2011 Subaru LEGACY - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2011 Subaru Legacy 4 DR AWD has an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5, indicating above-average safety features. This model received high ratings in various crash scenarios, including front crash, side crash, and rollover, with notable scores in side crash driver's side and combined side barrier pole rating front. It is equipped with electronic stability control, which is a significant safety feature that helps maintain vehicle stability in challenging driving conditions. However, it does not have forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems.

On the downside, there have been 161 complaints reported for this vehicle, reflecting some issues that owners have experienced. Additionally, there have been 16 recalls for this model, indicating potential safety-related concerns that needed addressing. Overall, while the 2011 Subaru Legacy offers good safety features and performance, potential buyers should take note of the reported complaints and recalls before making a purchase decision.

auto generated summary, may be inaccurate.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

161

Recall Count

16

Investigation Count

0

Safety Rating

4/5

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Safety Features

2011 Subaru Legacy 4 DR AWD Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2011 Subaru Legacy 4 DR AWD

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2011 Subaru Legacy 4 DR AWD Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2011 Subaru Legacy 4 DR AWD Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2011 Score 2024 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated 4 5
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 5 4 5
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 4 4

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2011 Score 2024 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated 4 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating Not Rated 5 5
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating Not Rated 4 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated 4 5
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated 4 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2011 Score 2024 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated 5 5
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated 3 5

Complaints for the 2011 Subaru LEGACY

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"sometimes as i'm coming to a stop, such as at a red light or a stop sign, just before i stop, the car lurches and then stalls. this is an automatic transmission car, but the best way i can think of to describe what is happening is it is acting as if it is a manual transmission, and when you come to a stop and don't press in the clutch. if this happens at an inopportune time, it could cause an accident. possibly you're slowing down as you turn through an intersection and it lurches and stalls. you would then be stopped in the middle of the intersection. there are no warning lamps or messages before this happens."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2023-10-07
Complaint:
"it's a 6mt. randomly reverse stopped working. seems like it wants to go in reverse. but when any bit of gas pedal pressed it grinds and pops out of reverse. i have no reverse. 1st thru 6th gear works shifting wise. shifter has some play though."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2022-03-02
Complaint:
"first the vehicle started with a screeching noise and the rpm's would spike. apparently if the cvt transmission slipping. i took the vehicle in variations occasions to the dealer. reached out subaru usa. sent video of the occurrence and they indicated they could not classify the occurrence and found it inconclusive. i notice it would occur in temperatures lower then 45 degrees fahrenheit. months later the vehicle started flashing various warning lights such as check engine, cruise control, vehicle dynamics control. took the car to local dealer and was diagnosed as a oxygen sensor. but what started occurring after the repair was startling and dangerous. the vehicle now started stalling out when i pressed on the brakes to stop. on long drives this would not occur. it often happens when driving locally and stopping at intersections. what i learned to and implemented was as the stalling was starting to occur you would get a jittering from the vehicle i would shift the car to neutral and the car would not stall. this is neither the norm or safe, but safer then stalling in an intersection with vehicles coming at you. this issue still continues to occur. i have not bothered with the dealer nor subaru because my last issue with the transmission was never resolved, i'm able to counter the stalling but my wife who has to go out with my 1yr old son and 10 yr daughter is scared to use the vehicle because if it was to stall in an intersection as she is trying to cross in the vehicle a major accident can occur. please help and investigate this issue that i am sure it is happening to other subaru owners. thank you"
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2022-02-10
Complaint:
"tl* the contact owns a 2011 subaru legacy. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission failed to properly downshift causing the vehicle to stall. during the failure, the power steering and power brakes also become inoperable. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the power train torque converter was faulty and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not yet repaired. the local dealer subaru city of milwaukee located at 4640 s 27th st, milwaukee, wi 53221 and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 140,000.*dt consumer stated his daughter [xxx] is the owner of the vehicle.*jb"
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2020-01-03
Complaint:
"2011 subaru outback with cvt stalls when coming to a abrupt stop. subaru has a tsb and knows there is an issue with the torque converter. car is out of the warranty period therefore customer must pay for the fix. this is a major safety issue that should be correct via a recall."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2021-06-03
Complaint:
"engine stalling when depressing brakes dash lights all coming on no cruise control no traction control at oil light check engine light. dangerous in driving this car.subaru will not help fix"
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2022-04-09
Complaint:
"when driving my vehicle on a highway once reaching the acceleration speed of 65-75 the car sounds as if the gears are slipping and squeal once it kicks in. stopped at dealership on our way back to our home state. they tested and recommended replacing the cvt. this apparently had an extended warranty in 2017. will my car still be covered. we have 113k on the car."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2021-08-03
Complaint:
"vehicle stalls when coming to a stop. it started out being sporadic, didn't happen too often. then gradually the stalling happened more often until it's to the point where it stalls almost every time it is driven. found out it is a known problem of the torque converter, which can cause metal shavings to go into the transmission, which could cause that to go as well. with children in the car on a regular basis this is terrifying, what if someone hits the car due to the engine stopping? subaru says it isn't covered under extended warranty because of the mileage in the car. if it's a known issue shouldn't it receive more concern/checkups to ensure that part isn't failing?"
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2020-07-06
Complaint:
"tl* the contact owns a 2011 subaru legacy. the contact stated that while traveling at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact also stated that after coming to a complete stop on an incline, the vehicle stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal. there was no prior warning before the vehicle stalled. the contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was yet to be diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. upon investigation, the contact linked recall nhtsa campaign number: 10v326000 (power train) with the failure. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was 133,000. the vin was not available."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2021-06-12
Complaint:
"tl* the contact owns a 2011 subaru legacy. while driving the vehicle, the contact had to apply the brakes quickly and the vehicle shut off. the contact was able to restart the vehicle and drive to his destination. subaru of muskegon (1878 e sternberg rd, muskegon, mi 49444, (231) 799-2886) diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. the dealer stated that they extended a warranty in 2018, but it had expired. the manufacturer was contacted and stated the same thing as the dealer. the failure mileage was 140,000."
Components Involved: POWER TRAIN
Date of incident: 2019-02-10

Recalls for the 2011 Subaru LEGACY

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
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.
Remedy:

Subaru is notifying owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is TKC-19.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2019-01-09
Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
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.
Remedy:

Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-19.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2019-01-09
Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
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.
Remedy:

Subaru is notifying owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 25, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is TKB-19.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2019-01-09
Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
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.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2020-01-02
Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
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.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2020-01-02
Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
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.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2020-01-02
Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy:

Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2017. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-17.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2017-01-10
Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
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.
Remedy:

Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on February 9, 2018. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-800-782-2783. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-18.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2018-01-09
Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy:

Subaru will notify their owners. General Motors will notify Saab owners. Dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 26, 2016. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-856-488-8500. Saab owners may contact GM at 1-800-955-9007. Subaru's number for this recall is TKA-16.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2016-05-25

SUBARU Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

SUBARU ranks 15 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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