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What 147 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Subaru Forester Wilderness

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (147)Crash / fire / injury (27)Engine (60)Airbags (29)Brakes (20)Speed control (13)Electrical system (11)Body & structure (8)Transmission & drivetrain (8)Engine & cooling (7)Seat belts (7)Fuel system (5)

1 of 147 complaints match · Fuel system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Oct 23, 2023Electrical systemEngineFuel systemCrash

My car randomly turns off when reducing speed. It caused an accident a few days ago. I have had multiple mechanics try to figure out the problem but the only thing that comes up on the diagnostic tool is it needed 1 coil replaced. They have all been replaced and still won't go away. The Che k engine light is on. And the car uses about a quart or more of oil everytime I fill up but has no leaks. When I reduce speed the car in traffic, around corners or to stop it constantly turns itself off. Starting it it sometimes turns itself off if I don't give it some gas at the same time. It smells like burning oil constantly.

NHTSA ODI 11551440

Working with the data? Download all 147 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2011 Subaru Forester Wilderness verdict →