My 201 5 Subaru Legacy has approximately 49.000 miles. It suffered a drivetrain failure and was towed to a Subaru dealership. The dealership found metal shavings chunks in the CVT/transmission fluid and diagnosed an internal CVT failure requiring replacement. The dealership also diagnosed a front differential failure. I'm reporting this because I'm concerned about the possibility of an unexpected drivetrain failure during operation and want the failure documented. I was going 70 miles an hour down the highway and BOOM! It felt like a bomb hit my car. I don't want anyone in that kind of danger.
Subaru Legacy cvt failure problems
53 of the 3,184 owner complaints about the Subaru Legacy describe cVT failure, most of them for the 2010 model year.
- owner complaints
- 53
- worst model year
- 2010
- typical repair cost reported
- $7,000
- typical mileage
- 100,000
Is there a fix? There are 13 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Stalling 25Slipping 6Shudder 6Transmission failure 5Jerking 4Check engine light 3Grinding brakes 3Sudden acceleration 2
Trouble codes mentioned
P0700 2P2096 1P0867 1P0843 1P0841 1P0730 1C1431 1
What owners say
On September 19, 2026, at approximately 93,500 miles, my vehicle suddenly lost drive power while I was driving in active traffic at about 22 to 23 mph (based on scan tool freeze frame data). Another vehicle was close behind me, and the sudden loss of propulsion created a real risk of a rear-end collision. I was able to get off the road and drive home at reduced power. The next day the vehicle would not engage Drive or Reverse and was inoperable. Component: The CVT (automatic transmission) failed. The vehicle is currently at a Subaru dealer and is available for inspection at this time. Warning signs: There were no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms before the failure. Multiple warning lamps came on at the moment power was lost and were photographed at 93,504 miles. Confirmation: A scan at 93,512 miles showed permanent codes P0700 and P0730. A Subaru dealer confirmed an internal transmission fault and recommended full CVT replacement. Inspection: The dealer inspected and diagnosed the vehicle. Subaru of America was notified through Customer Advocacy and declined assistance in writing on October 2, 2026, citing the vehicle being outside powertrain warranty and having no service history with a Subaru retailer. Subaru did not physically inspect the transmission. No police report was made because there was no crash. Maintenance: The CVT fluid was serviced on April 9, 2026 at 79,148 miles at an independent shop. The fluid was inspected and found in good condition, as documented in a photo, and was replaced anyway as preventive maintenance. Subaru's schedule lists CVT fluid as inspect-only under normal driving conditions. Subaru technical service bulletins that may relate to this transmission include 16-158-26, 16-132-20R, 16-154-25R and 18-241-26. Cause: UNKNOWN. My best assessment is an internal CVT failure that occurred without warning while driving.
2015 Subaru Legacy 2.5i, approximately 48,000 miles. CVT transmission failed suddenly with no prior warning signs. Vehicle was exclusively dealer-serviced for its entire life. While driving, the transmission began shuddering, slipping, and making metallic grinding noises. Vehicle could barely climb a small ramp and was locked in limp mode, making it unsafe to operate in traffic. Diagnostic codes P0841, P0700, and C1431 were stored. Authorized Subaru dealer confirmed the failure. Technician stated the valve body likely failed first — a known defect per Subaru TSB 16-107-17R — which then caused the CVT chain to slip. Dealer quoted $11,000 for a remanufactured CVT replacement. Service representative stated she had never seen a transmission need replacement at such low mileage. No warning lamps or symptoms existed prior to sudden onset. CVT fluid was never changed, consistent with the manufacturer's U.S. maintenance schedule. This vehicle falls under Subaru's CVT Warranty Extension covering 2010-2015 Legacy models due to known defects. Vehicle is well under the 100,000-mile limit but approximately 13 months past the 10-year time limit. I opened a case with Subaru of America Customer Advocacy. My dealer informed me that Subaru Corporate contacted them and communicated a decision regarding my case, but Subaru has never communicated any decision to me directly. Multiple emails, a voicemail, and a request for escalation have gone unanswered over several days. This failure poses a safety risk as the transmission can fail suddenly and without warning while in motion, potentially with passengers including children.
My 2012 Subaru Legacy experiences involuntary engine stalling when coming to a quick stop, such as in stop-and-go traffic or during sudden braking at intersections. When the engine shuts off without warning, power steering and braking assist are lost, creating a serious risk of collision. This is a known issue documented by Subaru of America in Technical Service Bulletin 16-90-13R, applicable to 2010–2012 Legacy and Outback vehicles with CVT transmissions. Subaru attributes the condition to excessive thrust washer wear inside the torque converter, which prevents proper release of lock-up clutch pressure. Subaru describes the condition as similar to stopping a manual transmission vehicle without depressing the clutch, which inherently results in engine stalling. Subaru later redesigned the torque converter as a countermeasure beginning in October 2013, indicating prior knowledge of a defect. However, Subaru never issued a recall or notified owners and addressed the issue only through a non-customer-facing service bulletin. I contacted Subaru Customer Advocacy to report this safety concern and request assistance with the repair (quoted over $4,000). Subaru acknowledged my concern but declined responsibility, citing the vehicle being out of warranty and stating that TSBs are not customer facing. Subaru did not confirm whether the vehicle is safe to drive with this condition. This issue represents a safety defect, not a warranty dispute. Vehicles that can stall unexpectedly during normal braking events pose a serious safety risk, and many affected vehicles remain on the road today.
CVT Transmission Failure. Failure occurred at approximately 66,706 miles on 5/16/25. The Check Engine and AT Temp lights appeared in the instrument cluster. The driving conditions when this happened were a safety concern. First, the vehicle would crawl, shutter, and almost stall with high RPMs when attempting to climb a hill. Second, on a level surface at any given time the vehicle would not respond then lunge forward unexpectedly. The vehicle was inspected by a Subaru Dealership and the diagnosis was "Internal failure of transmission". The transmission needs to be replaced. The same driving conditions and error codes were experienced by an AAMCO Transmission repair facility. The diagnosis was codes P0843 and P0867 present prompting the transmission to be replaced. This repair was completed on 6/4/25. The failed transmission is no longer available.
CVT failed at 85,000 miles. It started slipping and squealing and had to be replaced by the dealership. The car was never driven rough, in mountainous terrain, etc. Very disappointing.
Believe the torque converter in the cvt transmission is causing the vehicle to stall. Happened multiple times going through an intersection and was almost side swiped. Was an extended warranty on cvt but no recalls for it yet.
There was a recall for my 2016 Subaru Legacy transmission issue (CVT), I got a letter from Subaru on 9/23/2018 which extended warranty for 2016-2017 Legacy/Outback CVT from 5 years/60000 miles to 10 years/100000 miles, started from 9/30/2019. The transmission of my Subaru started making noise half year ago which was still under warranty, at that time I didn't think it was a big deal and totally forgot the letter from Subaru, however, the noise is aloud and unbearable now, the mileages of my car is about 5000 miles exceeding 100000 miles warranty, which I need to pay $8200 to replace transmission per Subaru client service USA. After browsing online, I have noticed that the issue of CVT on Subaru Legacy is common, in this case, Subaru should replace such defective CVT for free, at least for the part.
The CVT failed and the axle 12
CVT transmission issues persist beyond the limited warranty extension that has now expired from Subaru. Vehicle RPMs regularly drop from 1000 to 500 when coming to a stop, causing engine to knock as it tries to stall. Vehicle then occasionally hesitates when attempting to move under power. Knocking and near stalling occasionally results in a sensation of vehicle being hit from behind while stopped with vehicle in drive and brakes applied.
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission: park/neutral start interlock switch
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail.
- Risk
- An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑800‑782‑2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WRQ-23.
Recall number 23V755000 · Recall details
Power train: driveline: driveshaft
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2023 Outback, Legacy, Ascent, and Impreza vehicles. The center support bolts for the driveshaft may loosen, resulting in the disconnection of the front end of the driveshaft.
- Risk
- Separation of the front end of the driveshaft increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will clean the bolt mounting surfaces of the center support brace and install new bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 20, 2023. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRN-23.
Recall number 23V647000 · Recall details
Power train: driveline: chain/belt
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A programming error in the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) may allow the clutch to engage before the drive chain is completely clamped.
- Risk
- An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the TCU, inspect TCU data for chain slip, and visually inspect the chain guide. If evidence of chain slippage or damage is found, the transmission will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 24, 2022. Owners may contact Subaru's customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRK-22. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 21V‑955.
Recall number 22V485000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2020 Legacy and Outback vehicles. A programming error in the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) may allow the clutch to engage before the drive chain is completely clamped.
- Risk
- An improperly secured drive chain may slip and break, causing a loss of drive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the TCU, inspect TCU data for chain slip, and visually inspect the chain guide. If evidence of chain slippage or damage is found, the transmission will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 19, 2022. This recall includes all vehicles previously recalled under 19V‑855. Vehicles previously recalled under 19V‑855 will need to have the new remedy performed for this recall once available. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRK-21.
Recall number 21V955000 · Recall details
Power train: driveline: differential unit
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016 Legacy vehicles manufactured October 24, 2015, to November 16, 2015, and Outback vehicles manufactured October 24, 2015, to November 17, 2015. Due to the improper tightening of the securing nuts, the drive shaft may separate from the rear differential.
- Risk
- If the drive shaft detaches from the rear differential, it may strike the fuel tank and result in a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the fastening nuts, and tighten or replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 10, 2015. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑856‑488‑8500. Subaru's number for this recall is WQV-57.
Recall number 15V794000 · Recall details
Power train: driveline: driveshaft
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2015 and 2016 model year Subaru Legacy 4-Door and Outback vehicles manufactured July 3, 2015, to July 27, 2015. Transmission oil may leak from a deformed seal cap on the propeller shaft yoke.
- Risk
- If the transmission oil leaks onto the exhaust pipe, there is a possible risk of fire.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the propeller shaft, free of charge. The recall began on August 28, 2015. Owners may contact 1‑800‑782‑2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WQU-56.
Recall number 15V502000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America is recalling certain model year 2014 Legacy 3.6R and Outback 3.6R and 2013 Tribeca vehicles manufactured June 12, 2013, through June 28, 2013 and equipped with 5-speed automatic transmissions. In the affected vehicles, the parking rod may come loose inside the automatic transmission.
- Risk
- As a result of the parking rod detaching, the transmission may not be able to be moved from the "park" position preventing the vehicle from being moved or driven. Furthermore, even with the transmission shifted into the 'park' position, the parking mechanism may not engage, and the vehicle may roll away while in the "park" position, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission, free of charge. The recall began during August 2013. Owners may contact Subaru at 1‑800‑782‑2783. Subaru's recall number is WQJ-46.
Recall number 13V336000 · Recall details
Power train: manual transmission
- What is wrong
- Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010 and 2011 outback and legacy passenger vehicles manufactured from april 28 through june 23, 2010. Due to a programming error, a lubrication hole within the 6-speed manual transmission was omitted.
- Risk
- If the transmission gears are not properly lubricated, a groaning sound may begin to develop alerting the driver of a problem. If the sound is ignored and no action is taken, the gears will eventually break and this condition will lead to vehicle power loss, possibly resulting in a crash.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles by drilling an oil lubrication hole and, if necessary, replace the internal parts with new ones free of charge. The safety recall began on july 28, 2010. Owners may contact subaru at 1‑800‑782‑2783.
Recall number 10V326000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Certain sport utility and passenger vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions were produced with an improperly manufactured transmission parking rod. When the transmission selector lever is placed in the "p" (park) position, the transmission park mechanism, that is intended to hold your vehicle, may not engage.
- Risk
- The vehicle could then move/roll without prior warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the automatic transmission parking rod assembly. Owner notification january 8, 2003. An interim owner notification will be sent during november 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact subaru at 1‑800‑782‑2783.
Recall number 02V282000 · Recall details
Power train: driveline: center support bearing
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: sedan l model passenger vehicles. Anti-rust coating was incorrectly applied to the transverse link mounting surface of the vehicle body. Over time the coating shrinks, causing a torque decrease of the bolt that secures the transverse link bracket to the vehicle body.
- Risk
- This can result in loosening of the bracket and subsequent separation of the transverse link from the vehicle frame.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the vehicles and, if necessary, remove the anti-rust coating under the mounting location of the left transverve link mounting bracket bolt and retorque the mounting bolt to the required torque.
Recall number 99V249000 · Recall details
Questions about the Subaru Legacy cvt failure
Which Subaru Legacy years have cVT failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2010 (16 complaints), 2011 (11 complaints) and 2012 (6 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix CVT failure on the Subaru Legacy?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $7,000 (median of 8 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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