Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Subaru Legacy owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
An issue has surfaced with my car that it turns off while driving. Obviously this is a serious safety hazard and likely to result in an accident. Now that it has happened, it is continuing and frequently happening. I reached out to Subaru as I saw there was a recall for my car's make and model that is causing the same issue. The issue is listed as NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 19V297000, described as "The engine turning off unexpectedly can increase the risk of a crash. " and affecting many Subarus, including the 2011 legacy. I believe my car is impacted given the behavior it is exhibiting. When I reached out to Subaru, they dismissed it saying it did not apply to my car and they were not willing to investigate. I believe this poses a grave risk to many people given that it will cause an accident and the severity of the defect.
Sometimes as I'm coming to a stop, such as at a red light or a stop sign, just before I stop, the car lurches and then stalls. This is an automatic transmission car, but the best way I can think of to describe what is happening is it is acting as if it is a manual transmission, and when you come to a stop and don't press in the clutch. If this happens at an inopportune time, it could cause an accident. Possibly you're slowing down as you turn through an intersection and it lurches and stalls. You would then be stopped in the middle of the intersection. There are no warning lamps or messages before this happens.
It's a 6mt. Randomly reverse stopped working. Seems like it wants to go in reverse. But when any bit of gas pedal pressed it grinds and pops out of reverse. I have no reverse. 1st thru 6th gear works shifting wise. Shifter has some play though.
Jerky CVT operation since day 1. In slow speed traffic (~20mph) the car had a bucking feeling when gently applying the accelerator pedal. This has been a constant throughout my ownership. Just before this catastrophic failure, the vehicle would suddenly jerk between 20-30mph and rpms would drop by 1,500 under normal acceleration as if an improper up-shift had occurred (though I did not cause this to happen, and the CVT has no "gears"). This would happen on any street, any time of day, any grade of incline/decline, turning or straight. Gillman Subaru north's shop foreman had no idea what to say after experiencing the problem firsthand on a test drive. I worked at the dealer when I purchased the vehicle new, and was constantly dismissed by both the dealer, gillman Subaru north, and by Subaru of America, being told it was just a quirk and to enjoy my new car. …
I purchased this car one week ago from the original owner, and while it tested fine the day I purchased it, depending on how I come to a stop and how hard the brake is pressed, the car stalls. This problem was evident on the second day I owned the car, coming to a stop at a stop sign where I had to break harder than I would have liked. The original owner states no knowledge of the problem. A hazardous situation since this torque converter manufacturer defect causes the vehicle to suddenly and unexpectedly stall when coming to a rapid stop. One week post purchase, now this vehicle suddenly stalls at a stop sign or stop light. It can easily result in an accident. In 2014 Subaru put out a service bulletin recognizing a design flaw in the torque converter and extending the warranty on these vehicles to 100,000 miles. The car I purchased has 157,000. This is not a wear and tear issue. …
I purchased my 2011 Subaru Legacy 2.5i limited in April 2018 with 99,110 miles. It was driving fine until about 104,000 miles when there started to be some stalling and slipping problems. I had a p2096 code and assumed it was a vacuum or brake booster leak. I had bad shaking coming from around the torque converter and stalling at stop lights. By the time my mechanic and I were able to realize it was a transmission problem I had already missed the window for Subaru's extended powertrain warranty on my vehicle. I never received a notice of the recall. I have a CVT transmission that Subaru claims never has to be serviced, but now I am stuck with a failing transmission on a car with only 106,000 miles with all regular maintenance done. …
Car began cutting off when stopping (car stops then shuts off, dashboard lights come on, will restart after putting gear shift in park and turning ignition) such as in traffic, at traffic lights, stop signs, when stopping to make a turn. First occurred on an 8 lane wide overpass. Then, happened intermittently for next two days, not with every stop but about half the time, seemed more likely to occur with a 'hard' or sudden stop. A safety hazard in my opinion because, especially in traffic, someone could run into you while you are trying to re-start the car. Subaru of America issued an extended warranty (10yr or 100K miles) which I received letter about in July 2017. My car's CVT torque converter was replaced under this warranty after first being misdiagnosed by dealer as a dirty throttle body. My car has 96K miles on it. …
Torque converter issues began at 104,000 miles, but I was not able to get it into Subaru to look at until 108,000. I am now being told that I need to pay for the torque converter replacement. There are known issues with the torque converter affecting driver safety. My vehicle would shut off when coming to a stop, and actually shut off as I came to a stop to cross traffic to enter a shopping center. Multiple times my vehicle shut off at traffic lights and stop signs. My vehicle even shut off when I had to slow down for a car that pulled out in front of me. The delay in me having to restart my car nearly resulted in the vehicles coming up behind running into me due to my car being disabled in traffic. Issues are resulting in near collisions with the affected vehicle. Based on my car being slightly over the 100K miles I must pay out of pocket for the repair. …
** this has happened numerous times, it is not a one-time event. ** while driving and then applying the brakes to try to stop the car, the engine shudders and then stalls out completely - the engine stops. This happens regularly while braking suddenly to come to a stop, and it seems to be avoidable if the car is brought to a stop very slowly and gradually. The car May stall out when stopping at a stop sign on a local road or when coming to a stop at a traffic light on a street or highway. The car must be shifted into park and then restarted. At times this has created a very dangerous and nervous situation for me and my passengers, as well as other drivers on the road, because it has happened in heavy stop-and-go highway traffic. While momentarily stopped on the highway while trying to restart the car a rear end collision is very likely to happen.
My torque converter is locking up under breaking/coming to a stop and the engine shutters and shuts down. When the vehicle is in motion, the problem occurs upon stopping or slowing down rapidly to a slow crawl (I.e. Less than 5 MPH). This issue is very repeatable and causes delay if you are trying to move out of the way of oncoming vehicles or emergency vehicles in the case of a highway backup, etc. I have read forums where several other Subaru owners are experiencing the same issue. Subaru acknowledges the problem in TSB 16-90-13r but from my research they are charging thousands of dollars for the repair. This is a safety issue with a faulty component that must be recalled, not voluntarily repaired. This is especially important since many Subaru owners are probably not yet aware of the problem.
Related recalls
Power train › Manual transmission
Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010 and 2011 outback and legacy passenger vehicles manufactured from April 28 through June 23, 2010. Due to a programming error, a lubrication hole within the 6-speed manual transmission was omitted.
Remedy: Subaru will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles by drilling an oil lubrication hole and, if necessary, replace the internal parts with new ones free of charge. The safety recall began on July 28, 2010.
Transmission complaints in other Legacy years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2011 Subaru Legacy?
NHTSA has 47 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2011 Subaru Legacy, 28% of the model year's 167 complaints. The component named most often is driveline (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Subaru Legacy transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 10V-326 (manual transmission, Jul 20, 2010). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2011 Subaru Legacy transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 115,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.