Your vehicleHome›Subaru›Legacy› 2022

Subaru · Midsize Sedan

2022 Subaru Legacy

Gas

Large Cars
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

85 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 2

Complaints4 crash · 1 fire · 1 injured reported 34

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 30 mpg

2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018

The 2022 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 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 34 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

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Legacy AWD	Gas	AWD	2.5L 4-cyl	27	35	30	$2,250
Legacy AWD	Gas	AWD	2.4L 4-cyl turbo	24	32	27	$2,500

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 43848, 43849.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Legacy AWD	7 / 10	California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
Legacy AWD	3 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV125 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125	All 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 style	Sedan/Saloon
GVWR class	Class 1C: 4,001 - 5,000 lb (1,814 - 2,268 kg)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	4
Displacement	2.5 L

Engine Output

Horsepower

182 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	2
Seating capacity	5 seats

Driver assistance

Standard: Adaptive cruise control, Anti-lock brakes, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist

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, Limited, Premium, Sport). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	190.6 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	74.8 in
Height	59.1 in
Wheelbase	108.3 in
Track, front	62.2 in
Track, rear	63.4 in
Curb weight	3,541–3,779 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	59/41

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.

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 (2)

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

WRQ-23

95,830 vehicles 90% reported repaired built Mar 18, 2021 – Aug 25, 2022

Problem Subaru of America, Inc. is recalling certain model year 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester, 2021-2023 Legacy, and Outback vehicles. An insufficient weld may allow water to enter the inhibitor switch, causing it to fail. Risk An inoperative inhibitor switch may prevent the reverse lights from illuminating and the rearview camera image from displaying, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 8, 2024. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is WRQ-23.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 23V755000 reported Nov 9, 2023 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 2022 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 2022 Subaru Legacy, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

34complaints filed

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

13 per 10,000 built · Subaru reported 26,053 Legacy built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2021: 2 · 2022: 7 · 2023: 9 · 2024: 10 · 2025: 1 · 2026: 5

Most-cited components

Visibility/Wiper 17

Unspecified 8

Forward Collision Avoidance 6

Electrical System 3

Lane Departure 2

Vehicle Speed Control 2

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.

Safety Hazard: Subaru Sun Visor I own a 2022 Subaru Legacy, the first new car I've ever owned. The visor (to protect eyes from the sun) is too short and not wide enough. The seat is raised as high as it will go. I CAN'T position myself to protect my eyes from the Sun. On 1/8/26, I left my home at 7:45 a.m.

Visibility/Wiper Jan 14, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11710841

Emergency breaking deployed during traffic where no indication of collision was about to take place; vehicle safety features disabled and enabled off and on automatically while driving, this led up to sudden stop of vehicle in heavy traffic and vehicle would never restart.

Air Bags Nov 28, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11627822

The first tire had an air bubble and I brought it in. They said it was a manufacturer error. In September 2023 I had a blowout and Subaru declared that it was a manufacturer defect. I asked him to check all the tires and they kept the original set on. This month a third tire from the original set blew while being driven.

Tires Jul 21, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11603654

The contact owned a 2022 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while driving into their driveway at unknown speeds, the vehicle independently accelerated forward. The contact placed the vehicle in reverse, however, the vehicle continued to accelerate independently, and the contact's rear bumper crashed into the neighbor's garage.

Vehicle Speed Control at 15,000 miles May 1, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11586322

The contact leased a 2022 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that condensation was leaking onto her foot. While driving, water entered the vehicle and caused the rugs, radio, and amplifier to become wet.

Electrical System at 8,000 miles Dec 12, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11559649

The lane assistance feature almost made me hit a semi truck that had drifted over its lane. I moved to the left to allow for space, the lane assist function tried to turn me back into the semi truck I was driving over the lane to avoid. It failed to recognize a major hazard and in fact created a more dangerous situation for me.

Lane Departure Jun 1, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11467009

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: 6 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 7 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 23 per 100,000 built. Every Legacy model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR AWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	10%

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

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 374

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-10-05

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 337 service bulletins, 36 others, 1 service campaign

Most often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Engine, Power Train, Unknown Or Other.

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.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
B2A16 B2A16 on Subaru →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	9 bulletins
P0087 P0087 on Subaru →	Fuel rail pressure is below what the system commanded.	Engine · Fuel pump →	7 bulletins
P2404 P2404 on Subaru →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	4 bulletins
B1788	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	2 bulletins
B2256	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	2 bulletins
B2A20	Manufacturer-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.	Engine	2 bulletins
P0017 P0017 on Subaru →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	2 bulletins
P0137 P0137 on Subaru →	Downstream bank 1 oxygen sensor reading stuck low.	Engine · Oxygen sensor →	2 bulletins
P0138 P0138 on Subaru →	Downstream bank 1 oxygen sensor reading stuck high.	Engine · Oxygen sensor →	2 bulletins
P0420 P0420 on Subaru →	The catalytic converter on bank 1 is not cleaning up the exhaust as well as it should.	Engine · Catalytic converter →	2 bulletins
P0730 P0730 on Subaru →	The gear ratio the transmission achieved is not the one it selected.	Power Train	1 bulletin · 1 owner report

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.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 0.50%

failed emissions

1,995 initial inspections of 1,953 vehicles.

Measure	The 2022 Legacy	Every 2022 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	0.50%	1.7%	1,993
Failed the safety inspection	1.3%	1.4%	1,995
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.25%	0.18%	1,995
Miles driven a year	10,313	10,455	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	44,156	44,815	odometer 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 2022 vehicle” is every 2022 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 mpg 2024 A 0 17 30 mpg 2023 B 2 10 30 mpg 2022 this page B 2 34 30 mpg 2021 C 3 31 30 mpg 2020 D 6 121 30 mpg 2019 B 3 123 29 mpg 2018 B 3 117 29 mpg

Common questions about the 2022 Legacy

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2022 Subaru Legacy have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2022 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 2022 Subaru Legacy?

NHTSA gave the 2022 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 B (85/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2022 Subaru Legacy?

Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2022 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 2022 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 2022 Subaru Legacy?

Owners have filed 34 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022 Subaru Legacy, most often about visibility/wiper, unspecified, forward collision avoidance. Of those, 4 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 2022 Subaru Legacy?

The EPA smog rating for the 2022 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 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2022 Subaru Legacy?

The manufacturer has filed 374 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2022 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 2022 Subaru Legacy do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2022 Subaru Legacy failed the emissions check on 0.50% of first inspections — lower than the 1.7% for every 2022 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.3% (every 2022 vehicle: 1.4%). 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.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	2 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	2 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	2	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	34	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	1 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	374	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	8 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We 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.

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.

JSON for this page · API