Used Car Checklists

2024 Subaru Legacy: What to check before buying

Owners have filed 16 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, wipers and visibility, and airbags. The 8 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.

Subaru Legacy2024
Owner complaints
16
Recalls
0
Crashes reported
0
Reliability
Excellent
81/100 on Auto Reliability Index

Run the VIN before you go

A history report shows accidents, title brands, odometer readings, and open recalls for this 2024 Subaru Legacy. Ask the seller for the VIN; it is also on the dash at the base of the windshield.

Your inspection sheet

Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.

0/8 checked

1

Paperwork and questions

Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2

2

Walk-around and cabin

Engine off, key in hand0/2

3

Cold start, engine bay, and underside

Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/3

4

Test drive

At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/1

These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.

Reported on other Legacy years with the same design

These years share the 2024's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.

2025 Legacy

6 owner complaints

Worth adding to your 2024 checks

  • Inspect exhaust manifold for leaks and fumes.
  • Test engine for stalling after extended drives.
  • Verify airbag sensor functionality for small adults in passenger seat.
Open the 2025 checklist

2023 Legacy

10 owner complaints
  • Airbags 2
  • Automatic emergency braking 2

Worth adding to your 2024 checks

  • Start the car cold and confirm the center display boots, with climate, EyeSight, and cruise controls all responding.
  • Drive several miles at varied speeds and watch for "Obstacle Detected" warnings when nothing is ahead.
  • Seat a small, light adult in the passenger seat, restart several times, and confirm the passenger air bag indicator stays consistent.
Open the 2023 checklist

2022 Legacy

32 owner complaints
  • Wipers and visibility 14
  • Acceleration and cruise control 2
  • Automatic emergency braking 2

Worth adding to your 2024 checks

  • Inspect the whole windshield, especially the lower edge near the heating grid, for cracks or chips.
  • Ask for glass replacement records and proof the EyeSight cameras were recalibrated afterward.
  • Check the sunroof glass for chips or cracks and ask whether it was ever replaced.
Open the 2022 checklist

Which Legacy is it?

EPA figures for each version of the 2024 Subaru Legacy. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.

VersionDriveEPA rating
2.4L 4-cylAWD26 mpg
2.5L 4-cylAWD30 mpg
  • The 2024 Subaru Legacy was sold in two versions. Confirm which one this is from the window sticker, the engine cover, or the VIN report before you compare prices.
  • Reset the trip computer at the start of the drive. A Legacy that averages well under the EPA 26 mpg combined on a mixed route may have an engine or tire problem.

Check the odometer against these mileages

Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.

  • Windshield chips and cracks

    0–3,000 miles

0 mi25k50k

Why these checks: what owners reported

NHTSA complaints for the 2024 Subaru Legacy, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.

  • Electrical5No crashes

    The infotainment screen freezes or shows "There was a problem loading this content" during CarPlay use. Because the screen also runs climate controls, those freeze too. Speakers go silent at random, and phone calls mute for the person on the other end. Some reports describe safety features dropping out while driving, sudden automatic braking on the interstate, and lane assist steering toward an occupied lane. Other complaints mention EyeSight and transmission oil warnings, hazard lights flashing at startup, and rodent-chewed wiring that disabled power steering. Several owners say dealers would not schedule or perform repairs.

  • Wipers and visibility3No crashes

    The windshield chips and cracks from small stones on paved highways, with no large impact or loud bang. Damage shows up early, at under 3,000 miles or within the first several months. Some cars collect several chips or repeated cracks, and one report says a new factory replacement windshield cracked again within days. Owners warn that chips spread into cracks that block the driver's view and need costly repairs.

  • Airbags3No crashes

    The passenger airbag indicator does not always show the airbag as on when a light adult sits in the front seat. The reports involve passengers of roughly 100 pounds or less. Dealers say the seat weight sensor is calibrated correctly and cannot be adjusted, so the light-passenger problem stays unresolved. A separate complaint describes a passenger airbag warning light that stays on, where the quoted sensor fix means replacing the seat rail and warranty did not cover it. Owners worry a small adult may ride without airbag protection in a crash.

In owners' own words

Excerpts from complaints Legacy owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.

Wipers and visibility
The windshield is extremely fragile, I have under 3,000 miles and already 4 rock chips on the windshield. This is all from highways and paved roads, no gravel or dirt roads have been driven on. The rock chips have happened on different occasions and never was their a loud bang from a large rock which makes me think small rocks are causing the damage. Rock chips lead to cracks that will impair visibility without costly repairs

Filed with NHTSA, August 2024

Wipers and visibility
Highway travel , approximately 70 mph , small object struck windshield and cracked it . Cracked far too easily . Less than 3000 miles on vehicle.

Filed with NHTSA, February 2024

How the 2024 compares with other Legacy years

Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.

The 2024 ranks sixth for owner complaints among 8 Legacy years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.

2024 Average of other years
  • Electrical513
  • Wipers and visibility322
  • Airbags31

Where the 2024 fits in the Legacy's history

Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.

The 2024 is the fifth model year of the Legacy's seventh generation (2020 on).

Also looking at these instead of a Legacy?

Cars shoppers compare with the Subaru Legacy, with their own 2024 checklists.

2024 owner complaints, side by side