2006 Subaru Legacy Problems

Typical for Model

Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2006 Subaru Legacy.

20052007
Complaints
135
per 10K Sold
16.0
US Sales
84,442
Crashes
11
Fires
1
Injuries
10
Fatalities
1
Recalls
7

Worst 2006 Subaru Legacy Problems

Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.

#129 complaints

Unintended Acceleration

Avg mileage:105,045 mi
#217 complaints

Electrical Faults

Avg mileage:98,514 mi
Crash-related:2
#316 complaints

Engine Problems

Avg mileage:112,724 mi
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All Problems by Category

Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2006 Subaru Legacy.

Unintended Acceleration
29
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
105,045
Electrical Faults
17
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
Avg Miles
98,514
Engine Problems
16
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
112,724
Airbags
12
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
Avg Miles
86,565
Fuel System
12
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
130,117
Brakes
9
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
Avg Miles
101,534
Transmission / Drivetrain
5
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
64,403
Suspension Failures
4
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
Electronic Stability Control
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Gasoline Fuel System
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Hydraulic Brakes
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Steering Defects
2
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
Air Bags:Frontal
1
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
Engine & Cooling
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System:Radiator Assembly
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
1
Avg Miles
Exterior Lighting:Headlights
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Fuel Pump
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Fuel System, Other
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Automatic Transmission
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Power Train:Clutch Assembly
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Manual Transmission
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Seat Belt Issues
1
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
Seat-Related Issues
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Motor
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Wheel Issues
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Wheels:Hub
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles

Search Owner Complaints

Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2006 Subaru Legacy. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.

Recalls for 2006 Subaru Legacy

7 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~1,666,189 vehicles.

20V001000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
~258,813 affected

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.

20V003000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
~111,562 affected

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.

20V002000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
~127,547 affected

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.

19V297000Electrical System:ignition:switch
~511 affected

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.

15V323000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
~432,016 affected

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Subaru Baja vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to July 21, 2004, 2004-2005 Impreza vehicles manufactured January 28, 2003, to May 31, 2005, 2003-2008 Subaru Legacy vehicles manufactured January 22, 2003, to May 2, 2008, 2003-2008 Subaru Outback vehicles manufactured February 18, 2003, to May 5, 2008, and 2005 Saab 9-2x vehicles manufactured February 11, 2004, to March 17, 2005. The affected vehicles are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture upon its deployment.

14V311000Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
~461,338 affected

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy, 2008-2011 Impreza and 2008-2014 Impreza WRX/STI, and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines. Note that affected vehicles not currently, or formerly registered, in the salt belt states identified above are eligible for repair, at no cost to the customer, upon request.

13V110000Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
~274,402 affected

Subaru is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy vehicles manufactured from December 2003, through April 2009 and currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines.

Other Subaru Legacy Years

2006 Subaru Legacy — FAQ

Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.

Is the 2006 Subaru Legacy reliable?
Verdict: Typical for Model. The 2006 Subaru Legacy has 135 NHTSA complaints, 11 crash-related, and 7 recall campaigns. The most common issue is Unintended Acceleration with 29 complaints. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
What are common problems with the 2006 Subaru Legacy?
Top reported problems: Unintended Acceleration (29 complaints, avg 105,045 mi); Electrical Faults (17 complaints, avg 98,514 mi); Engine Problems (16 complaints, avg 112,724 mi). Every complaint is filed by an owner with NHTSA — this is raw reported data, not editorial opinion.
At what mileage do problems start on the 2006 Subaru Legacy?
The weighted average mileage at time of complaint is about 103,606 miles. Some components fail earlier, some later — check the "All Problems by Category" table above for per-issue averages.
How safe is the 2006 Subaru Legacy?
NHTSA complaints for the 2006 Subaru Legacy include 11 crash-related reports, 1 fire reports, 10 injuries, and 1 fatalities. These are owner-reported incidents, not official crash-test ratings — a complaint being filed doesn't confirm a defect, but clusters around specific components are worth investigating.
Does the 2006 Subaru Legacy have any recalls?
Yes — 7 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 1,666,189 vehicles. Recalls are free to fix at the dealer. Always verify by VIN whether the specific car you're looking at has had its recalls addressed.
Should I buy a 2006 Subaru Legacy?
Complaint levels are in line with what's expected. Normal used-car due diligence applies — check the specific VIN for accident history, open recalls, and title brands.

Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.

Wider context: See the full Subaru Legacy reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.

Check Your Specific 2006 Subaru Legacy

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