing up the vehicle. As a result, the vehicles fail to comply with requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."

    Risk. Failure to display the rearview image while backing up increases the risk of crash.

    Remedy. Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will reprogram the audio system display software, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTZ-85.

  • 18V773000 Nov 2018 Electrical System / Software

    Defect. Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.

    Risk. The inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy. Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the combination meter software, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTW-82.

Manufacturer communications 445

Subaru filed 445 service communications for this car with NHTSA.

  • This Service Information Bulletin is in response to several battery sensor replacements resulting
  • Announcement to Subaru Retailers regarding the preliminary settlement in a class action…

Crash ratings by version

VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
Subaru Legacy 4 DR AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Safety equipment

Electronic stabilityForward collision warningLane departure warning
StandardOptionalOptional

Nearby model years

YearLemon IndexComplaintsSoldTop system
20151539060,447Wipers & visibility
2016865665,306Wipers & visibility
2017764449,837Wipers & visibility
20181416240,109Wipers & visibility
20191866935,063Wipers & visibility
202040410727,240Wipers & visibility
20211022422,766Wipers & visibility

Sources: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications; EPA fuel economy data; YouTube video titles. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.

Updated

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