2016 Subaru Legacy Driver assistance Problems

The factory touchscreen infotainment system is experiencing severe screen delamination (internal adhesive failure). This defect causes uncontrollable 'ghost touching,' where the screen registers phantom inputs. The system cycles through radio stations, changes audio sources, and changes navigation without driver input, causing an extreme, sudden driver distraction. Furthermore, the system frequently freezes and crashes, which completely disables the backup camera display. This prevents a clear view behind the vehicle and creates a severe safety hazard for pedestrians. The dealer confirmed the issue. Contacted Subaru of America and they are unwilling to assist at all with fixing the issue, leaving the customer to pay full price to replace the screen. Does not seem like a fair business practice.

NHTSA ID

11742852

Incident

Jun 2, 2026

THIS IS THE SECOND SUCH EXPERIENCE WITH THIS CAR! On Friday, September 12, 2025 at 3:32 p.m., I was driving slowly in a parking lot preparing to park. As I started to turn the car into the parking space, my car surged forward without my pressing on the gas pedal. I pressed on the brake, and the car came to a stop.

NHTSA ID

11686981

Incident

Sep 12, 2025

purchased my 2016 legacy in 2022, I was offered the bronze warranty due to milage. My vehicle was bought back due to loud noises coming from the engine. Was told there was a peze recall and it was fixed. Brought it back to the dealership for the same sound and they found nothing wrong. A few weeks later leaving work, I noticed my muffler was hanging. I took it to a local muffler shop where the repaired it and repaired the heat shield which was loose and knocking up against the exhaust. Still taking my vehicle to the dealership for the warranty clear coat/ zetec and was told that I needed two-wheel bearings and that I was over milage, that it wouldn't be covered. I had both wheel bearing replaced and rear brakes within the first year of having the vehicle. Later part of 2024 my dashboard was lighting up, not allowing any of my safety features to work and I have no traction in the snow. I took the vehicle back to the dealership where I was told that it had a bad valve body, That the vehicle was over the milage for the extended warranty repair. I was sold a lemon, but there is nothing I can do about it.

NHTSA ID

11648634

Incident

Mar 17, 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle accelerated at high-speed without warning, causing the vehicle to drive over a curb and into oncoming traffic. The contact desperately depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to stop. The contact was able to regain control and stopped the vehicle. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and case was filed by the dealer. The failure mileage was 35,000.

NHTSA ID

11538928

Incident

Aug 7, 2023

Mileage

35,000 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while pulling into a parking space and pressing the brake pedal the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and continued to drive forward causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a pole. No injuries were reported and no police report was taken. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified. The failure mileage was 28,000.

NHTSA ID

11440603

Incident

Nov 10, 2021

Mileage

28,000 mi

DROVE ON A STRAIGHT STRETCH OF INTERSTATE AT 75 MPH IN A SUNNY AFTERNOON ON A 400 MILE TRIP WITH FUEL TANK BETWEEN 1/8 AND 1/4 FULL. THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER. PRESSED THE GAS TO REV UP THE ENGINE BUT STILL NO POWER MOVING FORWARD. HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND STOPPED THE CAR. THAT WAS A PRETTY DANGEROUS SITUATION SINCE IT HAPPENED WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS. TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR BUT FAILED. THE STARTER TURNS BUT ENGINE WILL NOT START. ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE PERIOD OF 30 - 40 MINUTES TO NO AVAIL. HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK TO A SHOP NEAR BY. ONCE UNLOADED (ABOUT 2 HOURS LATER) FROM THE TRUCK, THE TECHNICIAN HOOKED ON INSTRUMENTS TO CHECK. THE ELECTRICALS (ALTERNATOR, BATTERY) WERE FINE. THEN RESTARTING THE ENGINE WORKED. SHORTLY AFTER, THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. NOT CONFIDENT OF CONTINUING THE TRIP, STAYED IN THE TOWN OVERNIGHT. CHECKED THE INTERNET FORUMS THE NEXT DAY AND READ SIMILAR EXPERIENCES BY SOME SUBARU OWNERS AND REALIZED THAT IT COULD BE RELATED TO LOW-FUEL. WENT TO FILL UP THE GAS TANK AND WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE CLOSE TO 100 MILES TO DESTINATION WITHOUT PROBLEM. NOTED WHEN FILLING UP, THE TANK HAD AT LEAST 2.5 GAL OF FUEL LEFT WHEN THE INCIDENT HAPPENED. CAR HAS 65K ON THE METER. IT WAS BOUGHT NEW AND MAINTAINED ON-SCHEDULE. NO ACCIDENTS OR MODS.

NHTSA ID

11406551

Incident

Apr 3, 2021

Mileage

65,000 mi

STEERING WHEEL ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL FOR SPEED REGULATION DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. WHEN PRESSING THE CONTROL TO INCREASE OR DECREASE SPEED, THERE IS NO RESPONSE OR "FOLLOW DISTANCE" INCREASES. BECAUSE SUBARU'S EYESIGHT AND ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL REPRESENT SIGNIFICANT SAFETY, ACCIDENT-PREVENTION ADVANCES, A MALFUNCTIONING STEERING WHEEL CONTROL REPRESENTS A REAL SAFETY HAZARD WHEN DRIVING.

NHTSA ID

11256146

Incident

Sep 16, 2019

Mileage

94,000 mi

MAY OF 2017 I WAS DRIVING NORTH BOUND ON 294. AS I WAS GOING THROUGH THE CURVE THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON THE CAR WOULDN'T TURN BACK. I STOP AND WAS ABLE TO PULL THE CAR OFF THE ROAD WITH NO INCIDENT. I CALLED SIS IT'S A D ASKED IF WAS A SAFETY RECALL. I WAS TOLD NO. I THEN HAD THEM TO THE CAR TO SUBARU OF AMERICA IN ORLAND PARK IL. WHEN THE CAR WAS FROSTED TOLD I WAS TOLD THE CAR WOULD BE FIX IT WAS COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING MOTOR. SUBARU OF AMERICA THEN CONTACTED ME SAYING THE CAR WAS INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT SO IT WOULDN'T BE FIXED. ONCE THEY FOUND OUT I WAS BLACK. I FILED A BETTER BUSINESS REPORT SUBARU STILL DENIED THE CLAIM TELLING TO USE MY INSURANCE MY INSUWPULDNT PAY SAID IT DEFECT PART. SUBARU FAILED TO EXAMINE THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM BEFORE DENYING THE CLAIM. SUBARU IMMEDIATELY BLAMED ME BUT NEVER CHECKING THE PROBLEM. ONCE I RECEIVED THE CAR BACK. IT WAS IN WORST CONDITION. THE CAR CANE BACK IN WORST CONDITIONS BUMPER PEELING FENDER SMASHED. I WAS TOLD THAT WAS MY FAULT THE CAR CAME BACK WORST. THAT INTERFERED WITH THE OTHER THINGS IN WARRANTY BEING REPAIRED L WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BIG C. IN 2017 NOW BACK TO OK HEALTH I CAN PROCEED WITH PROCESS. I RENTED CARS FOR A YEAR AND THEN EVENTUALLY BROUGHT ONE. I NEED SUBARU TO REPAIR THE CAR I WANT TO KEEP IT.

NHTSA ID

11193110

Incident

May 9, 2017

Mileage

18,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU LEGACY. WHILE REVERSING THE VEHICLE, IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE DROVE THROUGH THE DRIVEWAY BARRIERS AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPAIRED THE REAR DRIVER SIDE PANEL AND TRUNK. THE CONTACT HAD NOT CALLED THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD TOW THE VEHICLE TO A SUBARU DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000. *TT

NHTSA ID

11110715

Incident

Jul 5, 2018

Mileage

37,000 mi

EYE SITE SAFETY MAIN WIRING HARNESS RODENT DAMAGE HARNESS INSERTION MADE WITH SOYBEAN SO ITS MADE OF FOOD HAPPENED PARKED IN DRIVEWAY

NHTSA ID

11015151

Incident

Aug 9, 2017

Mileage

10,000 mi

AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, WHEN PULLING OUT FROM MY DRIVEWAY AND PUT THE GEAR IN REVERSE TO PULL OUT, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN WITHOUT MY FOOT PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. SO BRAKE HAS TO BE APPLIED IMMEDIATELY TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE. IT SHOOTS FORWARD WITH OUT ME ACCELERATING.. IT ACCELERATES AT ABOUT 25-30 MILES PER HOUR WITHOUT ME ONCE AGAIN ACCELERATING IT SO WE HAD TO BRAKE ALL THE WAY FROM THE HOUSE TO THE PLACE OF WORK. WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL NEW CARS INCLUDING MERCEDES BENZ AND NEVER HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. AS I GO ON THE STREET THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT ME ACCELERATING IT. THERE IS ALSO A BURNING SMELL WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED. . WE TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER AND THEY WERE NO HELP AT ALL..

NHTSA ID

10956391

Incident

Feb 20, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 SUBARU LEGACY. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN REVERSE OR DRIVE, IT ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS INTENDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,042.

NHTSA ID

10956370

Incident

Feb 21, 2017

Mileage

4,042 mi

EYESIGHT PACKAGES ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL WITH LANE-DEPARTURE AND AUTO-BRAKING DOESN'T WORK. DEALER REFUSES TO FIX.

NHTSA ID

10789608

Incident

Nov 6, 2015

Mileage

12 mi