Fault File
All models / All cars / Saloons & estates / Subaru Legacy

Subaru Legacy

All generations and engines together · 1,726 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 103k

Reliability verdict

Not enough recent tests to rate this saloon or estate. Watch suspension and brakes. Not enough recent MOT data to call this one yet.

Typical mileage at age 7
103k miles
How far the average car has gone by seven years old. Low-mileage models can look better by age than they are.

What owners report

Reported

Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.

Head gasket failure (2.5 SOHC engines)

Emerging

The naturally aspirated 2.5-litre EJ25, fitted from the late 1990s through the mid-2000s, has a long-standing reputation for weeping head gaskets, especially the single-cam version. Owners report oil seepage or coolant loss from around 60,000-120,000 miles, sometimes with a lumpy idle or a sweet smell from the coolant. A proper repair means pulling both heads, typically £700-1,200 at an independent garage. Subaru has never run a UK recall for it and treats it as normal wear, so it stays folklore rather than an acknowledged fault.

Reported 60-120k miles · sources: Honest John, oards.com, Car Talk Community forum

Big end bearing failure (early twin-turbo EJ20)

Disputed

On the early twin-turbo Legacy (pre-1999, short-skirt piston EJ20), owners have long reported premature big end bearing wear, showing up as a rumble or knock from the bottom end and sometimes ending in a broken crank. Honest John notes Subaru's position is that it comes down to poor maintenance and infrequent oil changes rather than a design fault, so it never became a TSB or recall item. It tends to surface from around 60,000 miles on a neglected car.

Sources: Honest John (Subaru Legacy/Outback 1999 good and bad)

Rear subframe and suspension corrosion

Partly in the MOT data

Salt-belt corrosion attacks the rear subframe, control arm bushes and alignment bolts. Owners describe a clunk or looseness from the back end over bumps, and in bad cases the bolts seize solid and shear on removal. It mostly shows up on cars ten years or older that have wintered on gritted UK roads. This lines up with the measured MOT data, where suspension is the standout fault category for the Legacy; the corrosion is the mechanism forums point to behind that number. A US recall (Subaru of America, covering 2005-2014 Legacy/Outback in salt-belt states) targeted exactly this corrosion, though it was never run as a UK recall.

Reported on 10+ year old cars · sources: Subaru Outback Forums, Ultimate Subaru Message Board, Go-Parts technical guide

Lineartronic CVT shudder and failure

EmergingAutomatics only

The Lineartronic CVT fitted from 2009 has a reputation for hesitation, flare or a shudder on pull-away if the fluid hasn't been changed on schedule. Belt and hydraulic pump wear tends to show from around 80,000-120,000 miles, with a second wave of complaints nearer 150,000. A fluid service runs roughly £250-350, while a full CVT rebuild or replacement is £900-2,000. Manual and older 4-speed automatic Legacys aren't affected.

Reported 80-150k miles · sources: Autodoc UK, Rohnert Park Transmission guide

Rear brake pipe corrosion

Confirmed pattern

On 2004-2009 Legacy/Outback, a brake pipe union sits under a plastic cover where road grime and salt collect, and it can corrode until it leaks brake fluid, cutting braking efficiency. Subaru ran a UK safety recall to inspect and, where necessary, replace or treat the affected pipes. Even on cars where the recall was done, the same spot is worth checking again years later since the rust trap built into the design hasn't changed.

Sources: car-recalls.co.uk, PistonHeads, uklegacy.com forum

2.0D injector and DPF problems

EmergingDiesel only

The EE20 boxer diesel fitted to Legacy/Outback from around 2008 has had reports of individual injector faults, causing rough or uneven idle, misfires, or the engine cutting out once warm. It is intolerant of poor servicing, and skipped oil changes or the wrong oil spec can also bring on DPF regeneration problems. Injector replacement is an expensive job on a boxer layout, often £500-1,000 per injector once diagnosis and labour are added. Doesn't affect petrol Legacys.

Sources: Subaru Owners Club UK forum, Subaru Outback Forums

What to check on this car

Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.

Saveable checklist

From this model’s MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Bushes and ball jointsRuns high on this model Drive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 30.1% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 9.0%
Brake pipes underneathRuns high on this model Follow the metal brake lines with a torch where they run along the sills and over the rear axle. White crust or flaking metal means they are corroding, and the online MOT history usually shows the same advisory creeping up for years before the fail.Recorded on 15.7% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 6.2%
Lights and horn walkroundRuns high on this model With a helper, run every light: dipped, main beam, indicators, brake lights including the high-level one, reverse, fog, and the horn. On newer cars a dead LED section can mean replacing the whole lamp unit rather than a bulb.Recorded on 11.8% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 3.5%
Underneath, with a torchRuns high on this model Get down and look at the sills, the subframes and the rear suspension mounting points. Flaking scale and bubbling matter; light surface rust does not. On older cars this is the one check that finds the fault that scraps them.Recorded on 10.2% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 4.3%
ExhaustRuns high on this model Listen along the exhaust at cold idle for blowing or chuffing, and give the tailpipe a push to check nothing hangs loose. Small blows only get louder.Recorded on 6.8% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 2.2%
Headlamp lensesRuns high on this model Check for condensation inside the headlamps and for cloudy or yellowed lenses. Both attract MOT trouble, and moisture inside a sealed LED unit generally means a whole new lamp.Recorded on 6.3% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 1.3%
Steering playRuns high on this model With the engine running and the car parked, waggle the wheel lightly about the straight-ahead. The wheels should respond almost at once. A dead zone before anything happens means wear in the rack or the track rod ends.Recorded on 5.8% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 1.7%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.

Tyres, all four Check the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 26.9% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 20.9%
Pads and discs Look through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 12.3% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 11.4%
Windscreen and wipers Scan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 3.5% of tests at age 10-15 · class average 2.6%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Check the oil filler cap and coolant header tank for a white mayonnaise residue. A sign the head gasket on 2.5 petrol engines is starting to weep.
On a test drive, accelerate hard from low revs and listen for a rumble or knock from the bottom end. Worse on early twin-turbo EJ20 cars and can mean the big end bearings are on their way out.
Get a torch underneath and check the rear subframe, control arm bushes and alignment bolts for flaking rust. Heavy scale here is what causes the clunks and looseness that show up as suspension failures at MOT time.
Pull away from a stop on an automatic and feel for hesitation, flare or a shudder. A sign the Lineartronic CVT fluid is overdue or the unit itself is wearing.
Check the MOT and service history for brake pipe recall work or any brake fluid leak advisories. The rear brake pipe corrosion recall on 2004-2009 cars needs to actually have been carried out, not just scheduled.
On diesel models, let it idle from cold and listen for unevenness or a misfire. Points to an injector fault on the 2.0D boxer engine, an expensive repair.
Read the full MOT advisory history, not just the pass or fail. Repeated suspension advisories year after year back up the subframe corrosion pattern rather than a one-off knock.

Open the saveable checklist, tick it off at the car

The MOT data

Measured

Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.

How this model wears

Subaru LegacyClass average, all tracked models

What testers flag

Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.

Faults with the car itself

The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 1,514 tests in this band.

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
46.6%class 13.6%
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
Advisory
15.7%class 6.2%
A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded
Advisory
14.9%class 7.4%
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
Fail
11.8%class 3.5%
Exhaust system leaking or insecure
Advisory
6.8%class 2.2%
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
Minor
6.3%class 1.3%
Play in steering rack inner joint(s)
Advisory
5.8%class 1.7%
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
Advisory
5.3%class 4.8%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Advisory
4.9%class 5.0%
Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than whit
Advisory
4.6%class 0.9%

Wear, upkeep and luck

Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Advisory
30.8%class 23.4%
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
12.3%class 11.4%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
11.3%class 7.3%
A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
10.2%class 9.7%
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
Minor
5.5%class 3.3%
Number plate inscription missing or illegible
Advisory
3.6%class 2.3%
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
Minor
3.5%class 2.6%
A tyre cords visible or damaged
Fail
3.0%class 1.6%

Others in its class

Same segment (Saloons & estates), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.

Audi A88.6%Porsche Panamera9.4%Lexus IS9.6%BMW 7 Series10.0%Mercedes S-Class10.8%Jaguar XJ12.9%See all Saloons & estatesreliability ranked