What's Wrong with the 4th Generation (2005–2009) Legacy?

Legacy owners have made 48 complaints about the 2005–2009 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it 23rd out of 38 Subaru generations in overall reliability, with some engine and wheels concerns.

Compare With Other Legacy Generations

Common 2005-2009 Subaru Legacy Problems

Some of the worst issues 4th generation Legacy owners have to deal with.

  1. Melting Dashboards

    Can Subaru dashboards handle the heat? A class-action lawsuit says 2005-2009 Legacy and Outback dashboards melt into a pile of sticky, shiny goo when exposed to heat and humidity.

    Continue reading article "Melting Dashboards"

  3. Leaky Head Gaskets

    Why can't Subaru build a decent head gasket? The automaker has had issues with leaky gaskets in their 4-cylinder engines since the 1980's. And repairing the issue is expensive as it requires the engine to be removed.

    Continue reading article "Leaky Head Gaskets" A close-up of a clean black head gasket above two silver pistons.

What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

4th Generation (2005–2009) Legacy Key Numbers

  1. 5 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 48 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 23rd in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 38 eligible generations.

Recent Lawsuits for 4th Generation Legacy Owners

What Legacy Owners Say About This Generation

Subaru Head Gaskets Can't Seal the Deal

It's pretty bad when a car blows its head gasket after only 52K miles. Estimated cost to fix is $2100. Reading various blogs / complaint forums etc it seems like an issue that's more prevalent with Subarus than other manufacturers. One person even suggested that it may be due to the horizontal orientation of the cylinders in the boxer engines.

2008 Legacy Owner