2011 Subaru WRX Reliability?

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Not a member of any Subaru forums so I figured I would start here.

Does anyone own or know if this year WRX is reliable? I want to go for an EVO but that is out of my price range..

If I do get a WRX I will want to do no more than just bolt on and a COBB tune. Intake, downpipe, exhaust, COBB.

I hear conflicting stories of engines blowing and trannies breaking.. Anyone have some input?
 
Boy racers will be boy racers...which is why WRX & reliability never get along.

If you treat it right, don't get a [censored] tune or cheap parts no I doubt you will have any problems.

Stay away from Cobb tuning unless you are going Pro...and find a reliable tuner at that.

Engines blowing & trannys breaking are from misuse period. Just like all the people blaiming Mobil 1 for spun bearings not the 8,000RPMS they tried to spin at.
 
I'm an owner of an 07' WRX I bought new. I keep it as a winter vehicle. My wife wants to replace it with an Audi.

NASIOC is a good place to learn about WRX's.

I added a Perrin downpipe and stage 2 tune on mine with the Cobb AccessPort. The Cobb stage 2 map sucked. The Perrin map felt waaaaay better. I took my car to be tuned on an AWD dyno and the tuner fell one horsepower short of Perrin's included map they pre installed on the AccessPort. The exhaust doesn't really add much HP, the downpipe does. Lots of people seem to dislike cold air intakes on WRX's.

The five speed shouldn't be a problem on a 2011 if driven appropriately. Cant say that about the early years of the WRX.

Try to buy an unmolested WRX. Know what to look for. There are ways to look at bolts and nuts on a WRX that was reverted back to stock.
 
Consumer Reports show some sort of major transmission issue in 2011. Check NASIOC for details maybe.
 
If you shift correctly and you let the engine warm up before flogging it, and you check your oil level frequently enough you'll be fine.

Lots of people with issues abuse their car by not doing the above.
 
Transmissions were not highly regarded that year. The few used WRX's I test drove a few months ago were worn out and definitely felt tired. Most had south of 60K miles, and all 2008 or newer. I tend to think people beat the living daylights out of these so beware!
 
I'm not aware of any transmission issues specific to the 2011 model year -- links? The WRX transmission is Subaru's 5MT and as far as I know was mostly the same from 2008 or so (if not even earlier, barring diff ratio changes) until 2014. It's got a rod linkage for its shifter and has a reputation for being a bit rough but I think that gives it character
smile.gif


I've got a 2011 with ~50k miles on it that I bought new. It's a bit of a rough car in general in terms of noises and things like squeaks & rattles, but drive nicely enough (a bit softer than e.g. the Mazdaspeed 3), has plenty of power, and handles well. Mine has the Subaru short throw shift kit which give it a nice mechanical feel. It is not a sports car shifter.

In terms of reliability, I haven't had any problems with mine and would count it as being as good as anything else I've owned or cared for. Some are obsessive about every little thing such as interior squeaks, small amounts of oil consumption (mind burns less than the Civic it replaced, about a quart in 4k miles), etc. and if you could that kind of thing against "reliability" then, well .. it still may not be worse than whatever other misc car.

The interior on mine is looking a little shabbier than new but it's a dog car and driven in dusty areas and most of that is probably that it just needs a good cleaning.

The bad:
- The windshield seems fragile in terms of chips, but hard to do an AB comparison and I might just be unlucky. There is a quarry nearby. No cracks though.
- The paint will scratch if you look at it wrong. Scratch-X and Swirl-X work decently on it though.
- With all Subarus if you puncture a tire beyond repair you may be looking at 4 replacements instead of 2.

Overall I love this car.


I *would* be wary of buying a used one, especially with mods. Evaluate the owner.
 
Those WRXs always sound like they're running with the wrong firing order!

How people can stand those things is beyond me!
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Those WRXs always sound like they're running with the wrong firing order!

How people can stand those things is beyond me!



TBH, with stock exhaust, the engine is pretty quiet from inside the car. People do all manner of things to them though that can make them louder.
 
Originally Posted By: rationull
TBH, with stock exhaust, the engine is pretty quiet from inside the car. People do all manner of things to them though that can make them louder.


They always sound like an old VW Bug with one cylinder not firing.

That WRX is the last car on the face of the Earth that I'd ever want to own.

I can't stand that terrible sound the engine makes.
 
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