There are 3 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2012 Subaru Legacyin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The brake lines of my vehicle were corroded and started leaking brake fluid. The brakes no longer work and started failing when I was driving up a hill. Luckily there was no accident, however, not having functioning breaks is an obvious safety concern. An independent service center initially looked at the damage and suggested that the corrosion is unacceptable for the life of the vehicle. They provided me with the recall information I include below and instructed me to take the vehicle to a Subaru dealership. The dealership confirmed the issue and offered a quote of $5,000 for the repair. There is a recall for the same exact issue for similar vehicles (Subaru Recall Campaign WQK47: Brake Line Corrosion). The recall includes 2005‐2009 model year Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2008‐2014 model year Subaru Impreza WRX and STI vehicles, and others. However, it neglects to include 2012 model year Subaru Legacy vehicles. The issue is clearly the same.
THE ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE HAS FAILED AS DETERMINED BY THE MODESTO SUBARU DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSTIC. THEY RECOMMEND REPLACING THE EPB. I PAID $157.50 FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC AND THEY WANT ANOTHER $1250 TO REPAIR. THIS PROBLEM IS ALREADY PART OF A RECALL FOR 2012 SUBARU LEGACY BUT MY SPECIFIC VIN IS NOT COVERED. IF THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM THEY SHOULD REPAIR REGARDLESS OF VIN. HOW DO I GET MY VIN ON THE LIST? THIS IS THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH MY SUBARU WHICH STARTED ONE DAY AFTER TURNING ON THE VEHICLE AND RELEASING THE PARKING BRAKE.
BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL SUDDENLY INCREASED WHILE DRIVING ON RESIDENTIAL STREET. BRAKE PEDAL MUST BE DEPRESSED ALMOST TO FLOOR FOR CAR TO BEGIN BRAKING. BRAKING IS NOT VERY EFFECTIVE. NO BRAKE FLUID LOSS EXPERIENCED AND BRAKE FLUID APPEARS CLEAR. FLUID LEVEL NEAR MAXIMUM LEVEL IN RESERVOIR. A RECALL (11V562000) FOR SIMILAR ISSUE ON CERTAIN 2012 LEGACY WAS ISSUED BUT MY VIN DOES NOT INDICATE A RECALL.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026