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Subaru OutbackModel year report

2011 Subaru Outback Problems

Compared with other Subaru Outback years

Typical for this model

46/100 0.9× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
653filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
85,000miles, 463 complaints with mileage
Recalls
16campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
4 / 5stars overall
EPA fuel economy
22 mpgcombined, 2.5L 4-cyl AWD · 19 city / 26 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2011 Subaru Outback (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2011 Outback most often describe the engine stalling or shuddering as the car comes to a stop, which many complaints attribute to the torque converter, and they frequently mention being quoted for a replacement after the extended coverage ran out. A second theme is a soft or low brake pedal with longer travel, plus repeated low-beam headlamp bulb failures. Reports are spread across the mileage range, with most appearing well past 80,000 miles.

  1. Transmission and drivetrain

    Stalling or shuddering when coming to a stop

    • 199 complaints (30%)
    • median 115,000 mi at 7.9 yrs old (168 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $2,345 (median of 33 quotes)
    • filed 2010–2025

    Complaints describe the engine dropping to very low RPM, shuddering, or shutting off as the vehicle slows to a stop or stops short in traffic, sometimes requiring a restart in the middle of an intersection. Several owners say a dealer diagnosed a torque converter failure or pointed to a service bulletin covering the symptom, while others report that the dealer could not reproduce the problem or that assistance was declined because of mileage. Some complaints mention an extended powertrain warranty period that had already expired. Reported from around 75,000 to 190,000 miles, most often in the 100,000-150,000 mile range, and often described as worsening over time.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: During a test drive, slow to a full stop several times and feel for shuddering, a dip in RPM, or a stall, and let the engine idle in gear. Ask whether the torque converter or transmission control software has been serviced and whether any extended coverage applies.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Torque converter assembly repair. When slowing down to a stop, the car shakes, shimmies and shuts off. I have to restart. This is very dangerous. I've spoken to Subaru and they say they won't fix the problem on my car because it has 149k miles on it. They say they will give me 1,000 dollars toward purchase of a new car. I would like my car repaired.”

    NHTSA complaint #11338181, filed 2020-07, 147,000 miles

    “Im appalled that the torque converter has not been considered a recall considering all the complaints filed on it. I was quoted $1900 to have this replaced ! This is absurd and I can not afford this repair and believe Subaru should be responsible considering the amount of complaints on this. Now I risk accident everytime need to go out .car stalls when coming to a stop .”

    NHTSA complaint #11327356, filed 2020-06, 111,560 miles
  2. Brakes

    Low or sinking brake pedal with long travel

    • 70 complaints (11%)
    • median 80,000 mi at 6.5 yrs old (41 state mileage)
    • 9 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2011–2025

    Owners describe the brake pedal feeling mushy or traveling close to the floor before the car slows, sometimes with the brake warning light on; a few report that new pads, rotors, and a fluid flush did not change it. Several complaints suspect the brake master cylinder, and one mentions a corroded rear brake line found at a junction under the body. Complaints note that a similar condition was covered by a recall on a later model year but that this year was not included. Mostly reported between about 70,000 and 170,000 miles, with some owners describing the pedal behavior as long-standing.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Press and hold the brake pedal firmly with the engine running and see whether it sinks or feels spongy, and have the brake lines and calipers inspected for corrosion or seepage before purchase.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was driving this vehilce while coming to a stop the brake pedal went to the floor and the vehicle wouldnt stop completly, I had to shift the transmission into park,, perhaps causing damage to my transmission, upon investigation I found the rear brake line failured due to rust and corrosion under fuel tank shield. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11363876, filed 2020-10, 140,000 miles

    “This is a recurring problem with my vehicle. I was driving on the highway, when suddenly my dashboard lights up. I'm going 70 MPH, and my emergency brake light is flashing for no reason. It's was not on when I started the car, just suddenly started flashing 5 minutes into my trip. The check engine light also came on. I pulled over as soon as I could and tried reset my e brake. It would not turn off no matter what I did. Once in park on the side of the road, my car would not move. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11413695, filed 2021-04, 145,000 miles
  3. Engine

    Head gasket leaks and overheating

    Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners report coolant loss, overheating, and a diagnosed head gasket leak, in some cases after a radiator leak or coolant reservoir pressure problem. Complaints describe the repair as costly and say a dealer or the manufacturer did not offer help once the vehicle was out of warranty. Several owners describe the failure as sudden, with the temperature warning appearing only after damage had occurred. Mostly reported between about 60,000 and 115,000 miles, sometimes following an unnoticed coolant or radiator leak.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check the coolant level and condition for foam or discoloration, look for coolant residue around the radiator and head gasket area, and ask whether the radiator or head gasket has been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Our 2011 Subaru Outback had a radiator leak with no warning signal. The car overheated, the radiator cracked, and we blew the headgasket. Only after the damage was done did a warning light come on. The car only has 100k miles and has been carefully maintained.”

    NHTSA complaint #11414882, filed 2021-05, 100,000 miles

    “Head gasket blew, out of nowhere, no issues leading up to this. Car was well maintained. It had around 108,000 miles. Cost close to 2,800 to repair, not worth it. Dealer seemed to know about this issue prior to chase in gasket plate starting in 2012, but doesn't help people who have had this happen. No recall or class action suit, which is sad.”

    NHTSA complaint #11350084, filed 2020-08, 108,000 miles

Buying note. Give this model year a careful test drive that includes repeated full stops and hard braking, and check the coolant, brake lines, lamp housings, and moonroof glass before buying. Ask for service records showing whether the torque converter, brake, and moonroof recall items were addressed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 653 consumer complaints for the 2011 Subaru Outback. 463 of the complaints include a mileage, and 33% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 85,000 miles. Of all complaints, 24 involved a crash, 6 a fire, 7 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 16 recall campaigns and 338 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 15 Subaru Outback model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 46 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Suspension (21), Fuel system (16), Body and structure (11), Wheels (10), Tires (9), Engine cooling (8), Electronic stability control (7), Seat belts (4), Seats (4), Equipment (3), Forward collision avoidance (3).

Example complaints

Transmission and drivetrain: “The car is stalling out when in motion and coming to a stop. When braking to come to a stop, at stoplights, stop signs, or anywhere you need to stop, the car turns off. To start the car back up again, you have to put the car in park, turn it back on, then shift to drive. I am concerned for the safety of my family as this is our family auto.”

NHTSA complaint #11191990, filed 2019-03, 118,000 miles

Exterior lighting: “While driving home from work 11-09-2017 at around 6:30 pm both my headlights went out. I could not see the road and I drove off the side of the road and slammed my brakes on. I put the car in park and got out and looked at my headlights. They were both out. The high beams did work. I had to keep high beams on so I could make it home.”

NHTSA complaint #11045154, filed 2017-11, 114,000 miles

Engine: “All of the lights started flashing on my dash. The car has 114,000 miles. It is a faulty valve body and the transmission is shot. There are metal shavings in the transmission fluid. Subaru quoted me $7000 to fix it. The cars not even worth $5000. I am out of warranty and there's nothing they can do. I am done with subarus.”

NHTSA complaint #11164444, filed 2019-01, 113,000 miles

Brakes: “On 06/12/2016, I attempted to actuate the electronic brake, to no avail once again. Parking on a hill is rather risky with this vehicle as the parking brake does not function most of the time, something I have never experienced in 50 yrs of driving using a manual parking brake. So I have made my own parking brake (see attached).”

NHTSA complaint #10874033, filed 2016-06, 46,745 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

33% of the 463 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 35,000 and 118,036 miles.

14%0–106%10–2513%25–5011%50–7516%75–10033%100–1508%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (463 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 85,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’11’14’1790’20’23’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2011 Subaru Outback. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Outback · SUV AWD★★★★☆4 / 4434 · 17.4% risk

Neighbouring years: 2012: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2011 Subaru Outback version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Outback Wagon AWD2.5L 4-cylCVT212824$2,800
Outback Wagon AWD2.5L 4-cyl6-speed manual192622$3,050
Outback Wagon AWD3.6L 6-cyl5-speed automatic182420$3,350

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

See all 16 recalls for the 2011 Subaru Outback → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 338 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 338 bulletins →

Other model years of the Subaru Outback

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
202621—0—24—Too new
2025832,0000525Too new to compareToo new
20241043,3950525Too new to compareToo new
2023897,50025250 · FewerToo new
202246513,947452677 · MoreStable
20212983,600452959 · TypicalFalling
20209015,7506529100 · MoreFalling
20191,03610,194352887 · MoreFalling
201881616,794352872 · MoreFalling
201791930,000452868 · MoreFalling
201664335,000452854 · TypicalFalling
201551020,000552870 · MoreFalling
201420835,0001052413 · FewerFalling
201329744,1001252421 · FewerFalling
201229490,000164223 · FewerFalling
201165385,0001642246 · TypicalFalling
201036068,00018—2237 · TypicalFalling
200910670,35013—200 · FewerStable
200822679,1508—200 · FewerFalling
200713081,1478—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200627795,3167—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200527382,0009—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20049067,69310——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20039373,76214——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200214370,5004——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200117172,0003——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200020768,3181——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199911189,5001——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199812791,4862——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199779103,9954——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199646125,4532——Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Subaru Outback model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2011 Subaru Outback?

Owners of the 2011 Outback most often describe the engine stalling or shuddering as the car comes to a stop, which many complaints attribute to the torque converter, and they frequently mention being quoted for a replacement after the extended coverage ran out. The issues reported most often: Stalling or shuddering when coming to a stop; Low or sinking brake pedal with long travel; Head gasket leaks and overheating.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2011 Subaru Outback have?

NHTSA recorded 653 consumer complaints for the 2011 Subaru Outback as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2011 Subaru Outback is reported most often?

Transmission and drivetrain is named most often, in 216 complaints (33% of the total), followed by exterior lighting with 117.

Has the 2011 Subaru Outback been recalled?

NHTSA lists 16 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How did the 2011 Subaru Outback do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2011 Subaru Outback 4 out of 5 stars overall. Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

What gas mileage does the 2011 Subaru Outback get?

The EPA rates the 2011 Subaru Outback (Outback Wagon AWD, 2.5L 4-cyl) at 22 mpg combined, 19 city and 26 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,050 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2011 Subaru Outback reported?

Among the 463 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 85,000 miles and the middle half falls between 35,000 and 118,036 miles; 33% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.