2016 Subaru Legacy: engine and transmission complaints
NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
15%
21 of 146 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2016 Subaru Legacy. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 15% of relevant complaints.
Better than 93% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN04/22/2022CRASH1 INJURED
The contact owned a 2016 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, it suddenly accelerated crashing a small tree causing the contact to reverse the vehicle. When placed in reverse the vehicle accelerated and crashed into another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. There was damage d…
ENGINE08/31/2025
Sometimes when starting from a stop or slowing down to make a turn the engine revs up like I was pushing the gas pedal. When this happens ( 4 times in the last 6 months) luckily I was covering the break to slow down or going very slow from a stop. Each time I was turning left or right. I was able to push the shifter in…
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM03/12/2025
I was driving on highway and engine failed light came on, along with low fuel sign. Engine shut off. Luckily I was able to safely pull over. The Dealer determined that the low fuel sensor failed thus shutoff the engine. Shutting engine off on a highway is dangerous and life threatening event. Need a different stra…
Three of 21 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (3)
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016 Legacy vehicles manufactured October 24, 2015, to November 16, 2015, and Outback vehicles manufactur…
STEERING:COLUMN
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured February 29, 2016, to May 6, 2016. The steering colum…
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. Tra…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2016 Subaru Legacy
No elevated drivetrain pattern for this model year. That describes the model, not the car in front of you.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose.
3 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
