Is the Hyundai Sonata more reliable than the Subaru Legacy?

No. The Legacy has a clear edge, though both rate good. Sonata owners report repeat injector failures, engines that jerk or shut off at highway speed, and lost drive power. The Legacy's biggest complaint is cracked windshields, which is a nuisance more than a breakdown.

Which has more recalls, the Sonata or the Legacy?

They are close. Federal recall records show 20 recalls across 9 Sonata model years and 19 across 8 Legacy model years. Recall count alone does not separate them, so check the specific VIN for open recalls before buying either one.

Which is cheaper to repair, the Sonata or the Legacy?

Only the Legacy has repair-cost figures here, so a direct comparison is not possible. Independent data puts Legacy repairs at about $563 a year, with 0.3 unscheduled shop visits per year and a 12% chance that a repair is major.

Do Subaru Legacy windshields really crack that often?

Windshield cracking is the Legacy's most common complaint, with 139 owner reports in one category alone. Many cracks appear with no visible impact, and some replacement glass cracked again. Replacement also requires recalibrating the EyeSight cameras, which adds cost.

Which Sonata and Legacy model years should I avoid?

For the Sonata, avoid 2018 and 2023, the weakest years. For the Legacy, avoid 2019 and 2020. The newest years of both rate best, but they have had less time to collect complaints, so treat that edge cautiously.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Hyundai Sonata vs Subaru Legacy: Reliability Compared

Hyundai Sonata

Good

More Reliable

Subaru Legacy

Good

On reliability, the Subaru Legacy beats the Hyundai Sonata by a clear margin. Its top complaint is cracked windshields, not engine trouble. Sonata owners report injector failures, stalling and sudden loss of drive power, though both cars rate good overall.

How Do the Hyundai Sonata and Subaru Legacy Generations Compare?

A generation change falls inside the used-market window of each car. For the Sonata, the 2018 and 2019 models belong to the seventh generation (LF), which ran 2015 to 2020 and was refreshed in 2017. The eighth generation (DN8) started in 2020 and was refreshed for 2023, one of the weakest years. The Legacy splits the same way. Its 2018 and 2019 models were late in the sixth generation, which ran 2015 to 2020. The seventh generation ran 2020 to 2025, and 2020 is among its weakest years. The strongest years, 2024 and 2025, closed out that generation.

Verdict

The Subaru Legacy is more reliable than the Hyundai Sonata, scoring 75/100 vs 68/100.

Reliability favors the Legacy by a clear margin, though both cars land in the good range. The deciding factor is what goes wrong. Legacy owners mostly deal with cracked windshields and cabin leaks, and independent repair-cost data shows few unscheduled shop visits. Sonata owners report injector failures, stalling, and sudden loss of drive power that sometimes strands the car. The Legacy draws more complaints per car sold, and its unintended acceleration reports are serious, but they are few.

Key Differences

1Hyundai Sonata has 17.5 fewer complaints per 10k sold
2Subaru Legacy scores 7 points higher in reliability
3Subaru Legacy has 1 fewer total recalls

Category Scoreboard

1Hyundai Sonata

—

2Subaru Legacy

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateSafety Rating

Hyundai Sonata vs Subaru Legacy: Which Is More Reliable?

Hyundai Sonata vs Subaru Legacy at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Hyundai Sonata	Subaru Legacy
Reliability Score	68/100	75/100
Years Tracked	9	8
Total Recalls	20	19
Complaints per 10k Sold	3.7	21.2
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2025 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	1	7

What Are the Common Problems With the Hyundai Sonata and Subaru Legacy?

Drivetrain trouble dominates Sonata complaints. Injectors fail repeatedly, the engine jerks or shuts off at highway speed, and drive power drops while the engine revs. Hybrids add dead 12-volt batteries. Crash-linked reports appear in the power train, engine, electrical and lighting areas. Legacy complaints lean toward glass and electronics. Windshields crack with no visible impact, water leaks into the cabin, and the telematics unit fails. Its crash-linked reports describe the car surging forward at low speed while parking, a specific pattern the Sonata complaints do not contain.

Hyundai Sonata vs Subaru Legacy common problem areas comparison
Component	Hyundai Sonata	Subaru Legacy
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	6.5Average
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.6Very Low	4.5Average
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.4Very Low	3.6Average
ENGINE	0.8Very Low	0.5Very Low
VISIBILITY	—None	0.9Very Low
POWER TRAIN	0.4Very Low	0.4Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.1Very Low	0.5Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.2Very Low	0.3Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.1Very Low	0.4Very Low
STEERING	0.1Very Low	0.3Very Low
STRUCTURE	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	—None	0.2Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	—None	0.2Very Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	0.1Very Low	—None
FUEL SYSTEM	0.1Very Low	—None
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	0.1Very Low	—None
SEATS	—None	—None
SEAT BELTS	—None	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—None	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	—None

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

How Does Hyundai Sonata vs Subaru Legacy Reliability Compare by Year?

Hyundai Sonata vs Subaru Legacy year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Hyundai Sonata	Subaru Legacy	Edge
2025	76/1000R / 16C	80/1000R / 6C	Subaru Legacy
2024	73/1001R / 41C	81/1000R / 16C	Subaru Legacy
2023	62/1002R / 87C	77/1002R / 10C	Subaru Legacy
2022	65/1003R / 95C	77/1002R / 32C	Subaru Legacy
2021	64/1004R / 151C	75/1003R / 31C	Subaru Legacy
2020	62/1005R / 163C	67/1006R / 121C	Subaru Legacy
2019	71/1000R / 144C	69/1003R / 123C	Hyundai Sonata
2018	61/1003R / 353C	70/1003R / 116C	Subaru Legacy

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Hyundai Sonata scored 73/100 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 Hyundai Sonata vs the Subaru Legacy?

Pick the Legacy if you want fewer mechanical surprises and can live with a possible glass bill. Its leading complaint, cracked windshields, rarely leaves you stranded, though replacement requires EyeSight camera recalibration. Target 2024 or 2025, its strongest years, but remember that newer years have had less time to collect complaints. Skip 2019 and 2020, the weakest. If you park in tight spaces, know that a few owners reported sudden forward surges. Pick the Sonata if drivetrain risk is acceptable and you want a car with fewer complaints per car sold. Ask for proof of injector service, since repeat failures are common in owner reports. On a hybrid, test for a dead battery after the car sits a few days. Avoid 2018 and 2023, the weakest years. The 2025 and 2026 models rate best, but they are recent and have had little time to build a complaint record.

Hyundai Sonata vs Subaru Legacy: Common Questions

Is the Hyundai Sonata more reliable than the Subaru Legacy?: No. The Legacy has a clear edge, though both rate good. Sonata owners report repeat injector failures, engines that jerk or shut off at highway speed, and lost drive power. The Legacy's biggest complaint is cracked windshields, which is a nuisance more than a breakdown.
Which has more recalls, the Sonata or the Legacy?: They are close. Federal recall records show 20 recalls across 9 Sonata model years and 19 across 8 Legacy model years. Recall count alone does not separate them, so check the specific VIN for open recalls before buying either one.
Which is cheaper to repair, the Sonata or the Legacy?: Only the Legacy has repair-cost figures here, so a direct comparison is not possible. Independent data puts Legacy repairs at about $563 a year, with 0.3 unscheduled shop visits per year and a 12% chance that a repair is major.
Do Subaru Legacy windshields really crack that often?: Windshield cracking is the Legacy's most common complaint, with 139 owner reports in one category alone. Many cracks appear with no visible impact, and some replacement glass cracked again. Replacement also requires recalibrating the EyeSight cameras, which adds cost.
Which Sonata and Legacy model years should I avoid?: For the Sonata, avoid 2018 and 2023, the weakest years. For the Legacy, avoid 2019 and 2020. The newest years of both rate best, but they have had less time to collect complaints, so treat that edge cautiously.

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How we score the Hyundai Sonata 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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