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2021 Subaru Legacy

Gas
Large 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 NHTSA31
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA30 mpg
20252024202320222021202020192018

The 2021 Subaru Legacy is sold in the U.S. as a gas large car with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Legacy AWD, is EPA-rated at 30 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 31 complaints, most often about the air bags. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Legacy AWDGasAWD2.5L 4-cyl273530$2,100
Legacy AWDGasAWD2.4L 4-cyl turbo243227$2,300

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 42844, 42845.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2021 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

Air Bags

WRA-24
118,723 vehicles
ProblemSubaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A capacitor in the sensors for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may crack and short circuit, which can prevent the front passenger air bag from deploying in a crash.RiskAn air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury.FixDealers will replace the ODS sensors on the front passenger seat, free of charge. Owner notifications were mailed February 3, 2025. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRA-24.
NHTSA campaign 24V227000reported Mar 22, 2024Subaru of America, Inc.
▲high

Power Train

WRQ-23
95,830 vehicles
ProblemSubaru 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.RiskAn inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 23V755000reported Nov 9, 2023Subaru of America, Inc.
▲high

Power Train

WRK-22
182 vehicles
ProblemSubaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A programming error in the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) may allow the clutch to engage before the drive chain is completely clamped.RiskAn improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers will reprogram the TCU, inspect TCU data for chain slip, and visually inspect the chain guide. If evidence of chain slippage or damage is found, the transmission will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 24, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRK-22. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 21V-955.
NHTSA campaign 22V485000reported Jul 8, 2022Subaru of America, Inc.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
31complaints filed

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

Filed per year: 2021: 7 · 2022: 7 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 8 · 2025: 6 · 2026: 1

Most-cited components

Unspecified7
Air Bags6
Electrical System5
Visibility/Wiper5
Forward Collision Avoidance4
Back Over Prevention2

What owners describe

“CVT Transmission Failure. Failure occurred at approximately 66,706 miles on 5/16/25. The Check Engine and AT Temp lights appeared in the instrument cluster. The driving conditions when this happened were a safety concern. First, the vehicle would crawl, shutter, and almost stall with high RPMs when attempting to climb …”Jul 21, 2025 · Power Train · NHTSA owner report
“Subaru has released a service bulletin regarding concerns with the Thermo Control Valve in specific vehicles. Unfortunately, individuals with vehicles bearing a rebuilt title, including myself, are required to cover expenses exceeding $2,000 out of their own pockets. Despite evidence indicating that the issue with the …”Jul 7, 2025 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2021 Subaru Legacy. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V227000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of …”Feb 18, 2025 · Air Bags · 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. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

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

F

2020 Subaru Legacy

6 recalls · 121 complaints

C

2019 Subaru Legacy

3 recalls · 123 complaints

C

2018 Subaru Legacy

3 recalls · 117 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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