Problems · NHTSA complaints

2011 Subaru Legacy problems

Owners filed 167 complaints about the 2011 Subaru Legacy with NHTSA between Sep 2010 and Jul 2026. The most-cited component is power train (47).

Complaints
167
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
7
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Power train47
  2. Air bags25
  3. Engine22
  4. Suspension19
  5. Electrical system19
  6. Service brakes18
  7. Exterior lighting18
  8. Steering16
  9. Engine and engine cooling6
  10. Structure5
  11. Vehicle speed control5
  12. Fuel/propulsion system4
  13. Fuel system, gasoline3
  14. Wheels3

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20104
201111
201215
20134
201410
201513
201627
201713
20188
201925
202012
20217
20225
20236
20242
20254
20261

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Power train

47 reports1 related recall
“An issue has surfaced with my car that it turns off while driving. Obviously this is a serious safety hazard and likely to result in an accident. Now that it has happened, it is continuing and frequently happening. I reached out to Subaru as I saw there was a recall for my car's make and model that is causing the same issue. The issue is listed as NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 19V297000, described as "The engine turning off unexpectedly can increase the risk of a crash. " and affecting many Subarus, including the 2011 legacy. I believe my car is impacted given the behavior it is exhibiting. When I reached out to Subaru, they dismissed it saying it did not apply to my car and they were not willing to investigate. I believe this poses a grave risk to many people given that it will cause an accident and the severity of the defect.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 22, 2025Power train, Unknown or other, EngineODI 11695074

Air bags

25 reports5 crashes1 fire9 related recalls
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT WAS FLASHING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BURLINGTON SUBARU (351 SHELBURNE RD, BURLINGTON, VT 05401, (802)448-3880) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED TO COVER A PORTION OF THE COST FOR THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 12, 2021Air bagsODI 11395968

Engine

22 reports1 fire
“TL* THE CONTACT CALLED ON BEHALF OF HER DAUGHTER WHO OWNS A 2011 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SPUTTERED WHILE SLOWING DOWN TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE LOSS MOTIVE POWER BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO FIRST TEAM SUBARU NORFOLK (6633 E VIRGINIA BEACH BLVD, NORFOLK, VA 23502, (877) 274-7828) HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED THAT FUEL ADDITIVE SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE FUEL TO PROVIDE A TEMPORARY FIX. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 7, 2021Fuel system, gasoline, EngineODI 11415504

Suspension

19 reports
“While turning the wheel to back out of a parking spot, we heard a loud clunking sound. From that point on, while braking there were loud clunking sounds and the car pulled to the right. We brought it to our mechanic and was informed the front sub frame/ engine cradle, was completey rusted out due to corrosion from the inside. There was a mounting bolt protruding through a hole in the subframe and the suspension components were loose and damaged. They provided a photo showing the large hole and mounting bolt protruding. We were told it was unsafe to drive. We have to replace the sub frame, control arms and sway bar links. The sub frame supports these components, the engine and other parts!”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 17, 2025Suspension, StructureODI 11674244

Electrical system

19 reports1 fire2 related recalls
“The week after purchase: The car shuts off when braking and needs to be put into park to be started again. Also the check engine light came on and I wonder if it has electrical issues.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 19, 2025Power train, Electrical systemODI 11694423

Service brakes

18 reports1 crash
“Brakes failed due to a rusty brake line. Rear passenger side where theres a 4 way block 2 lines in 2 lines out. All 4 lines are rusted where they connect, one of the lines broke to cause a significant leak. This caused me to have very little brakes as the vehicle ran out of brake fluid. I can see brake fluid on the ground and diagnosed the issue myself. It seems as it is a common issue. The brake light did come on when the brake fluid was low enough, but at that point there was little to no brakes anyway because the leak was so consistent .”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 29, 2023Service brakesODI 11547322
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.