2011 Subaru Forester Engine Problems
- 44
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 44 stored complaint records:
- 3 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 3 indicate fire
What owners report
- warning lights · 4 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 14 |
| 1–30k mi | 11 |
| 100–150k mi | 10 |
| 30–60k mi | 3 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Engine
I bought the vehicle used with a new engine installed by subaru of america as a lemon law buyback. After only 87,000 miles, mostly highway miles under good conditions and meticulous maintenance, a rod bearing failed, destroying the engine.
ODI 11217001
Engine
BURNING MORE THAN 1 QT PER 1,000 MILES
ODI 11210125
Engine · Unknown Or Other
Our forester has been burning an excessive amount of oil. Thought it was leaks at first and have spent about 2500 fixing those. Keeps losing oil so must be burning it. Took an oil consumption test at dealer which lasts 1200 miles. Failed because it didn't make it 650 miles before it ran out of oil. Subaru did nothing to help with this problem. Soon after it is now starting to throw check engine lights. Twice now the…
ODI 11190469
Engine
73000 miles and we had to do a full engine reseal including head gaskets, cam carriers, valve cover gaskets. All were leaking. Complaint is that the gaskets should not fail this soon, 73k miles. We were losing engine oil. Car was maintained according to subaru.
ODI 11182093
Engine
Vehicle is burning large amounts of oil. No oil light indicator comes on to warn of low engine oil. Burns approximately 2 quarts per 1000 miles. This has been going on for several years now.
ODI 11181673
Engine
I bought this vehicle in 2016 and have always maintained my car and now the engine is blown it's making a ticking noise all the oil was gone i was driving down the rd and it starting making a ticking noise under the hood
ODI 11173695
Engine
On christmas eve, while driving on the garden state parkway in nj, car engine started making loud tapping noises. As i tried to pull off the road, engine noise became louder and when i finally was off the road , the noise turned to banging. No warning lights.before i could turn off the engine, it stopped on it's own. From start of noise to stop was about 15 seconds. There was oil on bottom of vehicle and none in the…
ODI 11170102
Engine · Unknown Or Other
Sensor light issue. Check engine, skid control, cruise control warning lights repeatedly come on. I have repaired it 3 times to no avail. On line there are 7 years of complaints regarding this issue. My cruise control, skid control are non functioning.
ODI 11172431
Engine
Oil consumption - subaru dealership confirmed there was an oil consumption problem over 1 qt per 1200 miles. Subaru of america would not repair under warranty or offer assistance as vehicle was just over extended warranty. 113k miles at time and the extended warranty was 8 years or 100k miles
ODI 11171433
Engine
Engine burned out on interstate highway, metal filings in case, no warning lights came on the dash at any time. Come to find out there is no low oil light in this vehicle! Plus, there is a class action lawsuit against this year/make/model for excess engine oil use. Serviced this car at all recommended intervals and never let oil changes go beyond the recommended mileage. Have been very faithful with caring for this…
ODI 11111629
Engine
I have a 2011 subaru forester 2.5 premium that had been consuming an exorbitant amount of oil ever since i got it. It requires that i add up to 1.2 qts every 2 months to stay above the empty line on the dip stick. My brother told me recently he heard that there was a recall on some subaru vehicles during my year due to oil consumption issues. Therefore, i checked my vin both on this website and dubaru's website, but…
ODI 11093814
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 subaru forester. While driving approximately 50 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road with the help of a police officer. Subaru of gwinnett ([redacted], duluth, georgia 30096) was made aware of the failure and diagnosed that there was a hole in the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent…
ODI 11113962
Engine
Our subaru forester began ticking, like a lifter was sticking, and the oil level of the synthetic oil was perfect. Then the car began to have a burning smell from the engine compartment. We took the car to our dealer huebueger, colo. Springs, colorado. The tech informed us that the car had technical service bulletins about these issues. The tech also said that a tsb is issued by an auto maker when there is a growing…
ODI 11089894
Engine
There is an oil leak in the head gasket and camshaft seal. This causes oil to drip and burn smoke. There is a fire risk to this. The cost of repairing this is extremely high. This seems to be a faulty part of all subaru foresters of this time period.
ODI 11082488
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 subaru forester. The contact stated that the vehicle consumed an excessive amount of oil. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 131,879.
ODI 11099532
Engine
Failed consumption oil test. Engine had to be replaced .i was told by subaru that their was no recall .my second subaru forester 2013 had same problem and its engine had to be replaced.
ODI 11142152
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 subaru forester. The contact stated that the tire pressure warning indicator illuminated. In addition, the contact noticed an abnormal knocking sound in the engine. During routine inspection, the technician informed the contact that the vehicle experienced excessive oil consumption. The technician added three quarts of oil to the engine. Mid-hudson subaru (1715 u.s. 9, wappingers falls,…
ODI 11058010
Electrical System · Engine · Unknown Or Other
The vehicle stalls in traffic and at a stops, problem began in december 2017 and the battery was replaced immediately. In january 2018 it was taken to an authorized subaru dealer for repairs. The 60000 mile service was performed, it continued to stall and was returned to the dealer. The catalytic converters were replaced and it stalled in traffic when it was picked up from the dealership, it was returned. The wiring…
ODI 11078852
Body · Electronic Stability Control · Engine
When i parking my car into the parking place, the car suddenly gave a roar and rushed into someone's backyard. Although i pushed the brake pedal as deep as possible, the car rushed around 10 meters(?) and fully stopped after the car hit the rods of wood staircase(two of the rods of staircase was boken by my car). At that moment i just want shift the car from "d" to "r" (but not yet), the unintended acceleration…
Crash reported
ODI 11052597
Engine
My 2011 subaru forester with 65,700 miles on it is sluggish into gear when first starting. I took it to the dealer who informed me it needed a new transmission ($5500+). I think this is outrageous. I read in forbes that there was an extension of the warranty (see https://www.forbes.com/sites/jensen/2017/07/07/facing-complaints-subaru-offers-extended-warranties-on-1-5-million-vehicles/#662fd3ac79dc) and wonder if…
ODI 11034637
Engine
I was driving on the highway in portland oregon and stopped at a light, as i began to accelerate going up a slight hill i noticed an awful smell like burning oil or tranny fluid. I picked up a family members to go to an appointment and they smelled it also. It went away as i continued but then next hill and the smell came back pretty strong. I found a subaru dealer/service dept. Near by and drove there. I was told…
ODI 11021078
Engine
Unknown origin. Vehicle emits strong foul burning oil/rubber smell. Subaru has checked using an oil leak test shows it is not burning oil. There are numerous other smell complaints, but subaru says they do not know what the cause is. There is a recall for this complaint, but says it is related to an oil leak. People nearby make comments about the foul smelling subaru.
ODI 11244944
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 subaru forester. While driving approximately 55 mph, a ticking noise emerged from the engine compartment and the oil warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle started to slow down and then stopped. The contact coasted the vehicle to the shoulder of the road to a complete stop. The contact exited the vehicle, raised the hood, and observed smoke around the dipstick. The contact checked the…
Fire reported
ODI 10978799
Engine
Abnormal oil consumption which is of the oil consumption lawsuit. The oil warning lights did not turn but the car was already out of oil in 3 months of use (supposedly 6 month window for oil changes). The car started to become jerky but still managed to get home and had it checked. If there are no warning signs, it is possible it can die in the middle of a busy highway, which is extremely dangerous.
ODI 10957953
Engine · Power Train
My wife and i currently own a 2011 subaru forester we purchased new from hatfield subaru in columbus, ohio. We have always had it serviced at byers dublin subaru in columbus ohio. At the 25,000 mile mark both head gaskets were leaking so the mechanics at byers pulled the motor and replaced them. Just recently at the 33,000 mile mark i brought in my vehicle to byers for my 30,000 maintenance check also complaining of…
ODI 10959866