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What 167 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Subaru Legacy

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 (167)Crash / fire / injury (8)Transmission & drivetrain (47)Airbags (25)Engine (22)Electrical system (19)Suspension (19)Brakes (18)Lights (18)Steering (16)Fuel system (7)Engine & cooling (6)

5 of 167 complaints match · Airbags · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jul 9, 2020AirbagsBody & structureCrash1 injury

2 CAR COLLISION ON A CITY STREET. BOTH CARS IN MOTION. OUR CAR WAS TURNING LEFT ONTO THE MAIN ROAD AND WAS HIT IN THE LEFT FRONT AREA CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE RESULTING IN THE TOTAL LOSS OF BOTH VEHICLES. THE DRIVER OF OUR CAR WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL TO BE CHECKED OUT. THE DRIVER OF OUR CAR SUFFERED A HEAD INJURY ON THE LEFT SIDE RESULTING IN PAIN AND IN PARTICULAR SHORT TERM MEMORY LOSS. THE ACCIDENT REPORT IS AVAILABLE THRU THE KIRKLAND, WA POLICE DEPARTMENT, CASE #20-19103. ALTHOUGH THE REPORT DOES CONTAIN ERRORS AND OMISSIONS IT MOSTLY DESCRIBES WHAT HAPPENED AND INCLUDES SEVERAL PHOTOS. THE REASON FOR THIS COMPLAINT IS WE ARE WONDERING WHY THE AIRBAGS (SIDE ONES IN PARTICULAR) DID NOT DEPLOY? WE FEEL IT'S VERY LIKELY THE HEAD INJURY WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED HAD THE AIRBAG(S) DEPLOYED.

NHTSA ODI 11338393

Dec 12, 2017AirbagsCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2011 SUBARU LEGACY. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE CONTACT TOOK HIS EYES OFF THE ROAD AND CRASHED INTO A RETAINING WALL. THE FRONT DRIVER'S AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND PINNED HIS HEAD BETWEEN THE DRIVER'S WINDOW AND AIR BAG. THE OCCUPANT SUSTAINED A KNOT ON HIS HEAD, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED WITH NASHVILLE METRO POLICE (#2017-1079256). THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HILLWOOD WRECKER SERVICE AND DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11054167

Aug 24, 2016AirbagsSpeed controlCrash1 injury

I HAD A 2011 SUBARU LEGACY2.5;AT 1130 AM,I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT A LOCAL CONVENIENCE STORE NEAR US THAT WE OFTEN GO TO,WHEN SUDDENLY ON TURNING RIGHT INTO THE SPACE I HEARD THE ENGINE "REV"AT A FAST SPEED EVEN THOUGH I HAD LIFTED MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR.(I USED TO DRIVE A MANUAL SHIFT,AND IT REMINDED ME OF THE SOUND AN ENGINE WOULD MAKE WHEN TRYING TO UPSHIFT TOO FAST BETWEEN GEARS)BEFORE I COULD REACT THE CAR SURGED FORWARD INTO THE SPACE,AND I WAS BARELY ABLE TO SLAM THE BRAKE BEFORE IT COVERED THE 6 TO 8 FEET AND HIT A GUARD POST,CRUMBLING THE FRONT END TO WHERE THE ENGINE IS BENT AND THE CAR A TOTAL LOSS. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.(FORTUNATE,AS WHEN I RETURNED HOME I FOUND THE LETTER FROM SUBARU THAT MY CAR WAS PART OF THE TAKATA RECALL)INTERESTINGLY,THE ENGINE STILL STARTED AND THE CAR WAS DRIVE-ABLE ,DESPITE THE RADIATOR BEING CRACKED IN HALF(WE WERE ABLE TO PARK IT AFTER HAVING IT TOWED). I LOOKED UP THE SYMPTOMS I EXPERIENCED AND FEEL THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN ISSUES WITH THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MECHANISM OR THE APP(WHICH SENSES THE POSITION OF THE ACCELERATOR ,AS I AM SURE YOU KNOW)MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NEVER WENT ON.THE CAR HAD ACTED AS IF IT HAD IDLING ISSUES A COUPLE OF TIMES BUT NOT WITH REGULARITY, AND IT HAD NEVER STALLED OR DISPLAYED ANY OTHER WARNING OF THIS. I HAD JUST DRIVEN THE CAR ABOUT 7 MILES BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER SUBARU;I HAVE HAD OTHER CARS WITH TROUBLES IN THE PAST BUT THIS IS BY FAR THE MOST DANGEROUS.I AM JUST THANKING THE LORD THAT THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY AND WE WEREN'T CRUSHED(MY 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT).AND,THE CAR ONLY HAD 24,350 MILES ON IT! PRACTICALLY NEW CONDITION!SAD,BECAUSE I REALLY LIKED THIS CAR.

NHTSA ODI 10898386

Mar 16, 2016AirbagsBrakesCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS FAILED DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD BE DRIVEN TO THE CONTACTS RESIDENCE, HOWEVER THE CONTACT BECAME AWARE OF THE POWER STEERING BELT SNAPPED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE CONTACT THEN STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS AWAITING REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,000. UPDATED 05/17/16*LJ *TR

NHTSA ODI 10850019

Mar 20, 2015AirbagsCrashFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 SUBARU LEGACY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR END OF ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY UNTIL 4 OR 5 SECONDS LATER. PRIOR TO THE AIR BAG DEPLOYING, BURNING FUMES EMITTED INTO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DID NOT INDICATE IF A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OR IF ANY INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN WAS NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE WHY THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITH A DELAY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000. UPDATED 4/30/15*CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. UPDATED 10/23/15 *JS

NHTSA ODI 10700736

Working with the data? Download all 167 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 14, 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 Legacy verdict →