NHTSA Safety Recalls
2011 Subaru Outback Recalls
The 2011 Subaru Outback has 16 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on January 2, 2020.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2011 Subaru Outback. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 16
- Owner complaints
- 653
- Crashes reported
- 24
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★☆
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
6 fires
overall, 5 stars max
On a 2011 Subaru Outback, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
16 recalls on the 2011 Subaru Outback
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 20V001000
- Reported
- January 2, 2020
- Vehicles affected
- up to 258,813
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2003–2010, 2012–2014 Outback, 6 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 20V002000
- Reported
- January 2, 2020
- Vehicles affected
- up to 127,547
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2003–2010, 2012–2014 Outback, 6 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 20V003000
- Reported
- January 2, 2020
- Vehicles affected
- up to 111,562
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2003–2010, 2012–2014 Outback, 6 other models
Electrical system: ignition: switch
- Campaign
- 19V297000
- Reported
- April 11, 2019
- Vehicles affected
- up to 511
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2005–2010, 2012–2014 Outback, 5 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 19V007000
- Reported
- January 9, 2019
- Vehicles affected
- up to 43,394
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2010, 2012–2014 Outback, 5 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 19V008000
- Reported
- January 9, 2019
- Vehicles affected
- up to 330,120
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2010, 2012–2014 Outback, 5 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 19V009000
- Reported
- January 9, 2019
- Vehicles affected
- up to 452,630
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2010, 2012–2014 Outback, 5 other models
Parking brake
- Campaign
- 18V626000
- Reported
- September 13, 2018
- Vehicles affected
- up to 27,175
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2010, 2012–2014 Outback, 1 other model
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 18V012000
- Reported
- January 9, 2018
- Vehicles affected
- up to 64,179
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2009–2010, 2012–2013 Outback, 5 other models
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 17V014000
- Reported
- January 10, 2017
- Vehicles affected
- up to 53,480
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2009–2010, 2012 Outback, 6 other models
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: motor
- Campaign
- 16V694000
- Reported
- September 27, 2016
- Vehicles affected
- up to 592,647
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and fire
- Same campaign
- also 2010, 2012–2014 Outback, 1 other model
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 16V358000
- Reported
- May 25, 2016
- Vehicles affected
- up to 302,127
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2003–2004, 2009–2010 Outback, 6 other models
Electrical system
- Campaign
- 13V061000
- Reported
- February 25, 2013
- Vehicles affected
- up to 47,419
- Same campaign
- also 2010, 2012–2013 Outback, 3 other models
Exterior lighting
- Campaign
- 12V602000
- Reported
- December 26, 2012
- Vehicles affected
- up to 633,842
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 2010 Outback, 3 other models
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
- Campaign
- 11V467000
- Reported
- September 7, 2011
- Vehicles affected
- up to 69,590
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 1 other model
Power train: manual transmission
- Campaign
- 10V326000
- Reported
- July 20, 2010
- Vehicles affected
- up to 809
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2010 Outback, 1 other model
2011 Subaru Outback complaints by year
NHTSA has received 653 owner complaints about the 2011 Subaru Outback, the newest on October 20, 2026. Of these, 24 describe a crash (4%) and 6 a fire; owners reported 7 injuries.
In complaints about the 2011 Subaru Outback, the component group named most often is the power train (33%), followed by the exterior lighting (18%) and the engine (13%).
1 of the 2011 Subaru Outback's 16 recalls also concerns the power train.
Where 2011 Subaru Outback owners gave the mileage (463 complaints), the median was 85,000 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Power Train216
- Exterior Lighting117
- Engine85
- Air Bags73
- Electrical System67
- Service Brakes67
Complaints received, by year
| 2010 | 19 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 35 | |
| 2012 | 28 | |
| 2013 | 31 | |
| 2014 | 43 | |
| 2015 | 42 | |
| 2016 | 81 | |
| 2017 | 81 | |
| 2018 | 45 | |
| 2019 | 90 | |
| 2020 | 47 | |
| 2021 | 36 | |
| 2022 | 23 | |
| 2023 | 23 | |
| 2024 | 12 | |
| 2025 | 11 | |
| 2026 | 6 |
Complaints about the 2011 Subaru Outback peaked in 2019, when NHTSA received 90. 24% arrived between 2010 and 2014, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2011 vehicles, the 2011 Subaru Outback drew 2.2× the complaints of the median Subaru Outback year in the same window: 9th highest of the 23 ranked years.
That makes 2011 one of the Subaru Outback years to avoid by our method.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: ★★★★☆
- Frontal: 4/5
- Side: 4/5
- Rollover: 4/5
The 653 complaints about the 2011 Subaru Outback are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Subaru Outback by model year
Other 2011 Subaru models
Newest record on this page: October 20, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted