Problems · by component

2010 Subaru Legacy power train problems

50 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2010 Subaru Legacy cite power train, 33% of all 151 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.

Complaints
50
33% of all complaints
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the power train

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The contact’s wife owns a 2010 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle hesitated and stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the torque converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the warranty had expired but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 179,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 7, 2023Power trainODI 11543205
“The CVT Transmission has a known problem where the torque converter causes stalling. This issue is well documented on Subaru forums. I took my vehicle to Subaru about the problem and they said the fix for the stalling is to replace the Torque Converter., It is not yet covered for a recall despite being such a large issue with these vehicles.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 26, 2022Power train, EngineODI 11471039
“The contact owns a 2010 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated while driving at 50 MPH, the emergency brake warning light, traction control, oil pressure warning light, and the cruise control warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was then towed to an unknown dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission valve body had failed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred a week later. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed with an unknown electrical failure. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred less than a week later. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer who advised the contact to turn off the vehicle, disconnect the battery for 5 minutes, and to then restart the vehicle. The contact followed the instructions however, the failure persisted and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the gas cap was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 25, 2022Power train, Electrical system, EngineODI 11458361
“Torque Converter failure - car stalls/shuts off when braking hard. This is a huge safety hazard. Car has 114,852 miles on it and was just recently purchased from a private owner. There should have been a recall for these vehicles from Subaru.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 10, 2021Power trainODI 11439992
“The contact owns a 2010 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the traction control, transmission overheating, service brakes, and check engine warning lights were illuminated. There was an abnormal bubbling sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, a cause for the failure was not found. The dealer informed her that the vehicle was drivable. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,918.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 19, 2021Power train, EngineODI 11437340
“When braking and coming to a stop the car shutters and stalls. In order to avoid it, you must put it into neutral or else it will stall and you will have to restart. This is dangerous and a very essential function of the car and needs to be replaced asap. It does this more frequently when coming to an abrupt stop. There can also be lights that sometimes blink - the cruise control light, brake light flashing, and stability control lights. This has been occurring for many years and i have tried to get it replaced and fixed but it was unknown what would fix this issue exactly so it was just money wasted.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 2, 2021Power trainODI 11419441

Showing 6 of 50 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

1 recall on this component

Power train: manual transmission

Free remedy

SUBARU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 AND 2011 OUTBACK AND LEGACY PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 28 THROUGH JUNE 23, 2010. DUE TO A PROGRAMMING ERROR, A LUBRICATION HOLE WITHIN THE 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION WAS OMITTED.

Power trainReported Jul 20, 2010NHTSA 10V326000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 11, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Other 2010 Legacy problem areas