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 Sunday so I have not got the estimate yet.
2011 Subaru Outback brakes problems
78 complaints (12% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 81,000. 11 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 78
- of this car's complaints
- 12%
- typical mileage
- 81,000
- crashes
- 11
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Pedals and linkages1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Subaru Outback brakes problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2011 Subaru Outback brakes
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Parking brake
- What is wrong
- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Subaru Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. The electronic parking brake (EPB) may not engage as intended, allowing the vehicle to rollaway if the transmission is not in the proper gear when parked.
- Risk
- A vehicle rollaway can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Subaru will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EPB actuator assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 19, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1‑844‑373‑6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTV-81.
Recall number 18V626000 · Recall details
What 2011 Subaru Outback owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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 fluid out. Then I called a tow truck to tow my vehicle to get repaired. The mechanic then told me about the recall WQK47r.
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 was towed to a nearby mechanic to be inspected where they have come to the conclusion that the brake line box has become coroted. During the brake failure there were no warning signs and the only thing that prevented the vehicle from being involved in an accident was the use of engine braking and going up hill. The reason I’m reporting this is because after reviewing the internet to see what the average cost of the repair should be I came across a forum where this issue is become common place in my generation of Outback, as well as the previous generation which has a recall already on this same component. I’m also writing this report because I’m concerned with the amount of this type of vehicle on the road still and having a similar issue.
Going down the road and my breaks went to the floor, further inspection the back passenger 4 way block blew apart due to rust I looked online and there is so many of these cars the same year that this is happening to, would love to have this year and model included in the recall for breaks to get this fixed
Bought vehicle from Carvana, immediately noticed transmission shudder issues when driving near 50 mph. Brought vehicle in to multiple repair facilities. It had warped brakes, bad calipers, needed a new torque converter at least and the repair shop recommended a total transmission replacement. The whole vehicle shakes when driving near that speed or braking.
Rear brake lines at junction block right rear corroded.As is the sane situation with 2009 models and under and impreza models newer with same design cannot understand why this model year was passed by
The contact owns a 2011 Subaru Outback. The contact stated while driving approximately 30-35 MPH and approaching a truck, the brake pedal was depressed and travelled down to the floorboard, causing the vehicle to fail to respond. The contact stated that the truck that was in front of the vehicle made a turn, which prevented the vehicle from crashing into the truck. The contact stated that he was able to pull into a parking lot, where the vehicle rolled until it stopped. The brake warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that his wife who had just undergone a spinal surgery was occupying the front passenger's seat when the failure occurred. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the brake lines had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the repair could not be covered because the VIN was included in an unknown recall. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.
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
The parking brake actuator has failed. A recall already exists for this exact component but only extends to manual transmission vehicles. The recall for manual transmission vehicles is # 18V626000; the latest version of the part in question is Subaru part #26002AJ01E. The recall refers to a manufacturer defect. The quoted repair price for this issue is over $1300; the part alone is $850. At that price, many people (including me) simply cannot afford the repair and will have to forgo the added layer of safety provided by the parking brake. It is clear Subaru is aware of a manufacturer defect impacting a safety critical part but has minimized their costs by restricting the recall to a small subset of vehicles. Additionally, given that Subaru is charging $850 for a relatively simple component, Subaru may be seeking to profit from their own mistake. I request that the federal safety agency require Subaru to extend the recall to ALL vehicles with that component, not just the ones with manual transmissions. While automatic transmission vehicles have the parking gear manual transmission vehicles lack, I can think of a number of circumstances in which a parking brake could be critical. Barring that, I request the federal safety agency order the manufacturer of that component to provide repairs free of charge in the event of a failure.
The emergency brake light and traction symbol have started flashing when I’m driving and now the EB has stopped working. I’ve visiting the Subaru dealership twice and two other mechanics. They’ve all told me different reasons why my car is doing this. I’ve never had an emergency break stop working.
Questions about the 2011 Subaru Outback brakes
Does the 2011 Subaru Outback have brakes problems?
Owners have filed 78 complaints about the brakes of the 2011 Subaru Outback, 12% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2011 Subaru Outback brakes problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 81,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Subaru Outback brakes?
Yes, 1 recall: 18V626000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Subaru Outback have bad brakes?
The Subaru Outback model years with the most brakes complaints are 2011 (78 complaints), 2010 (40 complaints) and 2012 (40 complaints).
Other 2011 Subaru Outback problems
Transmission 216Lights 117Engine 93Airbags 73Electrical 67Steering 36Acceleration 26Visibility 23Suspension 21Fuel system 16Body 11Driver assistance 10Wheels 10Tires 9Seat belts 4Seats 4
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