I am the original owner since purchased new on the dealer lot in 2013. Within the first year, the drivers side headlight prematurely burned out (low beam). I have had to replace four bulbs (so far) since owning vehicle. The first two incidents I payed over $100 to have the bulb changed/replaced by a local mechanic. Since then, I have figured out how to replace the bulbs myself; but unfortunately the remedy is to remove the front driver's tire, remove inner plastic wheel well, and finagle and twist my arm to do this procedure (not easy!). Two main issues: Subaru needs to recall and fix the issue that is prematurely burning out this bulb, and 2; bring back the ability to (engineering design) that allows the owner of the vehicle to replace this bulb from the engine bay - NOT going through a procedure that involves a lengthy and expensive repair.
The worst 2013 Subaru Legacy problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine20
- Airbags14
- Transmission12
- Electrical6
- Body5
- Acceleration4
- Brakes4
- Steering4
- Seat belts3
- Seats2
- Driver assistance1
- Fuel system1
- Lights1
- Visibility1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2013 Subaru Legacy
Recalls 12
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1‑800‑955‑9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-20.
Recall number 20V001000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1‑800‑955‑9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-20.
Recall number 20V002000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1‑800‑955‑9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-20.
Recall number 20V003000 · Recall details
Electrical system: ignition: switch
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part. The ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.
- Risk
- The engine turning off unexpectedly can increase the risk of a crash. If a crash occurs under this condition, the air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 10, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUF-91.
Recall number 19V297000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Forester, 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, Legacy, and 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-19.
Recall number 19V007000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, and Legacy vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru is notifying owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-19.
Recall number 19V008000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru is notifying owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-19.
Recall number 19V009000 · Recall details
Parking brake
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. The electronic parking brake (EPB) may not engage as intended, allowing the vehicle to rollaway if the transmission is not in the proper gear when parked.
- Risk
- A vehicle rollaway can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EPB actuator assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 19, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTV-81.
Recall number 18V626000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Legacy, Forester, Tribeca, WRX and Outback vehicles, and 2009-2011 Impreza vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on February 9, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑800‑782‑2783. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-18.
Recall number 18V012000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Legacy vehicles manufactured November 26, 2008, to June 7, 2013, and 2010-2014 Outback vehicles manufactured January 9, 2009 to June 7, 2013. Due to contamination, components within the windshield wiper motor bottom cover may interfere with each other. If an obstruction, such as a buildup of snow or ice prevents the wiper arms from being able to stop in the parked position, the wiper motor may overheat and the bottom cover may melt.
- Risk
- If the windshield wiper motor overheats, the wipers may fail, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, the wiper motor cover may melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the windshield wiper motor bottom cover assembly, free of charge. The recall began October 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑800‑782‑2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WTK-71. Note: This recall supersedes recall 11V‑469. All vehicles that were remedied under that campaign are affected by this campaign, and need to have their wiper motor bottom cover replaced again.
Recall number 16V694000 · Recall details
Steering: column
- What is wrong
- Subaru is recalling certain model year 2013 Outback and Legacy vehicles manufactured from February 15, 2012, through June 15, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the inner and outer shafts of the steering column assembly may become disengaged from one another.
- Risk
- If the shafts become disengaged, the driver would lose the ability to steer the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering column assembly with a new one, free of charge. The recall began on May 14, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1‑800‑782‑2783. Subaru's recall campaign number is WQI-45.
Recall number 13V194000 · Recall details
Equipment
- What is wrong
- Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with an automatic or CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, certain model year 2012-2013 Impreza vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, and certain model year 2013 XV Crosstrek vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory. Additionally included are certain model year 2013 Legacy and Outback vehicles that may have received replacement RES fobs. If the RES fob is dropped, the fob may malfunction and randomly transmit an engine start request without pressing the button.
- Risk
- The engine may inadvertently start and run for up to fifteen minutes. The engine may continue to start and stop until the fob battery is depleted, or until the vehicle runs out of fuel. If the vehicle is parked in an enclosed area, there is a risk of carbon monoxide build-up which may cause headaches, dizziness or, in extreme cases, unconsciousness and/or asphyxiation.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RES key fobs, free of charge. The recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1‑800‑782‑2783 for more information.
Recall number 13V061000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2013 Subaru Legacy 511
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This is an update announcement regarding the TechShare & NorthStar Integration
- This announcement provides information on the connected services platform for Subaru EVs.
- This bulletin provides a step-by-step diagnostic procedure for resolving Remote Engine Start (RES)...
- This Service Information Bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but...
- This announcement provides information on DCM replacememts due to a parasitic draw.
- This announcement provides information on an outage affecting the Subaru Select Monitor 5 application.
- This Service Information Bulletin announces the availability of ThreeBond 1216J (SOA868V9640) designed for...
- This announcement provides information on a new software update for the Midtronics Dss and DCA machines.
- This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a...
- This bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles.
2013 Subaru Legacy fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4‑cyl | AWD | 21-24 | 28-32 | 24-27 |
| 3.6L 6‑cyl | AWD | 18 | 24 | 20 |
What 2013 Subaru Legacy owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The passenger side frame rusted through. The bolt holding the frame collapsed through the rusted frame while I was driving on the highway and I lost control of my car as I was entering an exit off the highway. My mechanic said the air conditioning system drips on this area of the frame causing the rust and failure of the frame to hold the bolt. There were no warnings prior to the incident except that I heard a popping sound when I took a right turn out of my driveway before heading onto the highway.
I want to add my report of oil loss in the hope a recall is made. I found out after purchase that 2012-2014 or 2015 has a known problem with piston rings. With normal local driving I need to top off the oil every couple of weeks. With longer trips, say a couple hours of driving one way, the oil gets a quarter to half way down on the dipstick. I carry oil for all roadtrips and can't forget to keep checking the level. My understanding from many sources online is that Subaru is aware they put in bad piston rings and just call it good enough or within spec, but dumping so much oil isn't right. This isn't a wear and tear problem, although it can get worse over time and lead to other problems. The problem goes away when the rings and the engine block is replaced. Scotty Kilmer on Youtube tells a story of a customer that complained enough and after being persistent had it fixed for free (piston rings and block), and still has no oil loss issues after 60k miles. He also recommended reporting it here. This engine is used in various Subaru's, not just the Legacy.
While driving the vehicle, there was a loud "clunk" from the front-end. After that, during turns there is a lot of scraping, banging and popping noises. During braking, the car veers toward the right. The car is very unstable going around bends and on/off ramps. I took it to a mechanic and was told the front subframe on my vehicle has rusted out to the point he can put his fist through some of the holes. He contacted a dealer to get a price on a replacement and was told they have been waiting over 9 months for that particular part and there is currently no ETA for it. I contacted several other dealers and was told the part has been on backorder since January or February with no ETA. All the dealers I talked with said they are waiting on 10 or more. Based on that information, this seems to be a common problem with this model that may warrant some investigation and/or action to prompt Subaru to make the part available and possibly replace them via a recall. I really like this car and don't want to lose it over a $600 part not being available.
Faulty transmission, erratic gear shifting and now it seems the transmission is no longer working, mileage on vehicle is not even 130,000.
The contact's son owns a 2013 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed and approaching a traffic light, the vehicle stalled. The contact's son was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. However, the failure reoccurred on two different occasions. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The contact stated that her son had added 10 quarts of oil in the vehicle within 2 weeks. The contact referenced Subaru Technical Service Bulletin Number: 02-157-14R. The contact also stated that the exhaust pipe was emitting black smoke. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the vehicle needed an engine compression test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 169,000. The consumer stated that they no longer have the vehicle.
Transmission failed. Began to make bad noises then failed to accelerate in an intersection. Was almost hit by another car. Dealer indicated that the Subaru transmissions were only lasting 90, 000 to 100,000 miles before requiring replacement. Contracted Subaru who said they had a voluntary fix, but we were not notified and were outside of the short time frame for the fix. We replaced transmission at cost of $10,000. Subaru offered 1000 off a new car but was not concerned about the safety issue and would not fix/replace the transmission for this known issue.
The contact owns a 2013 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, there was an abnormal noise coming from the transmission. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the technician informed the contact that the failure was the transmission. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the CVT transmission needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 117,000.
I received a recall letter about problem with the Engine, They did to Tess at 1200 miles each but the car runs out of oil between 25 and 3000 mile every time but they did nothing about it
When driving on interstate, all at once, dashboard lit up with lights, one of the lights being the check engine light. Towed car to dealership and found there was a problem in the CVT valve body which was replaced. I think this should be a recall because it's dangerous to be driving down an interstate with dashboard lit up. Have no idea what would have happened to engine or other parts of car if I wasn't able to get off highway in time.
Compare the 2013 Subaru Legacy
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2013 Subaru Legacy
Is the 2013 Subaru Legacy reliable?
Owners have filed 66 complaints about the 2013 Subaru Legacy, close to a typical Legacy model year.
What is the 2013 Subaru Legacy year score?
The 2013 Subaru Legacy scores 70 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Subaru Legacy: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Subaru Legacy?
Engine and cooling, with 20 complaints, typically around 32,000 miles. Next is airbags (14).
How many recalls does the 2013 Subaru Legacy have?
12 recalls, covering air bags, electrical system and parking brake.
What year does the Subaru Legacy have bad engine?
The Subaru Legacy model years with the most engine complaints are 2010 (35 complaints), 2005 (33 complaints) and 1997 (32 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2013 Subaru Legacy get?
Official estimates for the 2013 Subaru Legacy range from 20 to 27 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.5L 4-cyl, AWD) gets 21-24 city and 28-32 highway.
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