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2018 Subaru Legacy: Problems, Recalls and MPG

What this means

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2018 Subaru Legacy, most recently filed July 2021. Owners have filed 117 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. In NHTSA crash tests it earned 5 stars overall.

Data summary generated from official records. Methodology Data: NHTSA, DOT, EPA · Refreshed Oct 6, 2026
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Recalls (3)

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2018 Subaru Legacy. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗

Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.

Check on NHTSA ↗
Listed for 2018 Subaru Legacy. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 21V587000 Filed Jul 29, 2021

Fuel Pump May Fail

Fuel system, gasoline · delivery · fuel pump
Official NHTSA text
Summary
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.
Consequence
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.
95.1% repairedof 175,968 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 21V587000
Listed for 2018 Subaru Legacy. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 18V935000 Filed Dec 31, 2018

Camera Image may not Display/FMVSS 111

Visibility · rearview mirrors/devices
Official NHTSA text
Summary
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."
Consequence
Failure to display the rearview image while backing up increases the risk of crash.
Remedy
Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will reprogram the audio system display software, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTZ-85.
97.8% repairedof 71,190 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 18V935000
Listed for 2018 Subaru Legacy. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 18V773000 Filed Nov 1, 2018

Incorrect Fuel Range Display May Cause Stall

Electrical system · software
Official NHTSA text
Summary
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.
Consequence
The inaccurate fuel display may cause a driver to unexpectedly run out of fuel and the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the combination meter software, free of charge. The recall began February 20, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTW-82.
93.3% repairedof 228,648 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 18V773000

PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.

Owner complaints (117)

117 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The electrical system is mentioned most often.

7involved a crash
1involved a fire
1injuries reported
0deaths reported

As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.

Most-reported components

Complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Subaru Legacy, by component (top 10). One complaint can list several components, so these add up to more than 117.Source: NHTSA ODI owner complaints · Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 · Report a data error

How 2018 compares with other Legacy years

Best and worst Legacy years →
2014201520162017201820192020202120222023
This year (2018)Other yearsStill collecting reports

Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

Crash tests: 5 stars overall

Overall★★★★★
Frontal crashDriver 5★ · Passenger 5★★★★★★
Side crashDriver 5★ · Passenger 5★★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
RolloverRollover risk 10.1%★★★★★
Front seat of a modern car with the seat belt buckled across the passenger seat
Compare fairly. Compare stars only between vehicles of similar size and weight. Ratings apply to the tested configuration.

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), 2018 Subaru Legacy 4 dr awd, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

Fuel economy: up to 29 mpg combined

29
mpg combined
25
city
34
highway
EPA annual fuel cost
$2,300
CO₂ tailpipe
311 g/mi
EPA class
Midsize Cars

What it costs you to run

$2,252per year
$188per month
517gallons a year

Miles ÷ 29 mpg × $4.354 (EIA US average regular, week of Oct 5, 2026, all taxes included). Source: EPA · EIA.

EPA label estimates from lab tests; your mileage will vary.

Specs by configuration

2018 Subaru Legacy configurations with EPA data
Engine · transmissionDriveCity / Hwy / CombEPA $/yrCO₂ g/mi
2.5 L 4-cyl · AV-S7 CVTAll-Wheel Drive25 / 34 / 29$2,300311
3.6 L 6-cyl · AV-S6 CVTAll-Wheel Drive20 / 28 / 23$2,900387

Source: EPA fuel economy data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026. Configurations are listed when EPA and NHTSA records match.

Used blue SUV on a sunny dealer lot with its hood open and a clipboard on the fender

Looking at a 2018 Legacy for sale?

Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.

All Legacy years

Where to next

2018 Subaru Legacy FAQ

How many recalls does the 2018 Subaru Legacy have?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns: 21V587000 (fuel pump), 18V935000 (visibility), 18V773000 (electrical). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.

What are the most common 2018 Subaru Legacy problems?

Owners filed 117 complaints with NHTSA. Electrical system (40), Unknown or other (29), Visibility/wiper (25) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.

What mpg does the 2018 Subaru Legacy get?

EPA rates the 2.5 L 4-cyl · AV-S7 CVT version at 25 city, 34 highway and 29 combined mpg. Other configurations are listed in the fuel economy section.

What safety rating did the 2018 Subaru Legacy get?

NHTSA rated the 2018 Subaru Legacy 4 dr awd 5 stars overall, with 5 stars frontal, 5 stars side and 5 stars rollover (10.1% rollover risk).

How does the 2018 Legacy compare with other years?

Among the 2014–2021 Subaru Legacy model years at least five years old, the 2021 drew the fewest complaints (31) and the 2015 the most (159). The 2018 drew 117. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.

How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes

Processing

  • Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
  • Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.

Limitations

  • Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
  • Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
  • Recent model years are still collecting reports.

Review

Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.

Changelog

  • 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.
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