2011 Subaru Outback engine problems
Owners reported engine problems in 93 complaints for the 2011 Subaru Outback, 11% of the complaints on file. It is the 3rd most reported problem area for this model year.
At a glance
- Complaints
- 93 11% of this year's complaints
- Typical mileage
- 100,000 miles 71 complaints with mileage
- Crashes and fires
- 2 and 1
- Injuries and deaths
- 2 and 0
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
When engine problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 10 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 3 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 4 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 9 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 7 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 16 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 10 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 10 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 71 engine complaints that report mileage, the median is about 100,000 miles, and 24% were reported before 60,000 miles.
These complaints mention 2 crashes, 1 fire, 2 injuries.
What owners wrote
The car got overheated on 8/20/2022, because of the mechanical and design issue, specifically the coolant pipe and hose connection which got disconnected and blew up with force ejecting hot coolant liquid. The incident almost killed my husband. The hot liquid burned his abdomen and my face. He got transported by an ambulance, got admitted to a hospital, and got a 2nd-degree burner. This entire incident endangered my entire family members while we were far from home on a road trip adventure.
Due to a well-known design flaw the engine had a severe head gasket leak. The leak lead to a foaming of the coolant and a pressure break in the coolant reservoir. The car had a catastrophic failure on the freeway and could have lead to a serious accident. The car was serviced the previous august by a dealer. They have refused to answer my direct question if they did a flushing of the system which could have LED to the damage but, it is a well-known problem that the subaru 4 cylinder 2.5 l engine has had a severe…
Other problems reported for the 2011 Subaru Outback
- Drivetrain & axles 209 complaints
- Lighting 117 complaints
- Brakes 78 complaints
- Air bags 74 complaints
- Electrical system 67 complaints
- Steering 37 complaints
- Cruise control 26 complaints
- Wipers, windshield & visibility 23 complaints