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2018 Subaru Legacy

Gas
Midsize Cars
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
C
Safety Signal
76 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns3
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA117
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA29 mpg
20252024202320222021202020192018

The 2018 Subaru Legacy is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize car with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Legacy AWD, is EPA-rated at 29 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 117 complaints, most often about the electrical system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Legacy AWDGasAWD2.5L 4-cyl253429$2,150
Legacy AWDGasAWD3.6L 6-cyl202823$2,700

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 38853, 38854.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2018 Subaru Legacy is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (3)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Fuel System, Gasoline

WRG-21
175,968 vehicles
ProblemSubaru 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.RiskFuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 21V587000reported Jul 29, 2021Subaru of America, Inc.
▲high

Visibility

WTZ-85
71,190 vehicles
ProblemSubaru 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."RiskFailure to display the rearview image while backing up increases the risk of crash.FixSubaru 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.
NHTSA campaign 18V935000reported Dec 31, 2018Subaru of America, Inc.
▲high

Fuel System, Gasoline

WTW-82
228,648 vehicles
ProblemSubaru 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.RiskThe inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.FixSubaru 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.
NHTSA campaign 18V773000reported Nov 1, 2018Subaru of America, Inc.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
117complaints filed

7 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2017: 1 · 2018: 7 · 2019: 19 · 2020: 17 · 2021: 18 · 2022: 7 · 2023: 13 · 2024: 6 · 2025: 22 · 2026: 7

Most-cited components

Electrical System41
Unspecified29
Visibility/Wiper25
Engine10
Fuel/Propulsion System8
Visibility8

What owners describe

“The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated while stopped at a traffic light with her foot lightly depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle independently accelerated and crashed into the rear bumper of a vehicle stopped in front of her. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact state…”Jul 20, 2023 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“The entire radio screen is delaminating. The dealer said it needed updated. They said they updated it. And a new screen would be about $3,000.00. As you can see in the picture the screen is very bubbled. It is almost completely inoperable. The top right hand side has a button that keeps popping on and off. It is very a…”Jul 7, 2023 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2018 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the headlights failed to illuminate, and the rearview camera was intermittently flashing and displaying a blank image. The contact stated that on various occasions when the vehicle was parked, the parking brake failed to activate…”Mar 24, 2023 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
4 DR AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★10%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other Legacy model years

A

2025 Subaru Legacy

0 recalls · 6 complaints

A

2024 Subaru Legacy

0 recalls · 17 complaints

B

2023 Subaru Legacy

2 recalls · 10 complaints

B

2022 Subaru Legacy

2 recalls · 32 complaints

C

2021 Subaru Legacy

3 recalls · 31 complaints

F

2020 Subaru Legacy

6 recalls · 121 complaints

C

2019 Subaru Legacy

3 recalls · 123 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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