Home · 2011 Subaru Outback Wilderness · Complaints

What 649 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Subaru Outback 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 (649)Crash / fire / injury (31)Transmission & drivetrain (216)Lights (117)Engine (85)Brakes (76)Airbags (73)Electrical system (66)Steering (36)Speed control (25)Visibility & wipers (23)Suspension (20)

7 of 649 complaints match · Speed control · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jun 10, 2024Speed controlBrakesFuel systemCrash2 injuries

1. Propulsion, acceleration, brakes, transmission- no longer available for inspection 2. The vehicle went completely out of control; I stood on the brakes as hard as I could but would not stop or slow the car at all. We careened down a hill and head on into a large tree 3. not reproduced or confirmed 4. Vehicle was inspected by insurance company and was declared a total loss 5. no signs of any malfunction prior to wreck

NHTSA ODI 11593358

May 19, 2020AirbagsSpeed controlCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HIS WIFE WAS ATTEMPTING TO PARALLEL PARK THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED COLLIDING WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS WIFE SHIFTED TO DRIVE, THE ENGINE REVVED AND SHE LOST CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO BODY REPAIR FACILITY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO RAFFERTY SUBARU (4700 WEST CHESTER PIKE, NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA 19073 PHONE: (610) 353-6900) WHO STATED THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND A CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED APOLOGETIC GESTURES REGARDING THE MATTER, HOWEVER, A CASE WAS NOT OPENED. THE CONTACT STATED THEY FOUND THAT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN HIS STATE OF RESIDENCY REGARDING THE SAME FAILURE HIS WIFE HAD EXPERIENCED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. *BF*JB

NHTSA ODI 11325109

Aug 15, 2018Speed controlCrash

UPON PARKING IN A ROUTINE PARKING SPOT IN OUR APARTMENT PARKING GARAGE, I TURNED THE CORNER AND ACCELERATED SOME, AS I ALWAYS DID, TO GET TO THE PARKING SPOT TO BACK IN. AS SOON AS I WENT TO REVERSE IT, THE CAR ACCELERATED FULLY ON ITS OWN ACCORD. I WAS ABLE TO PRESS THE BREAK AND STOP THE VEHICLE BUT SINCE I WAS ONLY ABOUT 10 FEET FROM ANOTHER CAR AND THE WALL OF THE PARKING GARAGE, I WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP IN TIME TO AVOID A COLLISION. I HIT THE CORNER OF THE CEMENT WALL WITH THE FRONT LEFT HEADLIGHT PORTION OF THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 11120024

Mar 1, 2018Speed controlCrash

THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 SUBARU OUTBACK. THERE WAS UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WHILE DRIVER WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE. DRIVER SLOWED DOWN TO PULL INTO PARKING SPACE AND PUT CAR IN PARK WHEN SUDDENLY THE CAR ACCELERATED AND SPED OVER CEMENT PARKING BLOCK AND CRASHED INTO THE CONCRETE BASE OF LIGHT POLE. THERE IS NO KNOWN RECALL. POLICE WERE CALLED AND A REPORT WAS FILED. *TT *JS

NHTSA ODI 11075930

Oct 18, 2017Speed controlCrash

ON JUNE 9TH, 2017: WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE IN CHURCH PARKING LOT AT 11 AM IN THE MORNING. IT WAS A CLEAR DAY. AS I EASED INTO THE SPACE, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE, AND INSTEAD OF COASTING INTO THE PARKING SPACE, THE CAR SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD (MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE ACCELERATOR AT ALL). THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO!! CAR LUNGED FORWARD, JUMPED THE PARKING CURB AND HIT THE TREE THAT WAS IN THE MEDIAN. THERE WAS MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END ($7500). AFTER REPAIR, THE DEALER AND SUBARU CORPORATE TESTED OUT THE CAR AND COULD FIND NO ERRORS IN THE CODE RESULTS BUT DID NOTE THAT THERE WERE DOUBLE FLOOR MATS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE (ONE CARPET AND ONE RUBBER). THEY THINK THIS MIGHT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROBLEM AND THEY RECOMMEND THAT ONLY ONE FLOOR MAT BE IN PLACE. OF NOTE IS THE FACT THAT THE CAR CAME WITH THE TWO FLOOR MATS INSTALLED. WE DID NOT ADD AN EXTRA ONE.

NHTSA ODI 11034441

May 13, 2014Speed controlCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ENTERING A PARKING A PARKING SPOT, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A POLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 7/31/14*CN THE CONSUMER NO LONGER OWNS THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 08/05/14

NHTSA ODI 10588075

Dec 13, 2011Speed controlCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH IN A PARKING LOT, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE OVER A PARKING BARRIER. THE VEHICLE THEN CRASHED INTO A FENCE AND TRAVELED INTO SEVERAL BUSHES COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. THERE WAS NO PERSONAL INJURY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION CENTER FOR REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MODERATE DAMAGES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,000.

NHTSA ODI 10439746

Working with the data? Download all 649 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 Outback Wilderness verdict →