2011 Subaru Outback

Upon application of the brakes approaching a stoplight, the vehicle pulled sharply to the right, entering the right lane from the left and was rendered unsafe to operate due to this condition. Had a vehicle been present at this time in the right lane, a collision would have likely occurred. Upon inspection by the mechanic, the front engine frame had broken on the right side. The broken area has two (2) large rust holes on the top and bottom sides of the box frame. Directly above the two (2) rust holes the drain for the air conditioning condenser is located. Illinois, like 22 other states in the U.S., uses road salt to combat icy road conditions. The combination of road salt with the location of the air conditioner drain tube directly above the frame failure point leads ut to reasonably conclude that this model has a design defect that led to the failure. A remedy for this issue would be to simply extend the drain tube approx. 5" so the water dripping from the air conditioning condenser does not drop onto the top, flat portion of the engine frame where road salt may accumulate over time. In addition, 1. I have possession of the original frame for inspection by the NHTSA. 2. At the time of the repair, the mechanic ordered the replacement dram from the local Subaru dealership. Our mechanic was informed that he was ordering the last remaining subframe assembly that Subaru of North America had in stock at that time.

The front subframe is rusted through on the driver's and passenger side. I am arranging to have it replaced now so it may not be available for inspection in the near future. A collapse of the subframe would obviously be a serious safety issue. I am a fairly competent amateur mechanic and found this issue myself. I've seen several instances of this discussed in online forums. This is the communication I exchanged with Subaru of America: From myself to SOA: Hi, I'm the owner of a very well maintained 2011 Outback. I was doing an oil change today and was looking to touch up what I thought was some surface rust on the front subframe. I was pretty upset when I saw that the front subframe was rusted through on both sides near the rear control arm mounts. This is obviously a safety issue. I know there have been issues with subframe rust on Subarus in the past and the company has replaced them. What can Subaru do to remedy this issue with our Outback? The reply from SOA: Dear [XXX], Thank you for contacting Subaru of America, Inc. We apologize for the delayed response. I am sorry to hear of the concern you are experiencing with your Outback. Subaru did issue a recall for much earlier, 2000-2002 models. This involved vehicles that may have been manufactured with improperly applied paint to the rear suspension subframe. The front subframe was not affected. Your 2011 Outback model is not affected by any warranty extensions, recalls, or service campaigns pertaining to this concern. Please know that we do track known issues through those publications. While we are always looking for ways to help our customers, your vehicle is currently outside of our warranty parameters for offering any type of repair assistance. Please let me know if you have any further questions. Sincerely, [XXX] Subaru of America, Inc. Customer Advocacy Department [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

The contact owns a 2011 Subaru Outback. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, extra brake travel time was needed upon the depression of the brake pedal while attempting to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that the brake pedal would depress to the floorboard during the failure without warning. An independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V562000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, only the 2012 model was included in the recall. The dealer was then notified of the failure and the contact was informed that her vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 173,000.

Transmission failed on my 2011 Subaru Outback as I was entering the freeway, putting me in a very dangerous situation and at risk for being hit by other drivers. I didn't know it was transmission failure until I took it to a service center and they told me my transmission had failed and would need to be either rebuilt or replaced. Multiple dash warning lights came on as the car was stalling out. The repair cost me $5,600 to rebuild. The dealer said they would only replace it at a cost of $8,900. Neither dealer or Subaru customer service were helpful. I've taken very good care of the car, done routine maintenance and it only had 119,000 miles on it. The transmission shop said they are seeing a number of failures with the CVT transmission.

My 2011 Subaru Outback with the automatic CVT transmission has recently started stalling and dying entirely when coming to an abrupt stop. Or even coming to a stop in general, regardless of speed. This having started within the last month or so around the begging of March, 2022. My vehicle has just passed the 10 year mark and is still currently under 100k miles, currently at 96k. After much research and a few trips to the mechanic, I have found that this is a common issue regarding the torque converter within many Subaru vehicles. I have also found that this was such a common issue that this should have been labeled as a recall. But have discovered that this was an “extended warranty” concern instead. That being said, I have, on more than one occasion, come to a stop in traffic with my child in the car and my car just dies in the middle of the road. Which is entirely unsafe and in my opinion deserves a recall.

Vehicle has under 90k miles been regularly maintained and serviced. While driving engine light came on for engine overheating. Stopped driving vehicle. Called local Subaru dealer for diagnostic. Diagnostic revealed several unknown problems including transmission needs to be replaced. Since vehicle has under 100 k miles and is only 11 years old. I could not believe that this problem occurred ( note transmission replacement is over $8000). I took the vehicle in for a second opinion to local AAA shop. They informed me that Subaru issued a technical service bulletin for that year model Outback about the very problem I am having. After an online search of information about this problem I found several owners with the same problem and NO admission or assistance from Subaru. This is an expensive fix for a problem Subaru which Subaru is aware. This is a very dangerous problem because the vehicle will die on the road while in traffic that could cause high risk of an accident with injuries and possibly death. I have written to Subaru North America for assistance. So far no response. I believe this a possible recall because most of the complaints noted the problem occurs around 100K miles. And Subaru has done nothing to mitigate this problem.

The vehicle stalls out at stop signs and red light as far as I’m concerned this is a safety hazard.I-took it to Minooka Subaru and they said it it was a torque converter I had it fixed it cost me 1500 dollars and as far as I’m concerned it should be reimbursed because.,it is very much a safety hazard. This happen d numerous of times.

Continental Pro Contact P 225/ 60 R 17 Driver side tire sidewall formed large bubble. Purchased in November 2021 and had dealer install 4 tires. Noticed large sidewall bubble on sidewall in January 2022. Only three thousand miles on tire. Worried that this is a lifethreatening safety issue. We brought the car back to the dealer. We were told they have not seen anything like it on a Subaru Outback before. But other complaints on this site and others show that sidewall bubbles on the Continental Pro Contact series of tires is a known issue and should be addressed before someone is seriously injured.