IllustrationAT AROUND 74,000 MILES THE CAM SHAFT BEGAN TO FRACTURE, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SEIZE. THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH A REMANUFACTURED ENGINE. SUBARU REFUSED TO PROVIDE ANY COMPENSATION BECAUSE IT WAS OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY PERIOD.*AK
1999 Subaru Outback
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1999 Subaru Outback do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 207.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Outback years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
20–25K
1025–50K
1150–75K
1075–100K
20100–150K
5150K+
58 reports with mileage · 53 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
13 crash reports1 fire reports14 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
23 reportsDEALER WILL REPLACE THE ENGINE AT 115000 MILES. *AK
HEAD GASKET FAILED ON MY 1999 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK. THE MATERIAL ON THE GASKET IS COMPLETELY GONE IN A FEW AREAS, CAUSING LEAKAGE INTO THE ENGINE AND SUBSEQUENT ENGINE FAILURE. SUBARU SPECIALIST THAT FIXED IT SAID HE HAD REPAIRED 10 SUBARU HEAD GASKETS IN JUST THE PAST 2 WEEKS ALONE. ANOTHER FRIEND HAS A 1999 SUBARU FORESTER …
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HEAD GASKET FAILED ON MY 1999 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK. THE MATERIAL ON THE GASKET IS COMPLETELY GONE IN A FEW AREAS, CAUSING LEAKAGE INTO THE ENGINE AND SUBSEQUENT ENGINE FAILURE. SUBARU SPECIALIST THAT FIXED IT SAID HE HAD REPAIRED 10 SUBARU HEAD GASKETS IN JUST THE PAST 2 WEEKS ALONE. ANOTHER FRIEND HAS A 1999 SUBARU FORESTER THAT HAD ITS HEAD GASKET FAIL WITHIN 3 WEEKS OF MINE. ACCORDING TO THE SUBARU REPAIR SPECIALIST, SUBARU DOES NOT ADMIT THE HEAD GASKET IS DEFECTIVE. 2 DAYS AFTER GETTING THE HEAD GASKET FIXED, THE ALTERNATOR FAILED AND THE CAR SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON A HIGHWAY. BARELY HAD ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO EASE THE CAR OFF THE ROAD OUT OF TRAFFIC. OH, ONE MORE THING. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THE REPAIR FACILITIES CAN'T SEEM TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG BUT THE EMISSIONS INSPECTION REPEATEDLY FAILS DUE TO THE LIGHT BEING ON.*AK
MY 1999 SUBARU OUTBACK OVERHEATED AND PROBLEM ATTRIBUTED TO CRACKED HEAD GASKET. DEALER STATES THAT 99-01 ARE COVERED AS WARRANTY DESPITE MILEAGE IF HAS A PHASE 2 ENGINE. MINE IS PHASE 1. TRYING TO DETERMINE AMOUNT OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS.*AK
ENGINE OVERHEATED AFTER A 30-MINUTE TRIP. TEMP GAUGE READ NORMAL. THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP, RADIATOR, HEAD GASKET ALL OK, BUT EXHAUST VALVES AND CYLINDER WALLS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR.*AK
CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT. THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS HAVE NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *AK
MY 1999 SUBARU OUTBACK STALLS WHEN IT IS COLD. THE CAR HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR TUNE-UPS AND REPAIRS WITH NO RESOLUTION. THE DEALERSHIP AND SUBARU'S AREA SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, BOB WISEMAN, HAVE CLOSED THE CASE. I AM STUCK WITH A CAR THAT WON'T RUN. *LA
HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PH *CB
THERE ARE SEVERAL ISSUES GOING ON WITH MY 1999 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK VEHICLE: 1) THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON WHEN THE FUEL GAUGE DROPS DOWN TO EMPTY ALTHOUGH THE GAS TANK WAS JUST FILLED WITH GAS. 2) THE FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT READ CORRECT. AFTER THE GAS TANK IS FULL, THE GAUGE FLUCTUATES BACK AND FORTH (SOMETIMES THE GAUGE …
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THERE ARE SEVERAL ISSUES GOING ON WITH MY 1999 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK VEHICLE: 1) THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON WHEN THE FUEL GAUGE DROPS DOWN TO EMPTY ALTHOUGH THE GAS TANK WAS JUST FILLED WITH GAS. 2) THE FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT READ CORRECT. AFTER THE GAS TANK IS FULL, THE GAUGE FLUCTUATES BACK AND FORTH (SOMETIMES THE GAUGE READS NEAR EMPTY, SOMETIMES THE GAUGE READS 3/4 OF THE TANK FULL) WHEN OPERATING THE VEHICLE. 3) THE CAR DID NOT PASS THE CALIFORNIA SMOG TEST. 4) THE RPM GAUGE DOES NOT STAY CONSTANT WHILE DRIVING AT AN EVEN SPEED. ONCE THE GAUGE HITS BETWEEN TWO TO THREE THOUSAND RPM, THE GAUGE DROPS BACK TO BETWEEN ONE AND TWO THOUSAND RPM ON AND OF WHEN DRIVING. 5) THE GAS TANK DOES NOT MAINTAIN PRESSURE EVEN THOUGH THE LID WAS SCREWED ON TIGHT. THE LID WAS REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE BUT THIS PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. ALL THESE ISSUES OCCUR WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. THE DEALER DOES NOT WANT TO LOOK AT THESE ISSUES WITHOUT HAVING ME PAY THEM TO LOOK AT MY CAR. THESE ISSUES MY CAR HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING HAVE BEEN ON AND OFF SINCE 2001 TO PRESENT. THE PROBLEMS SEEM TO GET WORSE.
ENGINE MAKE A NOISE. THE DEALER AND TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSIS THE PISTON WAS WORN-OUT AT PREMATURE MILEAGES . PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. PH
Official recalls
101V216000 · Suspension:front:springs:coil Springs
Jun 25, 2001
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FRONT COIL SPRINGS ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, NEW HAMPSHIRE, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA, AND WISCONSIN, AND IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS WERE PRODUCED WITH POOR PAINT QUALITY WHICH, AFTER CONTINUED EXPOSURE TO CORROSIVE SALT, CAN RESULT IN BREAKAGE OF THE SPRING.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: DEPENDING ON THE LOCATION OF THE FRACTURE, A BROKEN SPRING COULD MOVE PAST THE SPRING SEAT AND CONTACT A FRONT TIRE. SOME TIRES HAVE DEFLATED DUE TO CONTACT WITH A BROKEN SPRING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL NOTIFIY CUSTOMERS TO BRING THEIR VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE A SPRING GUARD INSTALLED ON BOTH FRONT STRUTS TO PREVENT TIRE PUNCTURE AND REPLACE ANY BROKEN SPRINGS FREE OF CHARGE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 18, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.