AI Damage2018 Subaru Legacy: common problems
Owners of the 2018 Subaru Legacy filed 117 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and visibility. The maker issued 305 service bulletins for this year. We found 1 repair videos on YouTube. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 117
- involving a crash
- 7
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 305
- YouTube repair videos
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 34% of all complaints
- 2 Visibility 27% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 9% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel/propulsion system 7% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 3% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 3% of all complaints
- 8 Lane departure 3% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 40 complaints (34% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 185.
- Visibility: 32 complaints (27% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
- Engine: 10 complaints (9% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 16.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 8 complaints (7% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 5.
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (4% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 2.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 3.6 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- CVT
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 117 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 40 | 0 | 185 |
| Visibility | 32 | 0 | 1 |
| Engine | 10 | 3 | 16 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 8 | 2 | 5 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Structure | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Steering | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Lane departure | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Air bags | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| Suspension | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| Backover prevention | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 107 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 42 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
My wife experienced an unintended acceleration in her 2018 Subaru Legacy. My wife had begun to slowly back out of a parking space in a school parking lot when her 2018 Legacy went into an unintended rapid acceleration in reverse. The car took off in reverse and did not respond to her applying the brakes.
A friend was trying to move the car from the street when it suddenly lurched and accelerated and hit a tree, and boulder, and another car. They had not stepped on the accelerator yet. She lost control of the car. It was totaled as per State Farm.
The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that her front bumper, radiator, and part of the frame that supports the bumper had been damaged and needed to be replaced. The radiator had been damaged and leaked out all the coolant.
Vehicle proceeded from a stop at intersection when it unexpectedly decelerated and holding the brakes down seem to do nothing, tried turning corner at next stop sign to maybe slow it down and hit utility pole and parked car in driveway.
I was going down the hill in my development, I made it approximately 2-300ft at 7-10MPH when suddenly there was a loud “bang”. I could not see anything, my airbags had deployed and blocked my field of vision. I ended up hitting an electrical pole. There was no need for the airbags to go off. I could have been killed.
Warning light(s) status on dashboard of car #1 was UNKNOWN . However, driver of car#2 did report seeing brake lights of car #1 before the impact. Car #1 had never been in an accident before. This was the first time the sudden stop issue occurred.
The contact stated that while driving the vehicle at an undisclosed speed, the collision avoidance system activated causing the vehicle to stop independently and the wheel to turn. As a result, the vehicle hit a curb. There was minor damage to the passenger side bumper. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed.
Subsequently, during a diagnostic inspection at another authorized dealer (All American Subaru), heavy rusted metal pliers and loose cowl trim panels were abandoned unsecured inside the wiper cowl tray beneath the windshield, posing a severe roadway projectile and steering/wiper obstruction hazard.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 512 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 24% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Legacy has 73 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 117, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- This announcement provides information on a new software update for the Midtronics Dss and DCA machines
- This announcement provides information on an enhancement of the TechShare CVT diagnostic assitance application
- This bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles
- "This Bulletin announces additional troubleshooting steps for the following DTCs
DTC C1956: RH Actuator Circuit DTC C1957: LH Actuator Circuit"
- This announcement provides an update to all 2027 model year Subaru warranty coverages for wear items and…
- This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a…
This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
- This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during…
This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
- This bulletin provides guidance when diagnosing chain slip, judder, shudder, and hesitation concerns on…
This bulletin provides guidance when diagnosing chain slip, judder, shudder, and hesitation concerns on the TR580 model CVT transmissions used in the models listed.
- This bulletin announces a design change made to the CVT Control Valve Body
The updated valve body incorporates an enhanced valve sleeve to improve durability. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
- This Service Information Bulletin announces the release of a new diagnostic assistance application for…
This Service Information Bulletin announces the release of a new diagnostic assistance application for TR690 and TR580 CVT-equipped vehicles. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
- This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw…
This Service Information Bulletin outlines a systematic procedure for diagnosing parasitic draw (dark/standby current) in vehicles experiencing battery drain when the ignition is off, leading to no-start conditions or…
- This Bulletin provides updated diagnostic procedures to follow and a brief questionnaire to complete when…
This Bulletin provides updated diagnostic procedures to follow and a brief questionnaire to complete when diagnosing an alleged Chain Slip condition on the TR580 and TR690 model CVT transmissions used in the models…
NHTSA lists 305 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Subaru Legacy?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, visibility, engine. Total complaints: 117. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: infotainment or screen glitches (27%), windows, sunroof (9%), rear-view camera (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2018 Subaru Legacy?
NHTSA lists 305 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2018 Subaru Legacy from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2018 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.