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Your vehicleHome›Subaru›Legacy› 2020
Subaru · Midsize Sedan

2020 Subaru Legacy

Gas
Large Cars
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26
D
Safety Signal
69 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Counts recalls, not crash safety — this vehicle earned 5 of 5 stars from NHTSA. A much-recalled best-seller scores low here; see the methodology.
RecallsNHTSA campaigns 6
Complaints1 crash · 1 fire · 1 injured reported 121
Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA 30 mpg
20252024202320222021202020192018

The 2020 Subaru Legacy is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize sedan with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Legacy AWD, is EPA-rated at 30 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of D. Owners have filed 121 complaints, most often about the visibility/wiper. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Subaru Legacy — photograph via Wikimedia Commons
Subaru Legacy · Photo: Bull-Doser · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Legacy AWDGasAWD2.5L 4-cyl273530$2,250
Legacy AWDGasAWD2.4L 4-cyl turbo243227$2,500

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 41562, 41563.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates
ConfigurationSmog ratingEmission standardWhere it can be sold newSmartWay
Legacy AWD6–7 / 10Federal Tier 3 Bin 50 / California LEV-III SULEV30All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standardsSmartWay
Legacy AWD3 / 10California LEV-III ULEV125 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body styleSedan/Saloon
Doors4
GVWR classClass 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders4
Displacement2.5 L

Engine Output

Horsepower182 hp

Fuel Economy

FuelGasoline

Seating

Seat rows2
Seating capacity5 seats

Transmission

DrivetrainAWD/All-Wheel Drive

Driver assistance

Standard: Adaptive cruise control, Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Rear cross-traffic alert

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: Base+Alloy Wheel Pack, Limited+M/R+NAVI(HK), Premium, Premium+M/R+NAVI). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada
Length190.6 in
Width (body, without mirrors)74.8 in
Height59.1 in
Wheelbase108.3 in
Track, front62.2 in
Track, rear63.4 in
Curb weight3,541–3,779 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear59/41

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: 4-door Sedan, GT 4-door Sedan. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

Also on file Beside the 2020 Legacy
Other years The 2025 Legacy Recalls Subaru recalls
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Factory warranty running out?

The 2020 Subaru Legacy is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.

What to check before you buy →

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

Recalls (6)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Air Bags

WRA-24
118,723 vehicles 72% reported repaired
Problem Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Outback and Legacy vehicles. A capacitor in the sensors for the Occupant Detection System (ODS) may crack and short circuit, which can prevent the front passenger air bag from deploying in a crash. Risk An air bag that does not deploy during a crash can increase the risk of injury. Fix Dealers will replace the ODS sensors on the front passenger seat, free of charge. Owner notifications were mailed February 3, 2025. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRA-24.
Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF
NHTSA campaign 24V227000 reported Mar 22, 2024 Subaru of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Power Train

WRK-22
182 vehicles 78% reported repaired built May 17, 2019 – Aug 3, 2020
Problem 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. Fix 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.
Filed with NHTSADefect report PDFOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 22V485000 reported Jul 8, 2022 Subaru of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Power Train

WRK-21
198,255 vehicles 97% reported repaired built Jul 15, 2019 – Aug 13, 2020
Problem 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. Fix 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 Su
NHTSA campaign 21V955000 reported Dec 9, 2021 Subaru of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Fuel System, Gasoline

WRG-21
175,968 vehicles 95% reported repaired
Problem 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. Risk Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix 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.
Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 21V587000 reported Jul 29, 2021 Subaru of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
○minor

Back Over Prevention

WRH-20
7,741 vehicles 99% reported repaired
Problem Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with "high" grade and "mid" grade multimedia navigation. The August 2020 over-the-air software update may have timed out without completing the installation, corrupting the data, and causing the rearview display to shutoff intermittently. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility." Risk The intermittent loss of the rearview image reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of crash. Fix Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the software and, if necessary, replace the Cockpit Control Module, free of charge. The recall began January 22, 2021. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRH-20.
Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 20V766000 reported Dec 10, 2020 Subaru of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

WUL-97
3,467 vehicles 100% reported repaired built Jul 31, 2019 – Aug 26, 2019
Problem Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020 Outback and Legacy vehicles. The brake pedal mounting bracket may have a missing or insufficiently tightened bolt. Risk A missing or loose bolt may cause the brake pedal mounting area to deform over time, which can reduce braking performance and increase the risk of a crash. Fix Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake pedal mounting bracket hardware and replace the hardware or brake pedal assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WUL-97.
Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 19V664000 reported Sep 18, 2019 Subaru of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Whether any of this applies to one specific Legacy

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2020 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Subaru publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Subaru’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2020 Subaru Legacy, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

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Parts & accessories for the 2020 Subaru Legacy

Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.

Find parts for this Legacy →

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
121complaints filed

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

39 per 10,000 built · Subaru reported 31,325 Legacy built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2020: 28 · 2021: 42 · 2022: 22 · 2023: 15 · 2024: 7 · 2025: 5 · 2026: 2

Most-cited components

Visibility/Wiper 66
Unspecified 26
Electrical System 15
Forward Collision Avoidance 8
Power Train 7
Vehicle Speed Control 4

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

The front passenger window suddenly developed a large crack after lowering and raising the window while the car was stationary. Four months earlier the front windshield cracked for no reason. A separate incident was created for the windshield
Visibility/Wiper at 3,383 miles Jan 11, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11387513
Traveling approximately 50 MPH all the warning lights displayed and the vehicle lost power. The vehicle was pulled over to the shoulder. Unable to put it in park. Turned it off and on a couple of times before it would go into park. Drove it to the dealer but it wouldn't go more than 30 MPH.
Vehicle Speed Control at 6,000 miles Jan 2, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11386146
I was driving on the capital beltway in silver spring during evening rush hour going approximately 60 MPH when the vehicle started to slow down on its own and the warning lights on the dash associated with the emergency braking system ( which causes the car to abruptly stop if you are going to crash) started to flash.
Service Brakes at 4,300 miles Sep 2, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11352881
The contact owns a 2020 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while driving at night, she had been notified by other drivers that her headlights were too bright and distracting. The contact stated that one day while her husband was driving at approximately 65 MPH, another vehicle had attempted to pass the vehicle.
Exterior Lighting Aug 5, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11343539
Just three months after purchasing a new 2020 Subaru Legacy, the windshield cracked. Due to covid lockdowns I had barely driven it (between march 2020 and june 2020). My Subaru dealer claimed it was a rock hit but I had no such incident happen in the 1000 total miles I had driven the car.
Visibility/Wiper at 1,000 miles Jan 4, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11386533
My windshield has cracked so easily and is very prone to damage. My windshield currently is cracked over 3/4 of the surface area. And it continues to grow. It has been the weakest windshield I have ever had on a vehicle.
Visibility/Wiper at 5,300 miles Jan 3, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11386241

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Subaru itself: 22 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 29 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 70 per 100,000 built. Every Legacy model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 6k

miles, typically

Half the 52 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 2,000 and 12,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.

under 10k 37
10k–20k 8
20k–30k 5
30k–40k 0
40k–50k 1
50k–60k 0
60k–70k 1
70k–80k 0
80k–90k 0
90k–100k 0
100k–150k 0
150k + 0

Median mileage by component

ComponentReportsMedian milesVs same age
Visibility/Wiper405,6000.8×

Vs same age is this model year’s median for the system divided by the median of every 2020-model-year complaint about the same system, all makes: under 1× means owners of this car reported it at lower mileage. Which systems go early across the whole fleet: the component study.

Across 2018–2020 model years the Subaru Legacy ranks 14 of 79 nameplates in the odometer-at-first-complaint study: owners reported problems at 0.51× the mileage of vehicles the same age (median 8,500 miles against a fleet 23,512).

Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
4 DR AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★10%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Driver-assist crash reports (1)

Source: NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01
1report filed

1 severity unknown

Oct 2023 to Oct 2023 · 1 with an air bag deployment · 1 towed

What was engaged, and what was hit

System named: not named in the filings

Crash partner: Heavy Truck 1

Filed by: Subaru of America, Inc.

IncidentSystemStruckInjury allegedStateSpeedReport
Oct 2023Level 2Heavy TruckunknownVA75 mph1243-7991

A report under the General Order is a notice the manufacturer or operator must file within days of hearing of a crash in which a Level 2 driver-assist or automated-driving system was engaged within 30 seconds of impact. It is filed before anything is verified, and entities with telematics hear of far more crashes than entities that rely on complaints, so counts say as much about the reporting as about the car and are not comparable across makes. Nothing is normalised by fleet size. Every report on file, by make and year → · NHTSA’s page and files

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications
Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 586
Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-10-05
Kindsas classified by NHTSA 546 service bulletins, 39 others, 1 service campaign

Most often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Engine, Power Train, Fuel/Propulsion System.

  • 11037943 Other
    2026-10-05 · Electrical System
  • This announcement provides information on a new software update for the Midtronics Dss and DCA machines.
  • 11037942 Other
    2026-09-28 · Power Train
  • This announcement provides information on an enhancement of the TechShare CVT diagnostic assitance application.
  • 13-109-26 Service bulletin
    2026-09-18 · Unknown Or Other
  • This bulletin provides paint code information for 2027 model year vehicles.
  • 18-244-26 Service bulletin
    2026-09-18 · Electrical System
  • "This Bulletin announces additional troubleshooting steps for the following DTCs: DTC C1956: RH Actuator Circuit DTC C1957: LH Actuator Circuit"
  • 11037930 Other
    2026-09-15 · Unknown Or Other
  • This announcement provides an update to all 2027 model year Subaru warranty coverages for wear items and adjustments.
  • 15-333-25R Service bulletin
    2026-09-14 · Electrical System
  • This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
  • 15-322-25R Service bulletin
    2026-09-14 · Electrical System
  • In the interest of customer satisfaction, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is extending the New Car Limited Warranty coverage for the CP1 & Gen 3.1 Head Unit used in the listed models and model years to (8) eight years / 150,000 miles to cover certain qualifying repairs to the infotainment audio system. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.
  • 15-304-22R Service bulletin
    2026-09-14 · Electrical System
  • This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic but essential information during diagnosis of Infotainment concerns. This is an revised version of the original bulletin.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

CodeWhat it meansMost often filed underWhere it appears
B2A16
B2A16 on Subaru →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Electrical System · Battery →11 bulletins
P2404
P2404 on Subaru →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Electrical System · Battery →4 bulletins
B118BManufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Electrical System · Battery →3 bulletins
B11E5Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Electrical System · Battery →3 bulletins
B11E6Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Electrical System · Battery →3 bulletins
P0087
P0087 on Subaru →		Fuel rail pressure is below what the system commanded.Electrical System · Fuel pump →3 bulletins
P0842Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Power Train3 bulletins
U0254Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Electrical System · Battery →3 bulletins
B1788Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Electrical System · Battery →2 bulletins
B2256Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Equipment2 bulletins
B2A20Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Electrical System · Battery →2 bulletins
P0016
P0016 on Subaru →		The crankshaft and camshaft are not where they should be relative to each other — timing, chain or phaser.Electrical System · Battery →2 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2020 Subaru Legacy failed the emissions check on 2.1% of first inspections — close to the 2.2% for every 2020 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.4% (every 2020 vehicle: 1.6%).

New York inspections 2.1%

failed emissions

2,402 initial inspections of 2,344 vehicles.

MeasureThe 2020 LegacyEvery 2020 vehicleBehind it
Failed the emissions check2.1%2.2%2,399
Failed the safety inspection1.4%1.6%2,402
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit0.21%0.19%2,402
Miles driven a year9,9669,980odometer at inspection
Average odometer62,38262,630odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2020 vehicle” is every 2020 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

Legacy by model year

all years, side by side →
Year Safety Recalls Complaints
2025 A 0 6 30 mpg2024 A 0 17 30 mpg2023 B 2 10 30 mpg2022 B 2 34 30 mpg2021 C 3 31 30 mpg2020 this page D 6 121 30 mpg2019 B 3 123 29 mpg2018 B 3 117 29 mpg

Common questions about the 2020 Legacy

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2020 Subaru Legacy have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 6 recall campaigns for the 2020 Subaru Legacy. The most serious on file is 24V227000, covering Air Bags. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2020 Subaru Legacy?

NHTSA gave the 2020 Subaru Legacy 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 5-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 5-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it D (69/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2020 Subaru Legacy?

Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2020 Subaru Legacy, the best EPA combined figure is 30 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2020 Subaru Legacy?

Transport Canada measured it at 190.6 in long, 74.8 in wide (body, without mirrors), 59.1 in tall, on a 108.3 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,541–3,779 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2020 Subaru Legacy?

Owners have filed 121 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Subaru Legacy, most often about visibility/wiper, unspecified, electrical system. Of those, 1 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 1 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2020 Subaru Legacy?

The EPA smog rating for the 2020 Subaru Legacy runs 3 to 7 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III SULEV30, California LEV-III ULEV125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 50 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2020 Subaru Legacy?

The manufacturer has filed 586 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2020 Subaru Legacy, most often covering electrical system, equipment, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-10-05. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2020 Subaru Legacy do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2020 Subaru Legacy failed the emissions check on 2.1% of first inspections — close to the 2.2% for every 2020 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.4% (every 2020 vehicle: 1.6%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

DataHeldSourceWhat it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations2 configurationsEPA certification recordsEvery configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates2 configurationsEPA emission certificatesSmog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls6NHTSA recall campaignsA complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints121NHTSA complaint databaseAlso complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings1 testedNHTSA NCAPOnly the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins586NHTSA manufacturer communicationsEverything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
InvestigationsnoneNHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationNo defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports1NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01Crashes the manufacturer or operator reported with a Level 2 or automated-driving system engaged. Notices, filed before verification; not comparable across makes.
Specifications filed with NHTSA10 fieldsNHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patternsWhat the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions7 fieldsTransport Canada, Canadian Vehicle SpecificationsLength, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipmentnoneManufacturer press kitWe have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Where to go next

pages beside this one
Other years The 2025 Legacy The Legacy model year with the cleanest record on file — grade A, 0 recalls.Recalls Every Subaru recall on file All campaigns filed against Subaru vehicles, newest first, with the manufacturer's own number.Recall Watch Watch this Legacy by VIN Give it the VIN and you hear the night a campaign is filed — from $29 a month for a lot, free for ten.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

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