2011 Subaru Outback Exterior Lighting Problems
NHTSA component category: EXTERIOR LIGHTING · data through 07/14/2026
Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
How exterior lighting ranks on this vehicle
Share of the 649 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2011 Subaru Outback overview page.
What owners report
“LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ONLY ILLUMINATE ROAD TO ABOUT 15 FEET IN FRONT OF CAR. HEADLIGHTS WERE THEN ADJUSTED BY SUBARU DEALER WHO STATED THEY WERE…”NHTSA complaint 10560838 — filed 01/21/2014
“I HAVE TO REPLACE THE LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHTS ALL THE TIME ( 6 TIMES SINCE BUYING CAR) DRIVER SIDE 4 TIMES PASSENGER SIDE 2…”NHTSA complaint 10556811 — filed 12/20/2013
“DRIVER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT FAILED AT ABOUT 29,000 MILES. PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT FAILED AT ~32,000 MILES (ROUGHLY 3 MONTHS TIME ELAPSED BETWEEN…”NHTSA complaint 10509233 — filed 04/23/2013
Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.
Exterior Lighting complaints by year filed
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2011 Subaru Outback have exterior lighting problems?
Exterior Lighting is the #2 most-reported problem area on the 2011 Subaru Outback: 115 of 649 complaints on file (17.7%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.
How many complaints does the 2011 Subaru Outback have in total?
649 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 23 involved a crash, 6 involved a fire, 6 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.
What does NHTSA's exterior lighting category include?
NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the EXTERIOR LIGHTING category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.
