IllustrationKEYLESS ENTRY CONTROL MODULE TOTAL FAILURE. CAR IS LESS THAN 6 YEARS OLD & HAS LESS THAN 76,000 MILES. REPLACEMENT PART IS $200 + LABOR TO INSTALL. DEALER SAYS THIS IS A RARE PROBLEM. *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
Unknown Or Other complaints
5 reportsSPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER CUT OUT INTERMITTENTLY. *NLM
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.
I HAD STOPPED AND PUT CAR INTO PARK AND IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED INTO THE BRICK. *AK
MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AT 36,000 MILES THE DEALER CHARGED ME $75 TO RESET IT AND WAS NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE WHY THE LIGHT CAME ON WITHIN 2 WEEKS THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN SICNE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 36,000 MILES I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR ANOTHER "COMPUTER RESET" WORDS USED BY DEALER IS THIS A COMMON COMPLAINT FOR THIS MOODEL…
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MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AT 36,000 MILES THE DEALER CHARGED ME $75 TO RESET IT AND WAS NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE WHY THE LIGHT CAME ON WITHIN 2 WEEKS THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN SICNE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 36,000 MILES I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR ANOTHER "COMPUTER RESET" WORDS USED BY DEALER IS THIS A COMMON COMPLAINT FOR THIS MOODEL AND YEAR ? I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS AN ALTERNATOR RECALL COULD THAT HAVE MADE THE ENGINE LIGHT COME ON ? THANK YOU AS. *AK
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.