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#BS-2011-SUBFOR-326B

2011 Subaru Forester

Based on reports from 195 owners and 16 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
195
Crashes
41
Fires
7
Recalls
16
TSBs
338
πŸ›‘

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 195 complaints, 41 crashes, 7 fires, and 16 recalls. Complaint rate is 2.4x the class average.

Top reported problems

1

excessive oil consumption

28 complaints β€’ Severity 7.9/10

$X,XXX
2

burning oil odor

3 complaints β€’ Severity 7.3/10

$X,XXX
3

unintended accelaration

1 complaints β€’ Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the EngineHIGH

66 owners reported engine issues β€” failures commonly reported around 54K miles.

!Inspect the AirbagsMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

41
0–30K
25
30–60K
35
60–90K
12
90–120K
11
120–150K
3
150K+

Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (41 reports) β€’ Median: 54K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Engine (66 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Engine66 (34%)
Airbags29 (15%)
Brakes20 (10%)
Speed Control13 (7%)
Other12 (6%)
Electrical11 (6%)
Structure:body8 (4%)
Drivetrain8 (4%)

2011 Subaru Forester: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 34% of all reports filed for the 2011 Subaru Forester, with 66 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 54,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 54K-mile mark.

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 15% of all reports filed for the 2011 Subaru Forester, with 29 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Brakes Issues

Brakes complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2011 Subaru Forester, with 20 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to brakes-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Speed Control Issues

Speed Control complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2011 Subaru Forester, with 13 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to speed control-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

9
11
7
12
15
13
29
14
12
15
18
16
15
17
18
18
28
19
16
20
7
21
7
22
9
23
4
24
1
25

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2011 Subaru Forester. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind β€” know what this car costs to own

Repair costs β€’ Negotiation scripts β€’ Mechanic checklist β€’ Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (16 recalls)

12V099000Mar 2012

SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER

SUBARU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2012 FORESTER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 26, 2007, THROUGH MARCH 13, 2012. THE AUTOMATIC LOCKING RETRACTOR in the SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES LOCATED IN THE REAR CENTER SEATING OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES DO NOT MEET LOCKABILITY REQUIREMENTS AND FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, Β“OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.Β” SPECIFICALLY, THE ASSEMBLIES MAY NOT PERMIT PROPER INSTALLATION AND SECURE ATTACHMENT OF A CHILD RESTRAINT IN THAT SEATING POSITION.

12V602000Feb 2013

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010 and 2011 Legacy and Outback vehicles, certain model year 2006 through 2012 Tribeca vehicles sold before January 2012, and certain model year 2009 through 2012 Forester vehicles sold before January 2012. Up to 78,650 of these vehicles may have been equipped with accessory puddle lights that, when illuminated, brighten the area under the doors of the vehicle. A short circuit can develop when either the puddle light or connector are exposed to an electrolytic moisture source (such as road spray that has road salt in it) and it penetrates the circuit board of the puddle light or the pins of the puddle light connector(s).

14V311000Jul 2014

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Outback and Legacy, 2008-2011 Impreza and 2008-2014 Impreza WRX/STI, and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Salt water could splash on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector, resulting in excessive corrosion of the brake lines. Note that affected vehicles not currently, or formerly registered, in the salt belt states identified above are eligible for repair, at no cost to the customer, upon request.

14V830000Jan 2015

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Impreza, 2008-2014 WRX and STI, and 2009-2013 Forester vehicles, currently, or formerly, registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia that were remedied under recall 14V-311 prior to December 23, 2014. The brake lines may experience brake line corrosion due to salt water splashing on the brake lines through a gap in the fuel tank protector.

16V358000Jul 2016

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Legacy, Outback, 2009-2011 Legacy, Outback, Forester, 2006-2011 Impreza, Tribeca, 2003-2006 Baja, and 2006 Saab 9-2x vehicles originally sold or that have ever been registered in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." These vehicles may be equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

+ 11 more recalls in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Subaru Forester is the 2014 β€” worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

2011 Subaru Forester vs. Class Average (Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD)

This vehicle

195

Class avg

80

2.4x the class average β€” significantly more complaints than typical sport utility vehicle - 4wd vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume β€” popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 195 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 16 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

2011 Subaru Forester: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2011 Subaru Forester?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2011 Subaru Forester is related to the engine, with 66 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2011 Subaru Forester reliable?
The 2011 Subaru Forester has 195 complaints, 41 crash reports, and 7 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 2.4x the class average β€” higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 2011 Subaru Forester problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2011 Subaru Forester have any recalls?
Yes, the 2011 Subaru Forester has 16 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Subaru Forester problems start?
Based on 127 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 54,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records β€” then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence β€” what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you β€” no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 195 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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