Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: the reliability record is poor enough to outweigh everything else here.
Owners have filed 167 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Subaru Legacy, and it carries 16 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 37 | 22% |
| Air bags | 20 | 12% |
| Exterior lighting | 14 | 8% |
| Unknown or other | 8 | 5% |
| Service brakes | 8 | 5% |
| Engine | 6 | 4% |
| Steering | 6 | 4% |
| Suspension | 5 | 3% |
| Electrical system | 4 | 2% |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
The subframe rotted through broke as I was driving on Thruway. My mechanic confirmed it needs to be replaced and is very common in heavy winter states.
NHTSA complaint: Suspension
Description of the Safety Defect: The front subframe on my 2011 Subaru Legacy exhibits advanced structural corrosion with measurable material loss, concentrated primarily on the driver-side subframe. The corrosion affect
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
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 rea
NHTSA complaint: Power train
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.
NHTSA complaint: Power train
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
NHTSA complaint: Suspension
The contact owns a 2011 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH and driving over a speed bump, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to an independent
NHTSA complaint: Structure
THIS CAR STALLS OUT AND JUST STOPS WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING DUE TO A FAILING TORQUE CONVERTER WHICH SUBARU KNEW ABOUT AND DID NOT DO A RECALL ON. THEY DID A SERVICE BULLETIN WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT WHEN I BROUGHT MY C
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
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 m
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
NHTSA lists 16 recall campaigns for the 2011 Subaru Legacy. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. The electronic parking brake (EPB) may not engage as intended, allowing the vehicle to rollaway if the transmission is not in the proper gear when parked.
Risk: A vehicle rollaway can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EPB actuator assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 19, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's
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, Mont
Risk: 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
Fix: 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 1-844-3
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, Amer
Risk: 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
Fix: 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-
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, Ma
Risk: 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
Fix: 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-
| Reliability raw | 44 | below average |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 65 | good |
| Maintenance | 79 | good |
| Depreciation | 72 | good |
| Performance | 60 | average |
| Efficiency | 46 | below average |
| Safety | 87 | excellent |
Percentile ranks against other midsize & large cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 167 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and power train is the most reported area with 37 of them (22%). There are 16 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 44/100 (below average) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 65/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2011 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: skip, because the reliability record is poor enough to outweigh everything else here. Its overall ownership score is 64/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.