Is the Honda Accord more reliable than the Subaru Legacy?

No, they are effectively tied, and both stand as good. The Accord has a lower complaint rate, at 5.7 per 10,000 sold against 21.2 for the Legacy, and costs less to repair. The Legacy has fewer recalls and fewer crash-linked problem areas. Each has a clear weak spot.

Which has more recalls, the Accord or the Legacy?

The Accord has more. Federal recall records show 46 recalls across 9 model years for the Accord and 19 across 8 model years for the Legacy. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before you buy, whichever model you choose.

Which costs less to repair, the Accord or the Legacy?

The Accord costs less. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $400 a year against $563 for the Legacy, which is about $815 less over five years. A repair is also less likely to be major on the Accord, at 9% against 12%.

What is the most common Subaru Legacy problem?

Cracked windshields. Owners report cracks with no visible impact, sometimes overnight in a parked car or right after a cold start with the defroster on. Cracks can block the EyeSight cameras, and replacement glass has cracked again within weeks for several owners. Camera recalibration adds cost.

Does the Honda Accord have automatic braking problems?

Yes, owners file many complaints about it. Forward collision avoidance has 408 complaints, 8 of them crash-linked. Owners describe the car braking hard with nothing ahead, and two describe rear-end crashes after it stopped on its own. Dealers usually find no stored codes and offer no fix.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Honda Accord vs Subaru Legacy: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Honda Accord

Good

Subaru Legacy

Good

Reliability is effectively tied between the Honda Accord and Subaru Legacy, and both stand as good. The Accord costs less to repair each year. The Legacy has fewer recalls, and its main weakness is windshields that crack with no visible impact.

How Do the Honda Accord and Subaru Legacy Generations Compare?

Early tenth-generation years are where the Honda's trouble sits. That generation covered 2018 through 2022, with a facelift for 2020, and the weakest years, 2018 and 2019, came before the facelift. The eleventh generation began with the 2023 model year. The strongest years, 2025 and 2026, are also the newest, so they have had the least time to collect complaints. On the Subaru side, the sixth generation ran 2015 through 2020, which covers 2018 and 2019. The seventh generation started in 2020 and ran through 2025. The 2020 year appears in both ranges and is among its weakest.

Verdict

The Honda Accord is more reliable than the Subaru Legacy, scoring 76/100 vs 75/100.

Neither car wins on reliability. Both stand as good, and both see 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year. The gaps that exist point in opposite directions. The Accord is cheaper to keep running and draws far fewer complaints per car sold. The Legacy has fewer recalls and fewer crash-linked problem areas. Those offsets leave the two effectively tied, so the choice comes down to which trouble you would rather risk: Accord electronics and braking systems, or Legacy windshields and a higher repair bill.

Key Differences

1Honda Accord costs $163 less per year to repair
2Subaru Legacy has 27 fewer total recalls
3Honda Accord has 15.5 fewer complaints per 10k sold

Category Scoreboard

4Honda Accord

—

1Subaru Legacy

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Honda Accord vs Subaru Legacy: Which Is More Reliable?

Honda Accord vs Subaru Legacy at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Honda Accord	Subaru Legacy
Reliability Score	76/100	75/100
Years Tracked	9	8
Total Recalls	46	19
Complaints per 10k Sold	5.7	21.2
Annual Repair Cost	$400/yr	$563/yr
Repair Frequency	0.3/yr	0.3/yr
Major Repair Risk	9%	12%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2025 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	4 (1 tied)	3 (1 tied)

What Are the Common Problems With the Honda Accord and Subaru Legacy?

Safety-critical systems dominate the Honda's complaints. Owners report touchscreen ghost touches, automatic emergency braking that clamps down with nothing ahead, head gasket failures, and brakes that fail to respond. Electrical and service brakes each carry 18 crash-linked complaints. The Subaru's list is led by windshields that crack with no visible impact, sometimes blocking the EyeSight cameras, followed by water leaks into the cabin. Those areas show no crash links. Its crash-linked reports involve the car surging forward at low speed in a parking space or driveway. Those reports are few, but the outcomes were serious.

Honda Accord vs Subaru Legacy common problem areas comparison
Component	Honda Accord	Subaru Legacy
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	6.5Average
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.9Very Low	4.5Average
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.2Very Low	3.6Average
ENGINE	0.6Very Low	0.5Very Low
VISIBILITY	—None	0.9Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	0.7Very Low	0.2Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.5Very Low	0.2Very Low
STEERING	0.4Very Low	0.3Very Low
POWER TRAIN	0.3Very Low	0.4Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.2Very Low	0.5Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.3Very Low	0.3Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.1Very Low	0.4Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM	0.4Very Low	—None
STRUCTURE	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
LANE DEPARTURE	—None	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	—None
TIRES	—None	—None
SEAT BELTS	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Honda Accord or Subaru Legacy?

Repair costs favor the Honda. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $400 a year, against $563 for the Subaru. That gap of $163 a year adds up to about $815 over five years. Shop-visit frequency is the same, at 0.3 unscheduled visits a year for each. The difference shows up in severity: 9% of Accord repairs are major, against 12% for the Legacy. Legacy owners with a cracked windshield also face camera recalibration on top of the glass.

How Does Honda Accord vs Subaru Legacy Reliability Compare by Year?

Honda Accord vs Subaru Legacy year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Honda Accord	Subaru Legacy	Edge
2025	84/1001R / 65C	80/1000R / 6C	Honda Accord
2024	76/1006R / 166C	81/1000R / 16C	Subaru Legacy
2023	74/10010R / 199C	77/1002R / 10C	Subaru Legacy
2022	77/1003R / 201C	77/1002R / 32C	Tie
2021	78/1005R / 215C	75/1003R / 31C	Honda Accord
2020	73/1008R / 344C	67/1006R / 121C	Honda Accord
2019	70/1005R / 574C	69/1003R / 123C	Honda Accord
2018	63/1008R / 1739C	70/1003R / 116C	Subaru Legacy

Best years to cross-shop: The 2021 Honda Accord scored 78/100 and the 2024 Subaru Legacy scored 81/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Honda Accord vs the Subaru Legacy?

Choose the Accord if you want the lower running cost and a lower chance that any repair turns major. Avoid 2018 and 2019, its weakest years. The 2025 and 2026 years rate strongest, but they have had less time to collect complaints, so treat that as unproven. On a test drive, work the touchscreen and listen for rear brake squeal in reverse, since both show up often in owner complaints. Choose the Legacy if you want fewer recalls and can live with a higher repair bill. Skip 2019 and 2020, its weakest years. The 2024 and 2025 years rate strongest, but they are also the newest and have the least history behind them. Ask whether the windshield has ever been replaced. Cracks are the top complaint, and a new piece of glass needs camera recalibration, which adds cost.

Honda Accord vs Subaru Legacy: Common Questions

Is the Honda Accord more reliable than the Subaru Legacy?: No, they are effectively tied, and both stand as good. The Accord has a lower complaint rate, at 5.7 per 10,000 sold against 21.2 for the Legacy, and costs less to repair. The Legacy has fewer recalls and fewer crash-linked problem areas. Each has a clear weak spot.
Which has more recalls, the Accord or the Legacy?: The Accord has more. Federal recall records show 46 recalls across 9 model years for the Accord and 19 across 8 model years for the Legacy. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before you buy, whichever model you choose.
Which costs less to repair, the Accord or the Legacy?: The Accord costs less. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $400 a year against $563 for the Legacy, which is about $815 less over five years. A repair is also less likely to be major on the Accord, at 9% against 12%.
What is the most common Subaru Legacy problem?: Cracked windshields. Owners report cracks with no visible impact, sometimes overnight in a parked car or right after a cold start with the defroster on. Cracks can block the EyeSight cameras, and replacement glass has cracked again within weeks for several owners. Camera recalibration adds cost.
Does the Honda Accord have automatic braking problems?: Yes, owners file many complaints about it. Forward collision avoidance has 408 complaints, 8 of them crash-linked. Owners describe the car braking hard with nothing ahead, and two describe rear-end crashes after it stopped on its own. Dealers usually find no stored codes and offer no fix.

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How we score the Honda Accord and Subaru Legacy

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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