There are 10 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2011 Subaru Legacyin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
ALL POWER CUTS OFF PERIODICALLY WHILE DRIVING. WHICH CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.
MY 2011 SUBARU LEGACY IS EXPERIENCING SHUDDERING AND STALLS WHEN COMING TO A STOP RESULTING IN THE ENGINE SHUTTING OFF. I CAN DESCRIBE THIS CONDITION SIMILAR TO COMING TO A STOP IN A MANUAL TRANSMISSION EQUIPPED VEHICLE WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH. IT IS SEEM SIMILAR TO LIKE THE VEHICLE IS STALLING OR CAUSE IT TO STALL.
WHEN DRIVING AT A HIGH SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY AND THEN COMING TO AN ABRUPT STOP THE CAR STALLED. THE CAR IS AN AUTOMATIC. APPARENTLY SUBARU DISTRIBUTED A BULLETIN NOTING THAT THIS WAS COMMON IN LEGACY AND OUTBACK MODELS MADE BEFORE 2013 (SEE ATTACHED) AND IS DUE TO A TORQUE CONVERTER PROBLEM. THIS SEEMS DANGEROUS AS IT CAN HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH OTHER CARS MOVING AT HIGH SPEEDS. APPARENTLY THIS IS OVER $1500 TO FIX, BUT I BELIEVE SUBARU SHOULD COVER SOME IF NOT ALL OF THE COST. THE CAR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS 147K MILES.
WHEN COMING TO STOP SIGN OR SUDDEN STOPS THE CAR WILL STALL. YOU HAVE TO BE QUICK AND RESTART CAR OR YOUR GOING TO GET HIT, YOU LOSE ALL CONTROL. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE WE BOUGHT THE CAR IN APRIL OF 2019
ENGINE IDLE RPM IS UNSTABLE. (+ / - 500 RPM) ENGINE STALLED MANY TIMES (6 OR 7) WITHOUT REASON AND IN DANGEROUS SITUATION AS TURNING IN THE INTERSECTION OR CROSSING RAIL ROADS, WHEN STOPPING OR SLOWING DOWN. I WENT TWICE IN SUBARU SERVICE. AT FIRST THEY REPLACED THE "TORQUE CONVERTER" AND PROCEEDED WITH SOME ADJUSTMENTS IN THE ENGINE. SECOND TIME THEY "RE-PROGRAMMED" THE COMPUTER. AS OF TODAY I AM GETTING SAME ISSUE WITHOUT HELP FROM SUBARU SERVICE. THEY ADVISED TO FILE A CLAIM AND EVENTUALLY SUE THE COMPANY.
CAR SPUTTERS & STALLS WHEN BRAKING
6 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. VEHICLE STALLS, AND ROUGH IDLES INTERMITTENTLY WHILE AT STOP LIGHT OR OTHER TRAFFIC CONTROL. VEHICLE ALSO STALLED WHILE ON HIGHWAY TWICE DISABLING POWER STEERING, AND POWER BRAKING. BROUGHT BACK TO DEALER AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPLICATE ISSUE. ISSUE OCCURRED AGAIN, BROUGHT BACK TO DEALER 2ND TIME SAME RESULTS. 3RD TIME ISSUE WAS REPLICATED WHILE I WAS IN VEHICLE WITH TECH. TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THEY WILL ADDRESS IT. LEFT OVER WEEKEND. TUESDAY DEALER NOTIFIED ME THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING A POWER DRAW AFTER THE WINDOW OR ELECTRONIC BRAKE WERE USED, AND THE FACTORY ADVISED THAT THE COMPUTER WOULD NEED TO BE "RE-FLASHED" BUT CURRENTLY, THERE IS NO RE-FLASH PROGRAM DEVELOPED, AND THERE IS NO TIME LINE AS TO WHEN IT WOULD BE. CONTACTED SUBARU AMERICA CUST. SERV. DISTRICT MANAGER TEST DROVE AND WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE. SO AS FAR AS THE DEALER AND SUBARU ARE CONCERNED, THERE IS NO ISSUE. VEHICLE STILL STALLS INTERMITTENTLY. FILED COMPLAINT WITH CT DVM LEMON LAW, AND NOW WITH NHTSA. *TR
ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, I PUT THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE AND REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE, BEFORE ACCELERATING; THE CAR ROLLED FORWARD IN A SHUTTERING MANOR AND THEN LUNGED FORWARD SEVERAL FEET (4-6 FT). THE RPMS SEEMED TO DROP (500-700 RPM) AND THEN SPIKE (1,200-1,500 RPM) WITH NO ACCELERATION AT TIME OF THE INCIDENT. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKE AND STOPPED FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. I THEN TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AGAIN AND THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO RUN FINE. THE ENGINE WAS NOT COLD AT THE TIME ON OCCURRENCE; IT HAD BEEN DRIVEN APPROX. 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE INCIDENT. *TR
DRUMMING NOISE THAT APPEARS TO BE COMING FROM THE REAR-END OF THE VEHICLE, CAN BE HEARD AND VIBRATIONS FELT INSIDE THE VEHICLE, WHEN THE ENGINE IS ON AND THE VEHICLE IS AT REST OR MOVING. SUBARU OF AMERICA FACTORY AND DEALERSHIP SERVICE TECHNICIANS ARE NOT CERTAIN THAT THE ISSUE IS THE FUEL PUMP, BUT SOA FACTORY HAS INSTRUCTED THE DEALERSHIP TO REPLACE IT. *TR
I STARTED VEHICLE IN DRIVEWAY AS USUAL. PUT VEHICLE IN REVERSE, SLOWLY LETTING FOOT OFF BRAKE, ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS ABOUT TO STALL. BRAKED AND PUT IN PARK TO LET ENGINE WARM FOR A FEW MORE MINUTES. I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE WITHOUT INCIDENT.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026