Buyer Research

2017 Subaru Legacy — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $12,000–$17,000. This is one of the more reliable vehicles in its class — here's what to watch for anyway.

Deciding between model years? Compare the 15 Subaru Legacy years we've written up →

Kestrel Take

An all-wheel-drive midsize sedan with 119 complaints, and more than half of them are two things Subaru settled class actions over: windshields that crack on their own, and batteries that die in the driveway. Neither is the engine or the CVT. Two steering-column recalls from the first months of production. A very sensible car with two annoying, well-documented habits; ask which windshield and which battery it is on.

What we checked

Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 119 owner complaints for the 2017 Subaru Legacy, and 2 recall campaigns.

A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. 30% of them are about one thing — glass, wipers and mirrors. That much concentration is a genuine pattern rather than background noise, and it is the first thing to check on any example you look at.

2 recall campaigns cover this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.

Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.

Known Issues for the 2017 Subaru Legacy

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.

Windshield cracks without impact — on the third one in a yearMedium

36 complaints, 30% of the record: cracks starting at the bottom corner and running across, with nothing having hit the glass, and Subaru refusing to cover the replacement. Subaru settled a class action over cracking windshields on 2017–2019 Legacy and Outback that extended warranty coverage and reimbursed replacements. Whether this car's glass is original or a replacement matters; the EyeSight cameras must be recalibrated with any new windshield.

Repair cost (estimate): $500–$1,100 including EyeSight calibration

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under glass, wipers and mirrors (36).

Battery dies repeatedly — three batteries in a car that sitsMedium

30 complaints: the battery flat after a few days parked, replaced, flat again within the year. Subaru settled a class action over parasitic drain on 2015–2020 Legacy and Outback and extended battery coverage; the drain comes from the body control and telematics modules staying awake. A larger battery and a software update help; a car that is driven daily rarely shows it.

Repair cost (estimate): $150–$350

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under electrics and electronics (30).

Steering column bracket and assembly (two recalls); steering rack rattleMedium

Recall 16V292: cars built February to May 2016 may have a steering column that can separate from the rack — loss of steering. Recall 16V716: a knee guard bracket on cars built September 21–23, 2016. Both free. Outside the recalls, a rattle from the front over bad roads that dealers have traced to the steering rack and replaced twice.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed; $900–$1,600 for a rack

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under steering (9); 2 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗A crack at the bottom corner of the windshield
✗A battery less than a year old and a seller who "just replaced it"
✗Build date in the 16V292 window with the recall open
✗Rattle from the front end over bumps

Good Signs

✓Windshield replaced under the settlement with EyeSight calibration on the invoice
✓Battery drain software update applied and a group-25 or larger battery fitted
✓Both recalls closed
✓CVT fluid changed at 60k