Is your car affected?
Check by VIN to confirm the
exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
US recalls (3)
Do not driveSteering: column
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Legacy and Outback vehicles manufactured February 29, 2016, to May 6, 2016. The steering column on the affected vehicles may have been improperly machined, and as a result, turning the steering wheel may have no effect on the direction of the wheels.
Risk and remedy
Risk: The loss of steering ability would increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the lot number on the steering column, replacing the steering column, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 13, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783 or by visiting http://www.wtd65.service-campaign.com. Subaru's number for this recall is WTD-65. Note: Until the vehicles have been inspected, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles.
Power train: driveline, differential unit
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 and remedy
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.
Power train: driveline, driveshaft
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 and remedy
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.
Canadian recalls (3)
Show 3 Canadian recalls
Brakes
2022-07-21 · campaign 2022-395
Issue:
On certain vehicles equipped with a manual transmission, a connector for the electronic parking brake (EPB) could disconnect. If this happens, you won't be able to apply the parking brake and the vehicle could roll away. If this happens and the parking brake is set, you won't be able release it.
Note: This problem will cause the brake warning lamp to turn on or flash.
Safety Risk:
A parked vehicle that moves unexpectedly could increase the risk of an injury or a crash.
Corrective Actions:
Subaru will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect the adapter cord connector for the electronic parking brake, and if necessary, install an additional retaining clip. To reduce the safety risk, Subaru recommends that you should park the vehicle in a flat location and leave the transmission in gear whenever possible until the recall repairs have been completed. Additionally, when parking uphill, the front wheels should be turned away from the curb and the shift lever should be placed into first gear. When parking downhill, the front wheels should be turned into the curb and the shift lever should be placed into reverse gear.
Steering
2016-05-11 · campaign 2016-207
On certain vehicles, steering column components may not have been manufactured to specification and therefore may not engage correctly, which could result in a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the steering column. Note: In the interim, owners are advised to not drive their vehicle until an inspection of the steering column has been completed.
Powertrain
2015-11-23 · campaign 2015-555 · 185 vehicles
On certain vehicles, the nuts securing the propeller shaft to the rear differential may have not been tightened to specification during assembly and could loosen over time. This could cause the propeller shaft to come loose from the rear differential, which would result in excessive noise and may contact and eventually damage the fuel tank, which may result in a fuel leak. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire causing injury and/or property damage. Correction: Dealers will inspect the nuts fastening the propeller shaft to the rear differential and tighten or replace the nuts and bolts as necessary.
Owner complaints (147)
Owners filed 147 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Subaru Legacy/Outback (9 crashes, 3 injuries reported). Among 39 model years of this model, it ranks #6 for the most complaints (median 77).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|
| Electrical system | 51 | |
| Unknown or other | 41 | |
| Visibility/wiper | 17 | |
| Steering | 16 | |
| Power train | 13 | |
| Vehicle speed control | 9 | |
| Service brakes | 8 | |
| Engine | 7 | |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2016 Subaru Legacy/Outback.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|
| 2016 Subaru Legacy 4 DR AWD | 5★ | 5★ | 5★ | 5★ |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2016 Subaru Legacy/Outback version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|
| Legacy AWD 2.5 L Automatic (AV-S6) | 26 | 35 | 29 | $2,300 |
| Legacy AWD 3.6 L Automatic (AV-S6) | 20 | 28 | 23 | $2,900 |
| Outback AWD 2.5 L Automatic (AV-S6) | 25 | 32 | 28 | $2,400 |
| Outback AWD 3.6 L Automatic (AV-S6) | 20 | 27 | 22 | $3,050 |
Need this data in your app?
Recalls, complaints, crash ratings and fuel economy as a JSON API. Decode up to 50 VINs per call and get a daily feed of new recalls.
Explore the API →Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport
Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada).
Recalls updated 2026-10-30.