The 2017 Subaru Legacy has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 48,873 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 140 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the visibility/wiper. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
AIR BAGS16V7160002016-10-0654 affected
Defect
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2017 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured September 21, 2016, to September 23, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the knee guard bracket may not be properly attached to the steering beam assembly.
Consequence
If the knee guard is not properly attached and the driver is not wearing a seatbelt, the knee guard may not be able to properly restrain the driver's lower body in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the knee guard welding on each vehicle's steering beam, replacing the beam as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 14, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTL-72.
STEERING16V2920002016-05-1148,819 affected
Defect
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 column on the affected vehicles may have been improperly machined, and as a result, turning the steering wheel may have no effect on the direction of the…
Consequence
The loss of steering ability would increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lot number on the steering column, replacing the steering column, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 13, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783 or by visiting http://www.wtd65.service-campaign.com. Subaru's number…
Complaints by component
VISIBILITY/WIPER
33
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
28
1fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
21
1crashes1fires
STEERING
9
1crashes
AIR BAGS
7
6crashes4injuries
STRUCTURE:BODY
6
ENGINE
5
SERVICE BRAKES
5
1crashes1injuries
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
4
POWER TRAIN
3
Total complaints140
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Major fuel leak within engine bay”
“The battery has died several times and had to be replaced over the years due to a likely slow drain issue that subaru is well aware of and was part of a class action suit against them.”
“My 2017 legacy is on it's 3rd windshield this year. I had impact damage on july 17th, had it replaced the first week of august, and it cracked without impact damage in october. Subaru refused to replace it under warranty and it was replaced through insurance in december. The genuine subaru…”
“I drove into the parking lot of walgreens, then drove around and pulled into a parking spot facing the south side of the building and put my foot on the brake to stop and park. Instead of stopping, the car suddenly lurched forward violently and slammed into the brick wall of the building. My wife…”
“I drove into the parking lot of walgreens, then drove around and pulled into a parking spot facing the south side of the building and put my foot on the brake to stop and park. Instead of stopping, the car suddenly lurched forward violently and slammed into the brick wall of the building. My wife…”
“I drove into the parking lot of walgreens, then drove around and pulled into a parking spot facing the south side of the building and put my foot on the brake to stop and park. Instead of stopping, the car suddenly lurched forward violently and slammed into the brick wall of the building. My wife…”
“The ocs sensor is faulty and doesn’t detect a passanger and may cause the airbag not to deploy, this is common according to other subaru owners. This is a common problem on many cars and those cars have been recalled”
“The mirror drivers side mirror wiggles. I. The even of a battery failure the electrical brake may fail”
Defect investigations
InvestigationEA21002 Opened 2021-09-17 · open
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant…
InvestigationEA21002 Opened 2021-09-17 · open
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2017 Subaru Legacy as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.