2011 Subaru Outback Service Brakes Problems
Owners have filed 67 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes problems on the 2011 Subaru Outback, 10% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 80,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “went floor” (13% of reports).
- 67service brakes complaints
- 80,000median miles at failure
- 8mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 31%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Went floor: mentioned in 9 of 67 complaints (13%)
- Electronic parking brake: mentioned in 8 of 67 complaints (12%)
At what mileage do service brakes problems happen?
Based on 39 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 67 complaints, 8 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Subaru Outback service brakes complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Outback | 1 | 6% | — |
| 2025 Outback | 5 | 6% | — |
| 2024 Outback | 4 | 4% | — |
| 2023 Outback | 7 | 8% | 268,000 |
| 2022 Outback | 10 | 2% | — |
| 2021 Outback | 7 | 2% | — |
| 2020 Outback | 15 | 2% | 1,435 |
| 2019 Outback | 21 | 2% | 5,000 |
| 2018 Outback | 18 | 2% | 7,092 |
| 2017 Outback | 23 | 3% | 20,500 |
| 2016 Outback | 19 | 3% | 11,100 |
| 2015 Outback | 27 | 5% | 38,850 |
| 2014 Outback | 22 | 11% | 14,000 |
| 2013 Outback | 23 | 8% | 69,000 |
| 2012 Outback | 36 | 12% | 82,000 |
| 2011 Outback | 67 | 10% | 80,000 |
| 2010 Outback | 35 | 10% | 129,204 |
| 2009 Outback | 5 | 5% | 25,345 |
| 2008 Outback | 30 | 13% | 138,573 |
| 2007 Outback | 6 | 5% | 179,400 |
| 2006 Outback | 16 | 6% | 118,598 |
| 2005 Outback | 22 | 8% | 183,000 |
| 2004 Outback | 2 | 2% | 137,500 |
| 2003 Outback | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2002 Outback | 3 | 2% | 141,682 |
| 2001 Outback | 1 | 1% | 230,000 |
| 1998 Outback | 2 | 2% | 142,500 |
| 1996 Outback | 3 | 7% | 87,696 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists service brakes for the 2011 Subaru Outback. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Just lost brakes. Was parked at an atm. In park, foot on brake as i was shifting into drive, brake pedal goes to floor and brake fluid leaks out... I see there was a recall for brake lines in Michigan. I've owned this car since 2020. All Brake pads are new as of 4/2025. This just occurred today on…
The car was being driven down the road, when the brake pedal went soft. At that point the vehicle had lost all braking power. I pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and proceeded to check the vehicle. The vehicle brake reservoir was empty, and the line underneath the car was leaking…
The brake system had a total failure. Driving down the road and the brake pedal went completely soft and was not providing any brakes. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road where the brake fluid resivor was empty and the underneath of the car was wet with brake fluid. The vehicle then…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2011 Subaru Outbacks have service brakes problems?
No. NHTSA has 67 owner complaints about service brakes for the 2011 Subaru Outback (10% of the 652 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Subaru Outback service brakes?
No recall currently lists service brakes for this vehicle.
At what mileage do service brakes problems start?
The median reported mileage is 80,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about service brakes problems on the 2011 Subaru Outback?
The most frequent phrase is “went floor”, in 9 of 67 complaints, followed by “electronic parking brake” (8).
Other 2011 Subaru Outback problems
- Power Train problems (216)
- Exterior Lighting problems (117)
- Engine problems (85)
- Air Bags problems (73)
- Electrical System problems (67)
See all 2011 Subaru Outback problems or service brakes problems across all Outback years.