Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 53 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Subaru Legacy, and it carries 10 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 11 | 21% |
| Unknown or other | 6 | 11% |
| Structure | 4 | 8% |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 8% |
| Visibility | 3 | 6% |
| Power train | 2 | 4% |
| Electrical system | 2 | 4% |
| Engine | 2 | 4% |
| Steering | 2 | 4% |
| Power train | 1 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, there was a clicking sound coming from underneath the vehicle, and the vehicle swayed slightly before coming to a stop. The
NHTSA complaint: Structure
The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated before accelerating. The contact stated that there was a lag in the vehicle while driving and attempting to accelerate above 65 MPH. Th
NHTSA complaint: Power train
Believe the torque converter in the cvt transmission is causing the vehicle to stall. Happened multiple times going through an intersection and was almost side swiped. Was an extended warranty on cvt but no recalls for i
NHTSA complaint: Power train
The occupancy detection sensor module failed. Similar to the 2014 forester recall the module has failed and Subaru dealership wants $3300 to replace the module. The passenger airbag is off due to the sensor not working
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
My Subaru ran perfectly fine until the water pump and cooler lines got replaced after these were replaced it was tried to be driven and the car then had no idea what gear it was in drive is drive neautral is drive and re
NHTSA complaint: Power train
My vehicle is suffering of the exact same issue described in recall WRA-24. However, this recall only covers the model years 2020 to 2022, mine is 2014 with approximately 106,000 miles. Since the last week of December, m
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
Brand new battery dies after letting the car sit for 3-10 days. Car draws 183mAmps of power just sitting, with no key in ignition and no doors open. This high amount of current kills the battery after letting the car sit
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
The contact owns a 2014 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that a small circular crack had formed on the lower driver’s side windshield without incident. The contact stated that she had not repaired the small crack since
NHTSA complaint: Visibility
NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns for the 2014 Subaru Legacy. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. The electronic parking brake (EPB) may not engage as intended, allowing the vehicle to rollaway if the transmission is not in the proper gear when parked.
Risk: A vehicle rollaway can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EPB actuator assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 19, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Forester, 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, Legacy, and 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, Amer
Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or
Fix: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mont
Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or
Fix: Subaru is notifying owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-3
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, and Legacy vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Ma
Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or
Fix: Subaru is notifying owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-
| Reliability raw | 60 | average |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 72 | good |
| Maintenance | 79 | good |
| Depreciation | 72 | good |
| Performance | 60 | average |
| Efficiency | 49 | below average |
| Safety | 100 | excellent |
Percentile ranks against other midsize & large cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 53 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and air bags is the most reported area with 11 of them (21%). There are 10 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 60/100 (average) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 72/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2014 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 70/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.