2011 Subaru Touch Up Paint (21 OEM Colors)

The 2011 Subaru Vibe

Welcome to 2011, the year Adele was "Rolling in the Deep" and every third car in the REI parking lot was a brand-new Outback or Forester. Subaru was hitting its stride, moving from niche rally-nerd favorites to the official chariot of the suburbs. Our database tracks 25 distinct colors for this year, and it's a mood board of "rugged sophistication." You had the earthy, trail-ready Cypress Green Pearl and Caramel Bronze Pearl for the hikers, sitting right alongside the legendary W R Blue Pearl and the electric Plasma Blue Silica Pearl for the folks who preferred their horizontal-opposed engines with a side of turbo whistle.

Paint Health Check

Now, let's talk turkey. We are firmly in The Thin Paint Era. By 2011, the robots in the factory had become masters of "efficiency," which is just a polite way of saying they sprayed the paint like they were afraid of running out. If you own a Legacy or an Impreza from this vintage, you know the drill: the front bumper looks like it's been through a light peppering of birdshot. This factory clear coat is soft and thin. It's prone to "etching" from bird droppings and prone to "ghosting" on the roof and hood if it spent too much time baking in the sun without a regular coat of wax. The clear coat isn't failing because it's old; it's failing because there wasn't much of it to begin with.

Restoration Tip

Because you're dealing with such a thin factory profile, do not-I repeat, do not-just glob a huge drop of touch-up paint into a rock chip and call it a day. You'll end up with a high spot that's a nightmare to level. Instead, use the "layering" method. Dab a tiny amount into the center of the chip, let it shrink as it dries, and come back for a second pass. You want to build the repair up slowly until it's flush with that razor-thin factory clear. Since these cars are reaching that age where the rear quarter panels like to start "bubbling," make sure you seal any chips near the wheel wells immediately. Once the moisture gets under that thin skin, the rust won't ask for permission to stay.