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What 90 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Subaru Legacy

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (90)Crash / fire / injury (7)Transmission & drivetrain (34)Engine (23)Airbags (11)Steering (7)Brakes (6)Electrical system (4)Speed control (4)Suspension (4)Visibility & wipers (4)Lights (3)

4 of 90 complaints match · Electrical system · clear filters

Apr 2, 2020Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine

ENGINE STALLS AFTER ABRUPT STOP. FOR EXAMPLE, I WAS ON POST ROAD IN WESTPORT CONNECTICUT AND SLOWED DOWN FROM 25MPH+ VERY QUICKLY WITH A HARD BRAKE. THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY STALLED AND ALL LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD WERE ACTIVATED. RESTARTING THE CAR ALLOWED ME TO PROCEED. THIS ISSUE ALSO OCCURRED ON A HIGHWAY (THE MERITT PARKWAY) SEVERAL WEEKS AGO. THIS PROBLEM IS CONSISTENTLY REPRODUCIBLE AND HAS HAPPENED 10+ TIMES. SUBARU HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE ISSUE (HTTPS://WWW.FORBES.COM/SITES/JENSEN/2017/07/07/FACING-COMPLAINTS-SUBARU-OFFERS-EXTENDED-WARRANTIES-ON-1-5-MILLION-VEHICLES/#6E78473E79DC) AND "EXTENDED" MY WARRANTY UP TO 100K, BUT MY CAR CURRENTLY HAS 106K MILES. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO HANK MAY'S IN NORWALK, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND A CAUSE FOR THE ISSUE. I HAVE REACHED OUT TO SUBARU CONCURRENTLY WITH THIS REPORT. THEY WILL BE EXAMINING MY CAR TO DETERMINE WHAT THE ISSUE IS AND WHETHER IT WILL BE COVERED.

NHTSA ODI 11320068

Mar 19, 2019Electrical systemTraction Control SystemBrakesEngineFuel system

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SUBARU LEGACY. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CHECK ENGINE, CRUISE CONTROL, BRAKE, AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SUBARU OF DAYTON (995 MIAMISBURG CENTERVILLE RD, WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, OH 45459) MULTIPLE TIMES. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE OIL FUEL CAP WAS LOOSE AND THE OXYGEN AND AN UNKNOWN SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN. *BF VIN IS INVALID. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND SUGGESTED BUYING A NEW CAR. CONSUMER STATED DEALERSHIP SAYS OXYGEN SENSORS ARE VENDING CORRECTLY FOLLOWING MONTH DEALERSHIP STATED SENSORS ARE BAD. DEALERSHIP DOES NOT KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE.*JB

NHTSA ODI 11189896

May 4, 2017Electrical systemLightsSpeed control

VEHICLE HAS AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE THAT CAUSES THE DASH CHECK ENGINE, BRAKE, CRUISE AND OTHER LIGHTS TO ACTIVATE. WHILE DRIVING, THE FAILURE CAUSES: ONE OR BOTH HEADLIGHTS TO SUDDENLY FAIL MAKING THE VEHICLE ILLEGAL AND DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AT NIGHT, CRUISE CONTROL TO SUDDENLY FAIL, AND STABILITY CONTROL TO BECOME NON-FUNCTIONAL. THE MAIN FAILURE BEING THE HEADLIGHTS/DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS COULD CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH DUE TO SUDDEN LACK OF VISIBILITY AT NIGHT. SUBARU WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE/FIX THE FAILURE ON 2 SERVICE OCCASIONS. THIS FAILURE OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AT BOTH HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND CITY STREET SPEEDS. THE COMPONENT CAUSING THE FAILURE IS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 10983522

Mar 24, 2015Electrical systemEngine

I HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH SUBARU REGARDING THEIR INABILITY TO FIX A ONGOING ISSUE WITH THE ENGINE, CRUISE CONTROL, BRAKE, ETC LIGHT FLASHING. AT THIS POINT WE CAN NOT PASS INSPECTION, SELL THE CAR, OR USE THE CAR. HOW CAN A MANUFACTURER BE ALLOWED TO SELL A VEHICLE THEY CAN NOT FIX. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10701305

Working with the data? Download all 90 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 14, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Subaru Legacy verdict →