Was 2012 A Good Year For The Subaru Legacy? Here's What Owners Have To Say

The 2012 Subaru Legacy is part of the fifth-generation sedan that debuted in 2010. Those days were when sedans were still the default car of choice. It was also before the SUV craze hit the mainstream. The result was a market filled with competitive choices like the Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Volkswagen Passat, Toyota Camry, and Nissan Altima.

The 2012 Subaru Legacy's engine and transmission choices stand out from the herd. Its quirky styling, potent yet thirsty horizontally opposed Boxer engines, and standard all-wheel drivetrain made the Legacy the default sedan for wintry climates. Moreover, 2012 was a good year for the Legacy regarding powertrain options, but the fifth-gen Legacy was the second least reliable next to the sixth-generation Legacy manufactured from 2015 to 2019.

Most of the issues started in 2010 and were related to the brand's Lineartronic CVT, but Subaru managed to rectify most of the CVT problems by the 2012 model year. The NHTSA reports that high-mileage examples could suffer powertrain failures related to the fuel delivery system, stalling due to failing torque converters, and electrical issues. Furthermore, the 2012 Legacy's possibly deadly OEM Takata airbags are worth mentioning.

Data from CarComplaints.com has confirmed the most typical issues of a 2012 Subaru Legacy, which the publication reports as stalling and a lousy transmission being the worst problems. It also confirms the NHTSA reports of engine stalling due to a bad torque converter. "Knocking and near stalling occasionally results in a sensation of the vehicle being hit from behind while stopped with the car in drive and brakes applied," described one owner of the 2012 Legacy's CVT gearbox issues.

Meanwhile, owners reported that "the car will unexpectedly turn off when coming to a fast, sudden stop" and "depending on where the vehicle stalls, this could create a serious safety concern" in describing the Legacy's torque converter issues.

Other than those, the 2012 Legacy got primarily favorable consumer reviews. According to Kelley Blue Book, 207 out of 289 owners rank the 2012 Legacy five out of five stars, with the car's reliability and comfort among its most vital merits.

Meanwhile, reviews from Cars.com about the 2012 Legacy were mainly positive, with some owners calling it "the most reliable car I have driven" and a "great bang for the buck" midsize car. Finally, a Legacy 3.6 R owner calls it a "Japanese BMW or Audi with less cost and more reliable."

The 2012 Subaru Legacy has a standard 2.5-liter Boxer four-cylinder with 170 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque. It connects to a six-speed manual or continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter Boxer is the only engine choice with Subaru's Lineartronic CVT and is the Legacy trim grade that garnered the most complaints.

Meanwhile, the Legacy 3.6 R has a 3.6-liter Boxer six-cylinder with 256 horsepower and 247 lb-ft of torque. It mates to a conventional five-speed automatic instead of a CVT. The 2012 Legacy was also available in a 2.5 GT trim grade equipped with a turbocharged 2.5-liter Boxer four with 265 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. Edmunds found the Legacy 2.5 GT's lack of an optional automatic gearbox a glaring error, but that was then. The Legacy 2.5 GT's standard six-speed manual would be much welcome in today's automotive scene, especially when paired with the fire-breathing turbo Boxer engine.