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#BS-2018-SUBLEG-2517

2018 Subaru LegacyProblems, Recalls & Reliability

Based on reports from 165 owners and 3 recalls for this exact model.

Data updated ·checked October 30, 2026 · NHTSA complaints through October 28, 2026

Complaints
165
Crashes
14
Fires
3
Recalls
3
TSBs
445
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 165 complaints, 14 crashes, 3 fires, and 3 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

radio navigation back up camera screen blank

4 complaints • Severity 7.5/10

$X,XXX
2

cam carrier oil leak

4 complaints • Severity 6.5/10

$X,XXX
3

gps system is insufficient and incorrect

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
4

infotainment dial lights stopped working

1 complaints • Severity 2/10

$X,XXX
5

infotainment system freezes and is delaminating

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the ElectricalHIGH

38 owners reported electrical issues — failures commonly reported around 21K miles.

!Inspect the VisibilityMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

46
0–30K
18
30–60K
5
60–90K
1
90–120K
120–150K
150K+

Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (46 reports) • Median: 21K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Electrical (38 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Electrical38 (23%)
Other29 (18%)
Visibility27 (16%)
Engine10 (6%)
Fuel System8 (5%)
Brakes6 (4%)
Visibility:windshield5 (3%)
Steering4 (2%)

2018 Subaru Legacy: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 23% of all reports filed for the 2018 Subaru Legacy, with 38 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 20,900 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 21K-mile mark.

Visibility Issues

Visibility complaints account for 16% of all reports filed for the 2018 Subaru Legacy, with 27 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to visibility-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2018 Subaru Legacy, with 10 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Fuel System Issues

Fuel System complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 2018 Subaru Legacy, with 8 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to fuel system-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

1
17
10
18
26
19
21
20
22
21
10
22
17
23
11
24
34
25
13
26

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2018 Subaru Legacy. Recent trend: decreasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (3 recalls)

18V773000Feb 2019

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.

18V935000Feb 2019

VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES

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."

21V587000Sep 2021

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

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.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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2018 Subaru Legacy NHTSA Safety Ratings

Overall

★★★★★

5 of 5 stars

Frontal crash

★★★★★

5 of 5 stars

Side crash

★★★★★

5 of 5 stars

Rollover

★★★★★

5 of 5 stars

From NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings). Where NHTSA tested more than one version of this vehicle, the lowest rating is shown.

The worst model year for the Subaru Legacy is the 2013 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

2018 Subaru Legacy vs. Class Average (Midsize Cars)

This vehicle

165

Class avg

130

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other midsize cars vehicles from 2018.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 165 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 3 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Last updated (checked October 30, 2026). NHTSA complaints received through October 28, 2026; safety ratings from NHTSA's 5-Star program.

Other Subaru Legacy Model Years

202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990
View all Subaru Legacy years →

2018 Subaru Legacy: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2018 Subaru Legacy?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2018 Subaru Legacy is related to the electrical, with 38 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2018 Subaru Legacy reliable?
The 2018 Subaru Legacy has 165 complaints, 14 crash reports, and 3 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How safe is the 2018 Subaru Legacy?
NHTSA rates the 2018 Subaru Legacy 5 out of 5 stars overall, with 5 stars in frontal crash tests, 5 stars in side crash tests, 5 stars for rollover resistance. Where NHTSA tested more than one version, the lowest rating is shown.
How much does it cost to fix 2018 Subaru Legacy problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2018 Subaru Legacy have any recalls?
Yes, the 2018 Subaru Legacy has 3 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Subaru Legacy problems start?
Based on 70 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 20,900 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
When was the 2018 Subaru Legacy data last updated?
BumperScan last checked this vehicle against NHTSA on October 30, 2026, covering owner complaints received through October 28, 2026 plus the latest recalls, investigations and technical service bulletins. Its numbers last changed on October 13, 2026.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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