2016 Legacy Premier Reliability

Hi Everyone,

 

I am looking for any experience/advice regarding a 2016 Legacy. Still has 13 months powertrain warranty left. 22,500 miles driven(7 oil changes). All done at a Subaru dealer. No outstanding recalls. Although serviced at a Subaru dealer, it is for sale at a Honda dealer...no certified extended warranty.

 

I understand the 2016's are not apart of the CVT warranty extension. I have always owned Honda....I am concerned about making the purchase as I don't want to be stuck with major tranny/engine repairs in a year.

 

Btw...really enjoyed the test drive(s), gas mileage is amazing as well as the safety record. A very comfortable car for sure. Just nervous to make the purchase because of the limited warranty remaining.

 

Can anyone relay their experiences with this car.

 

Thank you,

 

Walt

Subaru later added 2016-2017 to the CVT warranty extension so you will be covered to 10 years/100k miles:

 

https://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/cvt-warranty-extension-my-2016-2017-and-now-my-2018-275654.html

 

I love my 2016 3.6R. I bought it at about 18k miles and am a little over 37k now. No issues for me yet.

I understand the 2016's are not apart of the CVT warranty extension.

They definitely are in the U.S. (per TSB 16-115-18), but I don't know about Canada. The good news is that there have been very few CVT problems reported on this forum. On a personal level, the CVTs in our 2015 Legacy (~45,000 miles) and 2016 Outback (~ 43,000 miles) have been trouble free ... and a pleasure to drive.

Thanks for the information on the CVT warranty. I called the number for SOA located at the bottom of the letter and yep...the warranty on the CVT is extended for 100,000 miles and 10 years from the original purchase. That helps me feel reassured for sure!

 

Any other major issues(other than normal wear and tear)? Seems like the head gasket issue was fixed years ago. I read about oil consumption but that doesn't seems as prevalent for this generation, but perhaps someone has some experience to share?

 

Super nice car, less expensive than a 2016 CRV and a nicer ride/better safety.

 

Am I missing anything else? Thanks again.

I called the number for SOA located at the bottom of the letter ...

Are you in the U.S. or Canada? (Please fill out your profile so we'll know in the future.) "Premier" is a trim level only available in Canada, while there is a "Premium" trim level in the U.S. It makes a difference.

 

Seems like the head gasket issue was fixed years ago.

That was MY 2012 and earlier. A totally new engine design (FB25) was adopted by Legacy and Outback in MY 2013. Edited September 17, 2019 by ammcinnis

Trying not to be a pain here but I have another question. Does the CVT fluid need changed or not under normal everyday driving conditions?

Does the CVT fluid need changed or not under normal everyday driving conditions?

Subaru says no, unless you do "repeated trailer towing" ... and the Legacy isn't approved for towing, only the Outback.

Edited September 18, 2019 by ammcinnis

It is a Premium. I am in USA(Pennsylvania).

They definitely are in the U.S. (per TSB 16-115-18), but I don't know about Canada.

 

You can check the warranty extension on Canadian Subarus by VIN here:

https://www.subaru.ca/WebPage.aspx?WebSiteID=282&WebPageID=21809

I hate to ask but I need to find just a bit more reassurance...is the head gasket issue in the past? 2015-2019 seem to have fewer reports but I am hoping to hear a realistic expectations from some of you.

 

I know that SUV's are in demand but are you seeing the Legacy sedan holding decent value after a few years?

 

I want to try Subaru. I really do. AWD seems incredible and I live on a hill in Pennsylvania. Never had it. I have had extremely reliable cars...I just want to know what I am in for regarding maintenance and reliability.

 

Thanks again.

...is the head gasket issue in the past?

Already asked and answered.

 

I suggest you consult a source like http://cars101.com and do some of your own research on this site before asking more questions. You'll find that people around here are usually generous when it comes to answering technical questions, but don't expect them to do your research for you.

Edited September 18, 2019 by ammcinnis

I was just asking for honest experiences. Did not mean any harm. I appreciate cars101.com but there isn't alot of info about experiences with a 2016 Legacy. I am considering a purchase and believed this would be a logical place to ask questions before I spend my hard earned money.

I hate to ask but I need to find just a bit more reassurance...is the head gasket issue in the past? 2015-2019 seem to have fewer reports but I am hoping to hear a realistic expectations from some of you.

 

 

 

I know that SUV's are in demand but are you seeing the Legacy sedan holding decent value after a few years?

 

 

 

I want to try Subaru. I really do. AWD seems incredible and I live on a hill in Pennsylvania. Never had it. I have had extremely reliable cars...I just want to know what I am in for regarding maintenance and reliability.

 

 

 

Thanks again.

Living in PA get your delf a set of good snow tires..( Blizzak) or Equivalent and you'll be flying past all those Hondas.. [emoji1787][emoji1787][emoji1787]

 

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Living in PA get your delf a set of good snow tires..( Blizzak) or Equivalent and you'll be flying past all those Hondas..

 

 

I agree. The factory all-season tires are useless in snow.

 

Upgrade to better all-season tires or a set of winter tires.

I agree. The factory all-season tires are useless in snow.

 

Upgrade to better all-season tires or a set of winter tires.

 

 

 

 

depends what tires you have. The Bridgestone EL200 on the 14 were fine in the snow, now i ride of Bridgestone Turenza Serenity + and they do good as well.

I agree. The factory all-season tires are useless in snow.

 

Upgrade to better all-season tires or a set of winter tires.

 

I did the same. I use 17" Blizzaks for winter tires. More sidewall to better avoid DC potholes.

I have a 2016 and have multiple things that bug me about this car:

 

Uncomfortable for long drives for my and my gfs body types. Knee pain, numbness in the legs, fatigue. This is the nail in the coffin for the car for me, I'm parting ways with it because of this. I suggest an extended test drive.

 

Not a lot of fun to drive and slow, do the swaybar upgrade.

The paint damages very easily from tree sap and scratching.

Snow traction is a total joke with the stock tires.

The infotainment system worked perfectly fine when I bought it, was the best one I'd ever used. Now nothing works fully.

 

Things I love about the car:

 

The way it looks

The infotainment when working

Fuel mileage

Ride is very, very good

Transmission is seamless and the simulated shift points are spot on

Remote unlock functionality

Headlights on all the time.

Holds it's value great. Very good value for the money.

 

Flawlessly reliable for 50,000 miles, except for one thing- The other day the passenger window switch on the driver's side zonked out.

Edited September 25, 2019 by Tr00b

I purchased the 2016 Legacy 2.5. Burgundy/red, cloth, heated seats, moon roof and 22,000 miles. Still has 1 year left on powertrain and 6 years nearly 80,000 miles on the CVT. Honestly seems really solid, basic and comfortable. I considered the Fusion AWD (more of an exciting style)but liked the Subaru AWD and the potential resale is a little better. I am in Western PA and on my nearly 25 mile drive to work I am averaging about 35.5mpg for almost 1 full week. My hope is that it is a reliable friend that can get me through the hard times know around here as winter.

 

Thank you for your help.

Enjoy your "almost-new" Legacy. After ~5 years and ~45,000 miles, my 2015 Legacy has been trouble free and continues to exceed my expectations.

Looking at the history of my car, seems like the fuel filter was changed around 30k (CARFAX history).

 

Other than that haven’t had many issues, even though I got the car in February.

 

Really debating selling it because I can’t stand how it drives, the throttle is impossible to drive smoothly on this car. I barely touch the gas and it gives too much. There is no in between.

 

 

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Really debating selling it because I can’t stand how it drives

 

Maybe it's just me, but I would have thought that is a reasonably important factor in car ownership, so it doesn't sound like too much of a "debate" to me ....

I have read that the 2.5 is under powered. From just a regular guy driving to work and back...it has plenty of power, awd, easy to drive, comfortable and a decent sound system. Almost forgot the safety rating. Not the most exciting but really nice in a lot of ways. Hope she remains steady and reliable. Personally can't ask for much else.

Maybe it's just me, but I would have thought that is a reasonably important factor in car ownership, so it doesn't sound like too much of a "debate" to me ....

 

 

 

My car got totaled so I needed a new car. Didn’t have the luxury of shopping around [emoji2369]

 

 

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One more thing....do you recommend adding an extended warranty. Mine is a 2016, 22,000 miles(has had 7 oil changes at subaru dealer). I purchased it at a non subaru dealer but since it still has 1 year on the power train I still think I can extend it through subaru. Any thoughts on this? Thank you.

....do you recommend adding an extended warranty.

 

Generally, things that would go bad under warranty happen sooner than later if they are actual manufacture defects. Since you car is now ~4 years old, it is relatively likely that most thing that would have failed due to defective parts has happened.

 

In general, if you have the money to pay for a random small/large failure, it is cheaper to go that route than to buy a warranty. Or put $2k into a high interest savings account and only take money out when the repair would have been covered under warranty, or get a "free" yearly oil change with the interest you earn - but I digress.

 

Considering your engine has had 48,000 miles worth of oil changes at 22,000 miles, the previous owner was likely pretty careful with the car. Or someone who really liked wasting synthetic oil on 3,000 mile changes lol.