2011 Subaru Legacy Transmission & Powertrain Problems
Owners filed 47 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2011 Subaru Legacy, 28% of all complaints for that year. The dominant pattern is stalling and shuddering at stops tied to the torque converter, with median mileage at failure of 115,000. A 2010V326000 recall covers a separate manual transmission lubrication defect, not this stalling issue.
- Transmission & Powertrain complaints
- 47
- 28% of 167
- Crashes reported
- 0
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 0
- Median mileage
- 115,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 1
Typical transmission symptoms owners report
- Vehicle shudders and stalls when downshifting or braking to a stop at intersections, sometimes requiring a restart in traffic.
- Some owners describe jerky or 'bucking' CVT behavior at low speeds that was present from early ownership and worsened over time.
- Reports of the car lunging forward or rocking with RPM drops and spikes when shifting from park into drive before accelerating.
- Vibration felt through the steering wheel, clutch, and brake pedal at all speeds.
- At highway speeds around 60+ mph, some owners describe a 'wobbly' or swaying feeling they associate with the AWD system.
- Dealers reportedly told owners the stalling issue involves the torque converter and is linked to a service bulletin, but is not covered under warranty or recall.
When 2011 Subaru Legacy transmission complaints were filed
First complaint Jan 23, 2011, latest Oct 22, 2025.
Transmission & Powertrain recalls for the 2011 Subaru Legacy
- NHTSA 10V326000Jul 20, 2010Transmission & Powertrain809 vehicles
Power train:manual transmission
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010 and 2011 outback and legacy passenger vehicles manufactured from april 28 through june 23, 2010. Due to a programming error, a lubrication hole within the 6-speed manual transmission was omitted.
Risk: If the transmission gears are not properly lubricated, a groaning sound may begin to develop alerting the driver of a problem. If the sound is ignored and no action is taken, the gears will eventually break and this condition will lead to vehicle power loss, possibly resulting in a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles by drilling an oil lubrication hole and, if necessary, replace the internal parts with new ones free of charge. The safety recall began on july 28, 2010. Owners may contact subaru at 1-800-782-2783.
Transmission & Powertrain complaints by Legacy model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many transmission complaints does NHTSA list for the 2011 Subaru Legacy?
- NHTSA lists 47 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2011 Legacy, which is 28% of the 167 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for the 2011 Subaru Legacy transmission?
- Yes, campaign 10V326000 covers a programming error affecting a lubrication hole in the 6-speed manual transmission on certain 2010-2011 Legacy and Outback vehicles. This recall does not address the stalling/shuddering pattern described in later owner complaints.
- At what mileage do transmission problems typically show up on the 2011 Legacy?
- The median mileage at failure across reported Transmission & Powertrain complaints is 115,000 miles.
- Did the 2011 Legacy transmission issue cause any crashes or injuries?
- NHTSA data for this component and year shows 0 crashes, 0 fires, and 0 injuries reported.
- How does the 2011 Legacy compare to other years for transmission complaints?
- The 2011 Legacy's transmission complaint share was 28%, lower than 2010 (34%) and 2012 (38%), but higher than most later years like 2017 (3%) and 2018 (2%).