There are 46 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2011 Subaru Legacyin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
CHANGED OUT THE TIMING BELT AS PART OF RECOMMEND SERVICE BY SUBARU ONLY TO LEARN THAT THE HEAD GASKETS WERE LEAKING AND IT'S A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH ALL SUBARUS BUILT BEFORE 2013. SUBARU IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND HAS CREATED A CONDITIONER THAT IS ADDED TO THE COOLING SYSTEM AS A "BAND AID."
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.
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
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.
MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO HAVE TROUBLE STALLING WHEN I SLOWED SLOWED DOWN BECAUSE THE RPMS DROPPED FAR TOO LOW. I WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP PROPERLY WITHOUT THREAT OF STALLING. MY VEHICLE HAS NOW STALLED MORE THAN 5 TIMES WHILE ON THE ROADS AND HIGHWAYS. I FEEL THAT MY SAFETY IS THOROUGHLY AT STAKE WHEN MY CAR SUDDENLY TURNS OFF. I AM VERY DISSATISFIED WITH THE LACK OF COOPERATION THAT SUBARU HAS TO GIVEN TO COMPENSATE ME. IF STALLING OUT WAS NOT ENOUGH, MY CAR HAS NOW BEGUN TO SQUEAL AND BUCK DURING ACCELERATION. I WAS ON VACATION WHEN THIS ISSUE BECAME WORSE AND COULD BARELY MAKE IT BACK HOME FOR WORK ON MONDAY. IN MY RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH LEGACIES & OUTBACKS FROM THE YEARS 2010-2012. I FIND UNETHICAL THAT ALL SUBARU WILL DO IS OFFER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT DOES NOT COVER ME.
WHEN SLOWING DOWN AND MAKING A TURN THE CAR SHUTS OFF FORCING ME TO PUT IT IN PARK AND START IT UP AGAIN WHILE ALMOST BEING HIT BY TRAFFIC. WHEN COMING TO A STOP ALSO IT MAKES IT HARDER TO STOP BECAUSE THE ENGINE IS TRYING TO KEEP THE CAR MOVING. THIS HAS HAPPED MULTIPLE TIMES AND STILL IS.
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.
THE CAR IS JUST SHY OF 8 YEARS OLD. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED CAUSING THE CAR TO SUDDENLY STOP, SHUT OFF AND LOSE POWER STEERING WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD. CURRENTLY THE ENGINE IS LEAKING EXHAUST FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THAT CAN BE SMELLED IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. IT IS ALSO LEAKING HOT OIL FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD ONTO THE LOWER EXHAUST AND LEAKING HOT COOLANT FROM THE RADIATOR. THE EXHAUST AND FLUID LEAKS OCCUR WHEN STATIONARY OR IN MOTION.
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?
I PURCHASED THIS CAR ONE WEEK AGO FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER, AND WHILE IT TESTED FINE THE DAY I PURCHASED IT, DEPENDING ON HOW I COME TO A STOP AND HOW HARD THE BRAKE IS PRESSED, THE CAR STALLS. THIS PROBLEM WAS EVIDENT ON THE SECOND DAY I OWNED THE CAR, COMING TO A STOP AT A STOP SIGN WHERE I HAD TO BREAK HARDER THAN I WOULD HAVE LIKED. THE ORIGINAL OWNER STATES NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBLEM. A HAZARDOUS SITUATION SINCE THIS TORQUE CONVERTER MANUFACTURER DEFECT CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY STALL WHEN COMING TO A RAPID STOP. ONE WEEK POST PURCHASE, NOW THIS VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLS AT A STOP SIGN OR STOP LIGHT. IT CAN EASILY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. IN 2014 SUBARU PUT OUT A SERVICE BULLETIN RECOGNIZING A DESIGN FLAW IN THE TORQUE CONVERTER AND EXTENDING THE WARRANTY ON THESE VEHICLES TO 100,000 MILES. THE CAR I PURCHASED HAS 157,000. THIS IS NOT A WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE. IT IS A VERY SERIOUS, POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING DESIGN FLAW AND SUBARU NEEDS TO MAKE THIS AN OFFICIAL RECALL, REMEDYING THIS HAZARD. I SPOKE WITH CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE EXPENSE WILL HAVE TO COME FROM MY POCKET. I AM IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH MY LOCAL SUBARU DEALER/SERVICE CENTER AND HOPE THEY OFFER TO REMEDY THE SITUATION. SUBARU ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO MAKE THIS A RECALL ON 2011 VEHICLES. THEY THEMSELVES ACKNOWLEDGED THE DEFECT AND CORRECTED IT ON FUTURE MODELS. IT SEEMS UNREASONABLE THAT THEY ARE HOLDING OWNERS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR SINCE IT IS NOT DEPENDENT ON WEAR AND TEAR. IT IS A DESIGN FLAW.
CAR SHUDDERS AND STALLS OUT WHEN BRAKING. CAR POSES A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK ON THE ROAD WHEN THIS HAPPENS.
MY CAR HAS RECENTLY STARTED TO STALL WHEN STOPPIMG ABRUPTLY CAUSING ME TO BE NEARLY REAR ENDED ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS. SUBARU ISSUED A NOTICE TO ITS DEALER SERVICE CENTERS THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE BUT DID NOT ISSUE A RECALL AS THEY SHOULD HAVE FOR THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT. I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT MY SUBARU NEEDS A NEW TORQUE CONVERTER AND CONTACTING SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE ON THE TELEPHONE HAS RESULTED IN NO ASSISTANCE AND A PROMISE TO CALL ME BACK THAT HAS NOT BEEN FULFILLED. I FEEL THAT SUBARU SHOULD BE OFFERING A RECALL TO FIX THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT.
TORQUE CONVERTER ISSUES BEGAN AT 104,000 MILES, BUT I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET IT INTO SUBARU TO LOOK AT UNTIL 108,000. I AM NOW BEING TOLD THAT I NEED TO PAY FOR THE TORQUE CONVERTER REPLACEMENT. THERE ARE KNOWN ISSUES WITH THE TORQUE CONVERTER AFFECTING DRIVER SAFETY. MY VEHICLE WOULD SHUT OFF WHEN COMING TO A STOP, AND ACTUALLY SHUT OFF AS I CAME TO A STOP TO CROSS TRAFFIC TO ENTER A SHOPPING CENTER. MULTIPLE TIMES MY VEHICLE SHUT OFF AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS. MY VEHICLE EVEN SHUT OFF WHEN I HAD TO SLOW DOWN FOR A CAR THAT PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME. THE DELAY IN ME HAVING TO RESTART MY CAR NEARLY RESULTED IN THE VEHICLES COMING UP BEHIND RUNNING INTO ME DUE TO MY CAR BEING DISABLED IN TRAFFIC. ISSUES ARE RESULTING IN NEAR COLLISIONS WITH THE AFFECTED VEHICLE. BASED ON MY CAR BEING SLIGHTLY OVER THE 100K MILES I MUST PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR THE REPAIR. SUBARU HAS NOT ADDRESSED THE TORQUE CONVERTER KNOWN ISSUE IN A WAY TO PROTECT DRIVER SAFETY.
Showing 1–20 of 46 complaints
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