2011 Subaru Outback: Solid

Owners filed 187 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Subaru Outback in its first five years on the road, about 184 for every 100,000 sold: 1.1× the rate of a typical Outback year. That's close to a typical year.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the lights (30% of complaints, median 35,000 miles).

Complaint index
1.1×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Outback year
Rank
10th of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
187
first five years; 184 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
16
campaigns
4th generation, 2010–2014 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited

Photo: 2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited · IFCAR, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Lights30% · 56 complaints · median 35,000 miles
  2. Air bags15% · 28 complaints · median 5,000 miles
  3. Brakes10% · 19 complaints · median 32,000 miles
  4. Electrical16% · 29 complaints · median 45,000 miles
  5. Powertrain12% · 22 complaints · median 34,000 miles
  6. Steering12% · 23 complaints · median 1,000 miles
  7. Engine7% · 14 complaints · median 21,000 miles
  8. Speed control6% · 12 complaints · median 32,000 miles
  9. Wheels and tires6% · 11 complaints · median 16,000 miles
  10. Suspension5% · 9 complaints · median 4,000 miles

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Air bags

Many owners of this Outback say the passenger air bag indicator turns off or flickers even with an adult seated, leaving them unsure the bag will deploy. Others describe long waits for Takata recall parts and being told not to use the front passenger seat in the meantime.

Warning signs:
Owners notice the passenger air bag warning light illuminate or flicker on and off, sometimes with a seat belt chime, while a passenger sits still in the seat.
What shops did:
Dealers often recalibrated or replaced sensors, replaced the seat, said the system worked as designed, or told owners not to use the seat until recall parts arrived, sometimes waiting months.
Mileage:
most between 0 and 55,000 miles, among 29 complaints that give it

“The air bag sensor light might go on, or it might not. Sometimes she can shift her weight and have it come on.”

Brakes

Owners describe recurring brake problems including corroded brake lines that leak fluid, soft or sinking pedals, and electronic parking brakes that fail to engage or release. Many say the pedal traveled to the floor with little or no warning, sometimes leading to near misses or minor collisions, and several were told their vehicle fell outside an existing recall.

Warning signs:
Owners describe a soft, spongy, or sinking brake pedal, dashboard brake and ABS warning lights, and engine stalling or excessive rolling before brakes fail.
What shops did:
Dealers and mechanics often replaced or repaired corroded brake lines, master cylinders, or parking brake modules, though some found no problem or said the vehicle wasn't covered by a recall.
Mileage:
most between 45,000 and 120,000 miles, among 52 complaints that give it

“the brake pedal went completely soft and was not providing any brakes”

“dealer states rear brake line separated from coupling, due to rust and corrosion”

Lights

Owners of this Outback frequently report that low-beam headlight bulbs burn out much sooner than expected, sometimes every few months, requiring repeated dealer visits and costly, hard-to-access replacements. Some also mention related tail, marker, or puddle light failures, and several note a recall or extended bulb warranty from Subaru.

Warning signs:
Owners describe dimming or flickering low beams, a short beam pattern or cutoff line, and one or both headlights suddenly going dark while driving at night.
What shops did:
Dealers typically replaced the bulbs, sometimes repeatedly, occasionally adjusted headlight aim or replaced switches, though many owners say the failures recurred and no root cause was found.
Mileage:
most between 25,000 and 85,000 miles, among 86 complaints that give it

“July 2011 driver side low beam headlight replaced at dealer. Nov 2011 passenger side low beam headlight replaced at dealer.”

“Accessing the light bulbs is a difficult process that requires going through the wheel well and doing everything by feel”

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

  • NHTSA 20V001000January 2020258,813 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.

    Fix: Subaru will notify their owners.

  • NHTSA 20V002000January 2020127,547 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.

    Fix: Subaru will notify their owners.

  • NHTSA 20V003000January 2020111,562 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.

    Fix: Subaru will notify their owners.

  • NHTSA 19V297000April 2019511 vehicles

    Electrical system: ignition: switch

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, 2008-2011 Impreza vehicles, 2008-2014 WRX vehicles, 2005-2014 Legacy vehicles, 2005-2014 Outback vehicles and 2006-2008 Tribeca vehicles equipped with a mechanical key ignition switch installed as a replacement part. The ball spring inside the switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.

    Risk: The engine turning off unexpectedly can increase the risk of a crash. If a crash occurs under this condition, the air bag may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.

    Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition switch, replacing the ignition switch, if necessary, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 19V007000January 201943,394 vehicles

    Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Forester, 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, Legacy, and 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles 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. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Fix: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 19V008000January 2019330,120 vehicles

    Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Outback, and Legacy vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles 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. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Fix: Subaru is notifying owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 19V009000January 2019452,630 vehicles

    Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Tribeca, WRX, Legacy and Outback vehicles, 2010-2011 Impreza vehicles and 2010-2013 Forester vehicles 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. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Fix: Subaru is notifying owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 18V626000September 201827,175 vehicles

    Parking brake

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. The electronic parking brake (EPB) may not engage as intended, allowing the vehicle to rollaway if the transmission is not in the proper gear when parked.

    Risk: A vehicle rollaway can increase the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EPB actuator assembly, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 18V012000January 201864,179 vehicles

    Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Legacy, Forester, Tribeca, WRX and Outback vehicles, and 2009-2011 Impreza vehicles 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. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the passenger frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the front seat passenger, driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 17V014000January 201753,480 vehicles

    Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Subaru Baja, 2006-2011 Impreza (including WRX and STI models), 2006-2012 Tribeca, 2009-2012 Forester, Legacy, Outback, and 2012 WRX 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. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 16V694000September 2016592,647 vehicles

    Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Legacy vehicles manufactured November 26, 2008, to June 7, 2013, and 2010-2014 Outback vehicles manufactured January 9, 2009 to June 7, 2013. Due to contamination, components within the windshield wiper motor bottom cover may interfere with each other. If an obstruction, such as a buildup of snow or ice prevents the wiper arms from being able to stop in the parked position, the wiper motor may overheat and the bottom cover may melt.

    Risk: If the windshield wiper motor overheats, the wipers may fail, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, the wiper motor cover may melt, increasing the risk of a fire.

    Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the windshield wiper motor bottom cover assembly, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 16V358000May 2016302,127 vehicles

    Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2009-2011 Legacy, Outback, Forester, 2006-2011 Impreza, Tribeca, 2003-2006 Baja, and 2006 Saab 9-2x vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in 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 may be equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Fix: Subaru will notify their owners.

  • NHTSA 13V061000February 201347,419 vehicles

    Equipment · Electrical system

    Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with an automatic or CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, certain model year 2012-2013 Impreza vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory, and certain model year 2013 XV Crosstrek vehicles equipped with a CVT transmission and an Audiovox remote engine starter (RES) accessory. Additionally included are certain model year 2013 Legacy and Outback vehicles that may have received replacement RES fobs. If the RES fob is dropped, the fob may malfunction and randomly transmit an engine start request without pressing the button.

    Risk: The engine may inadvertently start and run for up to fifteen minutes. The engine may continue to start and stop until the fob battery is depleted, or until the vehicle runs out of fuel. If the vehicle is parked in an enclosed area, there is a risk of carbon monoxide build-up which may cause headaches, dizziness or, in extreme cases, unconsciousness and/or asphyxiation.

    Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RES key fobs, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 12V602000December 2012633,842 vehicles

    Exterior lighting

    Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010 and 2011 Legacy and Outback vehicles, certain model year 2006 through 2012 Tribeca vehicles sold before January 2012, and certain model year 2009 through 2012 Forester vehicles sold before January 2012. Up to 78,650 of these vehicles may have been equipped with accessory puddle lights that, when illuminated, brighten the area under the doors of the vehicle. A short circuit can develop when either the puddle light or connector are exposed to an electrolytic moisture source (such as road spray that has road salt in it) and it penetrates the circuit board of the puddle light or the pins of the puddle light connector(s).

    Risk: Over time, migration of the moisture into the circuit board and/or into the connector cavity, may result in a short circuit of the puddle light system. This may generate heat which may melt the plastic resulting in smoke or fire.

    Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional fused-harness, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 11V467000September 201169,590 vehicles

    Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly

    Subaru is recalling certain model year 2011 outback and legacy vehicles manufactured from august 3, 2010, through july 1, 2011. The moonroof glass may come loose or detach. The amount and position of the adhesive between the glass and retainer was inadequately applied.

    Risk: The moonroof glass can loosen and detach from the vehicle during driving, resulting in a potential road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the glass adhesion condition and either apply additional adhesive or replace the moonroof glass, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 10V326000July 2010809 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.

    Fix: 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.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Subaru sent NHTSA 333 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2011 Outback. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • 07-59-07R · December 2024This bulletin is for information purposes only.The bulletin adresses design changes of the headlamps and rear combination lamps, where moisture and or condensation may develop on the inside of the…
  • Subarunet Announcement · July 2024This announcement provides information on Takata Recall Escalated Towing Program.
  • 06-90-24 · June 2024This bulletin provides diagnosis and procedure information to be applied when diagnosing potential fluid leaks on front and rear brake calipers.
  • TKA-20R, TKB-20R · December 2023SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC.
  • TKA-17R, TKB-17R · December 2023SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC.
  • TKA-20R/TKB-30R/ · October 2023SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC.
  • TKA-20R,TKB-20R, · May 2023Takata Front Passenger Airbag Module / Inflator “Like for Like” Recall
  • TKA, TKB, TKC-20 · April 2023Takata Front Passenger Airbag Module / Inflator “Like for Like” Recall

All 2011 Outback bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2011 Subaru Outback reliable?
Owners filed 187 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Subaru Outback in its first five years on the road, about 184 for every 100,000 sold: 1.1× the rate of a typical Outback year. That's close to a typical year. Ratings compare Outback years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2011 Outback problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the lights (30%), the air bags (15%) and the brakes (10%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2011 Subaru Outback been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 16 recall campaigns for the 2011 Subaru Outback, the most recent in January 2020 (air bags). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Subaru. The 2011 Subaru Outback on NHTSA.gov · How we rate