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2018 Subaru Legacy

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Subaru Legacy do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 77.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

54 reports with mileage · 63 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Visibility/wiper. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

7 crash reports1 fire reports1 injury reports

Lane Departure complaints

4 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jan 23, 2026
Electrical SystemLane Departure

The infotainment touchscreen in my 2018 Subaru Legacy experiences “ghost touch,” where the screen registers inputs without driver interaction and becomes unresponsive. While driving, the screen changes settings on its own and distracts the driver. As a result of the touchscreen malfunction, critical safety features including Bl…

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The infotainment touchscreen in my 2018 Subaru Legacy experiences “ghost touch,” where the screen registers inputs without driver interaction and becomes unresponsive. While driving, the screen changes settings on its own and distracts the driver. As a result of the touchscreen malfunction, critical safety features including Blind Spot Warning and Lane Keeping Assistance became disabled. This directly impacted safe vehicle operation. The issue was diagnosed by an authorized Subaru dealership, which confirmed the head unit is defective and requires replacement. Subaru previously issued a warranty extension for this known defect. Subaru of America denied goodwill assistance despite the safety-related nature of the defect.

NHTSA ODI #11712979

Mileage unknown · Mar 29, 2024
Air BagsForward Collision AvoidanceLane Departure

The driver’s side airbag of 2018 Subaru Legacy deployed as I was reversing out of a parking lot going approximately 5mph. It has not been fixed due to the company’s negligence. One of Subaru’s accident advocate specialist claimed the engineer found a mysterious brown liquid that caused the airbag to deploy although I had not bee…

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The driver’s side airbag of 2018 Subaru Legacy deployed as I was reversing out of a parking lot going approximately 5mph. It has not been fixed due to the company’s negligence. One of Subaru’s accident advocate specialist claimed the engineer found a mysterious brown liquid that caused the airbag to deploy although I had not been in the car for two hours nor was I drinking any substances; especially “brown”. My and other’s safety was put at risk to a degree that is fatal, I was a short distance from the highway to head home. Had I been driving at the normal highway speed in my city (55mph) with the airbag deploying in my face, with others on the road, and inhaling blinding fumes, I can assure you it would’ve been detrimental to my and other’s being. The car was inspected for a few months by multiple Subaru engineers, one of the accident advocate specialist refused to give me any documentation or pictures proving this was the cause. There was absolutely no warning lights or other malfunctions occurring. The car is in great condition, and in a previous accident did not deploy its airbags.

NHTSA ODI #11580183

Mileage unknown · Feb 6, 2024
Electrical SystemLane DepartureStructure

My car's belt had been screeching for a few weeks. I was planning on taking my car in the next day. When i turned my car off, all the electrical went out and it started smoking on the driver's side. I got my car towed to the nearest auto shop. They replaced the battery and belt and yet the electrical was still out. When they tes…

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My car's belt had been screeching for a few weeks. I was planning on taking my car in the next day. When i turned my car off, all the electrical went out and it started smoking on the driver's side. I got my car towed to the nearest auto shop. They replaced the battery and belt and yet the electrical was still out. When they tested the fuse, the driver's mirror caught on fire and was smoking. Thank goodness I was not driving when this occurred as that could have been scary. They replaced the fuse, but now I can't auto up / down my window. When I reached out to Subaru, they wanted $200 just to inspect it and $1,000 for a mirror replacement. I told them the situation and they didn't care. I also emailed them and never received a response. I googled this issue and other Subaru cars have had this issue and noted water coming in the mirror so now I'm frightened to get a car wash. There was no warning light or anything unfamiliar.

NHTSA ODI #11570260

34,000 miles · May 13, 2021
Forward Collision AvoidanceLane DepartureVisibility/wiper

DRIVING TO WORK EARLY THIS AM NO VEHICLES IN FRONT OF ME AND ALL OF A SUDDEN A HEAR A SMALL POP AND LOOK OVER TO NOTICE MY PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD HAS A CRACK IN IT.

NHTSA ODI #11416397

Official recalls

3

21V587000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Jul 29, 2021

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.

18V935000 · Visibility:rearview Mirrors/devices

Dec 31, 2018

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Legacy, Outback, and BRZ vehicles. In the affected vehicles, a software issue may cause the audio display system to not initialize, resulting in the camera display remaining blank. If this occurs, the rearview image will not display while backing up the vehicle. As a result, the vehicles fail to comply with requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Failure to display the rearview image while backing up increases the risk of crash.

Remedy: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will reprogram the audio system display software, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTZ-85.

18V773000 · Electrical System:software; Fuel System, Gasoline

Nov 1, 2018

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the combination meter software, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTW-82.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Electrical System:software

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.

Consequence: The inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the combination meter software, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTW-82.

Fuel System, Gasoline

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles. Due to a software error, the low fuel warning light may not illuminate at the intended remaining fuel level and the miles-to-empty display may incorrectly indicate a positive number despite the tank being empty.

Consequence: The inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the combination meter software, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTW-82.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.