Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Subaru Legacy owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I had run into a few small problems this winter, like my steering wheel not turning when the car was cold, but I experienced my first major problem while my vehicle was stationary, but had been running. I was going through a drive through, had to put my car in park, then when I went to shift it back into drive, nothing would happen. It was stuck in park. I don't think the problem was temp. Related, it was about 40 degrees outside. After turning the car on/off four or five times I was able to get it going, but my headlights went out, which I thought was strange. While driving home I noticed that the "brake" light was illuminated. The next day, I started my car before work to defrost my windows. The car started just fine (all the electrics worked and the engine was on and running), and I went inside. About 15 minutes later I came back to my car, and the engine had turned off. …
This only affect 05-06 Legacy gt owners. The up-pipe for the Subaru Legacy gt in these given years have a catalytic converter in there and after a certain mileage, the debris of the catalytic converter breaking down would shoot back into the turbocharger. That would cause the turbo failure and stall the vehicle unexpectedly. The catalytic converter in the up-pipe does not have any indication of % of wear and most non-car enthusiasts would not know what the issue is caused by except for an expensive turbo replacement and up-pipe replacements. Most of the owners of these issues turn over to catless up-pipe but that would cause the check engine light coming on and overboosting or the engine run rich, further damaging the engine. This can be pretty dangerous if a person is on a road trip and having a long drive as it directly impact the drivability of the vehicle. …
The engine shutoff while my wife was driving this car in traffic. The resulting problem was a failed crankshaft position sensor. This failure shut the engine off and the car was without power to pull to the side of the road. Had she been making a left turn in front of oncoming traffic, this could have resulted in a major multiple car accident. My question to Subaru (given they like to tout their automobiles' safety record) is why would any engine sensor failure leave the car without power? Isn't this the same as the infamous GM ignition switch tragedy? Since the sensor was replaced, my wife is afraid to drive the car for understandable reasons.
Was in cruise control around 45 MPH, came to a stop and ce and cc lights illuminated, and gas pedal was dissabled, so a fellow motorist helped me push the car away from the intersection. After turning engine on and off several times throttle control came back and I could drive home (ce and cc lights still on). I replaced the gas pedal and reset the lights. Similar problem reoccurred on way to work, ce and cc lights came on but still had throttle control and cc was inactive. I suspect a disconnect in the drive by wire logic for the gas pedal versus the cc.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Subaru Legacy. While driving various speeds, the vehicle lost acceleration and the check engine and cruise control warning indicators illuminated. The contact coasted to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the technician could not find a code to identify the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
Tl contact owns a 2006 Subaru Legacy. While the vehicle was stopped, the contact noticed smoke coming from the hood of the vehicle. Once she pulled the vehicle over, she opened the hood and noticed flames coming from the radiator. The contact was able to extinguish the fire. The vehicle was towed to her local mechanic and repaired. There were no warning indicators prior to the failure. The vehicle was never diagnosed by the dealer. The current and failure mileages were 36,700.
Car would not accelerate upon entering the highway after pushing on the gas pedal the car wouldn't do anything . I was able to get off to the side and missed being hit from behind from on coming traffic...I notice check engine light and flashing cruse control light... Second time some weeks later it did the same thing this is very dangerous because you never know when this will happen.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that the vehicle would not accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. In addition, the check engine and the cruise control warning lights remained illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000. The VIN was not available.
While driving engine light and cruise lights come on and vehicle will not accelerate. I almost got rearended because of it. It set a code #p2138. It is very dangerous and there should be a recall on it.
While crossing a four-lane road, the accelerator pedal went limp and caused the engine to become unresponsive. The car would not accelerate and barely made it across the lanes of traffic to the median safely. The check engine light illuminated and when placed into park, the engine revved to approximately 2500rpm without my foot being on the pedal. I turned the engine off, and restarted it only to have it rev again on its own to 2500rpm. It took 5-6 attempts to restart it before the engine idled appropriately and the accelerator became responsive again. The check engine light remained on and OBD code p2318 was returned when I plugged in a scanner to the port. This is not the first time this event has occurred; it has been random and sporadic for about 8 months now, sometimes occurring as often as 3-4 times per week to going 2 months in between episodes. …
Engine complaints in other Legacy years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2006 Subaru Legacy?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2006 Subaru Legacy, 23% of the model year's 87 complaints. The component named most often is engine (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Subaru Legacy engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2006 Subaru Legacy, though it has 7 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Subaru Legacy engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.