Your vehicle report
2015 Subaru Legacy
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 160
- Received Oct 2014 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Glass shatters or cracks without impact42 complaints · 26% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Battery drains and dies when parked14 complaints · 8.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Unintended acceleration despite braking13 complaints · 8.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #16V251000Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured on July 20, 2015. The brake fluid used in these vehicles may contain excess moisture which may adversely affect the performance of the electronic stability control system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
- Recall #15V502000Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015 and 2016 model year Subaru Legacy 4-Door and Outback vehicles manufactured July 3, 2015, to July 27, 2015. Transmission oil may leak from a deformed seal cap on the propeller shaft yoke.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 15 crashes, 3 fires, 10 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 15 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 46 |
| 2016 | 18 |
| 2017 | 11 |
| 2018 | 13 |
| 2019 | 11 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2021 | 19 |
| 2022 | 12 |
| 2023 | 7 |
| 2024 | 7 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 4 |
| Total | 160 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 42 | 26% | – | |
| Battery drains and dies when parked | 14 | 8.8% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 13 | 8.1% | – | |
| CVT transmission fails or loses power | 4 | 2.5% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 3 | 1.9% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 3 | 1.9% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 3 | 1.9% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 3 | 1.9% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 3 | 1.9% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 3 | 1.9% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 3 | 1.9% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 3 | 1.9% | – | |
| Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly | 3 | 1.9% | – | |
| Wheel bearings fail prematurely | 3 | 1.9% | – | |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 3 | 1.9% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #16V251000April 27, 2016766 vehicles affected
electronic stability control (esc)
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured on July 20, 2015. The brake fluid used in these vehicles may contain excess moisture which may adversely affect the performance of the electronic stability control system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Poor performance of the electronic stability control system when it is activated may result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will perform an ABS activation, then flush and replace the brake fluid, free of charge. The recall began on May 20, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTC-64.
NHTSA recall #15V502000August 10, 20152,893 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission; power train: driveline: driveshaft
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015 and 2016 model year Subaru Legacy 4-Door and Outback vehicles manufactured July 3, 2015, to July 27, 2015. Transmission oil may leak from a deformed seal cap on the propeller shaft yoke.
If the transmission oil leaks onto the exhaust pipe, there is a possible risk of fire.
Remedy
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the propeller shaft, free of charge. The recall began on August 28, 2015. Owners may contact 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQU-56.
NHTSA recall #15V366000June 12, 201571,710 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: brake lights: switch; forward collision avoidance: crash imminent braking
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2015 Legacy vehicles manufactured March 10, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Outback vehicles manufactured February 24, 2014, to April 16, 2015, Impreza vehicles manufactured September 9, 2014, to April 14, 2015, XV Crosstrek vehicles manufactured October 16, 2014, to April 15, 2015, and 2016 WRX vehicles manufactured March 23, 2015, and equipped with the Eyesight Driver Assist System. If the switch that activates the brake lights fails, the automatic pre-collision braking component of the driver assist system will not function.
If the automatic pre-collision braking system does not function as intended, the vehicle will not react to an obstacle in its path, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the driver assist system, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQS-54.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2015 Subaru Legacy.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN