IllustrationFRONT CRANK SEAL FAILS. CAUSING OIL LEAKAGE AND POSSIBLE FIRE UNDER HOOD. RESEARCH ON INTERNET SHOWS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SUBARUS. RESEARCH ALSO SHOWS SUBARU HAS RELEASED 3 DIFFERENT PARTS IN ATTEMPT TO FIX PROBLEM. SUBARU DENIES THIS TO BE A FIRE HAZARD OR EVEN A PROBLEM WITH THEIR VEHICLES.*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 reportsVEHICLE STARTED SMOKING UNDER HOOD, THEN STALLED AT A STOP. TAKEN TO DEALER WHO REPAIRED VEHICLE, ONE WEEK LATER ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, VEHICLE OVERHEATED, BUT DID NOT STALL, DEALER REPLACED ENGINE. WIPER BLADES WERE REPLACED. *SLC
VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING HESITATION AFTER ACCELERATING FROM A STOPPED POSITION, THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OCCURRING EVERY DAY AND THE DEALER CAN FIND NO REMEDY FOR IT, THE MECHANICS SAY IT IS A FUEL PROBLEM AND HAVE HAD THE CONSUMER USE HIGH OCTANE GAS, THE FUEL FILTER WAS PLUGGED AND THE DEALER FOUND THE FUEL WAS CONTAMINATED,…
Read full complaint
VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING HESITATION AFTER ACCELERATING FROM A STOPPED POSITION, THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OCCURRING EVERY DAY AND THE DEALER CAN FIND NO REMEDY FOR IT, THE MECHANICS SAY IT IS A FUEL PROBLEM AND HAVE HAD THE CONSUMER USE HIGH OCTANE GAS, THE FUEL FILTER WAS PLUGGED AND THE DEALER FOUND THE FUEL WAS CONTAMINATED, ALL THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN COMPLETED ON THIS VEHICLE HAS NOT REMEDIED THE HESITATION PROBLEM. *SLC
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.