2011 Subaru Outback Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
CautionComplaint Index
60/100
#7 most-complained of 16 Outback years
The 2011 Subaru Outback has 651 NHTSA complaints, 16 recalls, and a Complaint Index of 60, ranking 7th worst out of 16 model years. It carries a Caution verdict, driven mainly by transmission and electrical complaints.
- Complaints
- 651
- Recalls
- 16
- Crashes / fires
- 23 / 6
- Injuries / deaths
- 6 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 4 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 22
- 19 city / 26 hwy
Top 2011 Subaru Outback problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Transmission & Powertrain216 (33%)
- Electrical System165 (25%)
- Engine113 (17%)
- Brakes84 (13%)
- Airbags73 (11%)
- Other41 (6%)
- Steering36 (6%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires36 (6%)
- Visibility & Wipers23 (4%)
- Fuel System16 (2%)
What owners report
- Owners report brakes that feel soft or go to the floor with little stopping power, sometimes leading to low-speed collisions.
- Some describe the vehicle rolling unexpectedly after parking, with the electronic parking brake failing to hold the car on an incline.
- Several report unintended acceleration or brake failure at very low speeds in parking lots, resulting in crashes into barriers or fences.
- A few owners describe fires starting near the wiper motor or in the engine bay, in one case destroying a garage.
- Some airbags reportedly failed to deploy during a moderate-speed frontal collision.
2011 Subaru Outback recalls
16 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 20V001000Jan 2, 2020Airbags258,813 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (STI included), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators with alternate inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-20.
- NHTSA 20V003000Jan 2, 2020Airbags111,562 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2005-2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-20.
- NHTSA 20V002000Jan 2, 2020Airbags127,547 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester, 2003-2006 Baja, 2004-2011 Impreza, 2004-2014 WRX (including STI), 2003-2014 Legacy and Outback, and 2006 Saab 9-2X vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles had their passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began January 7, 2020. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Saab owners may contact the Saab Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-20.
2011 Subaru Outback fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 19 MPG
- Highway
- 26 MPG
- Combined
- 22 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,950
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2011 compared with other Outback years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2011 Subaru Outback reliable?
- NHTSA lists 651 complaints and 16 recalls for the 2011 Outback, giving it a Complaint Index of 60 and a Caution verdict, meaning it ranks below average compared to other Outback model years.
- What is the biggest problem with the 2011 Subaru Outback?
- Transmission and Powertrain issues make up 33% of complaints (216 total), with a median failure mileage of 114,000 miles, making it the top problem area.
- Does the 2011 Subaru Outback have recalls?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 16 recalls covering areas including airbags, the electrical system, and brakes, such as a passenger airbag inflator replacement and an electronic parking brake actuator recall.
- How does the 2011 Outback compare to other years?
- The 2011 model ranks 7th worst out of 16 years tracked, with a Complaint Index of 60, worse than 2010 (20), 2012 (13), and 2014 (7), but better than 2017-2020, which carry Avoid verdicts with indexes from 80 to 100.