2016 Subaru Legacy problems and complaints
Owners have filed 147 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Subaru Legacy. The most-reported areas: Electrical System (51), Unknown Or Other (41), Visibility/Wiper (17).
Key takeaways
- 147 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 9 involve a crash, 0 a fire, 3 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 51 | 35% |
| Unknown Or Other | 41 | 28% |
| Visibility/Wiper | 17 | 12% |
| Steering | 16 | 11% |
| Power Train | 13 | 9% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 6% |
| Service Brakes | 8 | 5% |
| Engine | 7 | 5% |
| Structure | 6 | 4% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 3 | 2% |
| Wheels | 3 | 2% |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 1% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Subaru Legacy 4 DR AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Back Over Prevention - filed 2026-09-12
The infotainment screen would do random cycling through source, maps and other functions all without the driver’s input. Also the screen would just randomly freeze and become insensitive to touch inputs. The steering wheel controls for the infotainment randomly malfunctions. The most concerting thing is when placed in ...
Unknown Or Other - filed 2026-08-01
While traveling approximately 70 mph, my 2016 Subaru Legacy experienced a sudden drivetrain failure. The vehicle made a loud bang, immediately lost acceleration/power, and approximately five seconds later the front drivetrain locked, causing the tires to skid and leaving a long skid mark. The engine remained running. A...
Electrical System,back Over Prevention - filed 2026-06-08
The factory touchscreen infotainment system is experiencing severe screen delamination (internal adhesive failure). This defect causes uncontrollable 'ghost touching,' where the screen registers phantom inputs. The system cycles through radio stations, changes audio sources, and changes navigation without driver input...
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More for the 2016 Subaru Legacy
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.