1999 Subaru Outback

THERE WAS NOTHING ABNORMAL THAT PRECLUDED THE FAILURE. THE SPEEDOMETER COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING WHILE DRIVING AND NOW ONLY INTERMITTENTLY WORKS. FORTUNATELY, THERE HAS BEEN NO INCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THIS FAILURE. HOWEVER, IT COULD LEAD TO EXCESSIVE SPEED WHICH MAY LEAD TO VEHICLE ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE. A CALL TO SUBARU OF AMERICA YIELDED NO INFORMATION. HOWEVER, ONLINE RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT THIS IS OCCURRING QUITE FREQUENTLY AMONG THIS MAKE AND MODEL YEAR. A NEW PART WILL LIKELY HAVE TO BE ORDERED.*JB

AT 1 P.M. ON 23 APR '06, MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING OUR 1999 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK AT ABOUT 50 MPH. WE HAD JUST ENTERED A CURVE WHEN THE CAR'S HOOD LATCH FAILED AND ALLOWED THE HOOD TO FLY UP AND SLAM INTO THE WINDSHIELD AND ROOF. THAT COMPLETELY BLOCKED OUR FORWARD VIEW AND WE ENTERED THE ONCOMING LANE. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WAS COMING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. WE WERE ABLE TO SLOW DOWN AND MAKE OUR WAY ON TO THE SHOULDER. WE WERE COVERED WITH GLASS PARTICLES BUT THANK GOD NEITHER ONE OF US WAS INJURED. I AM NOW VERY NERVOUS WHEN I DRIVE THE CAR. THE HOOD WAS LAST OPENED ABOUT TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT BUT THE CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN FOR OVER 200 MILES AND SOME OF THAT WAS ON THE INTERSTATE. THERE WAS NO WARNING. WE HAD TO PAY OVER $2300 TO REPAIR WINDSHIELD, HOOD AND MISCELLANEOUS DAMAGE IN THE MOTOR COMPARTMENT. *NM

I WAS QUITE HURT (TO THE DEGREE OF HAVING TO GO ON SSD) IN A REAR END COLLISION IN A 1998 SUBARU LEGACY WAGON. IN TRYING TO RECOVER THE ORIGINAL HEAD REST OF THIS CAR I LEARNED IT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE AND CAN ONLY BE REPLACED WITH A MUCH SAFER MODEL. IN DOING A RECENT CRASH ANALYSIS WITH THIS NEW HEAD REST I REALIZED THE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES AND HOW MUCH SAFER THE NEW HEAD REST IS. I LEARNED ON YOUR CAR SAFETY WEB SITE OF THE NATIONAL CAUTION ON THE WHOLE SEAT OF THIS MODEL SEATS AND HEAD REST. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS ORTHOPEDIC (LEFT ARM, ALL/WHOLE BACK, RIGHT LEG, BOTH KNEES, POSTURE) AND BRAIN INJURY PROBLEMS FROM MY CAR ACCIDENT. I RECENTLY LEARNED (3/06), THAT SUBARU STARTED UNOFFICIALLY REPLACING THE SEAT AND HEAD REST OF THIS MODEL LEGACY 1998 THRU 1999 WHENEVER POSSIBLE. MEANING WHENEVER THESE MODELS REQUESTED NEW PARTS, THERE IS AN UNOFFICIAL RECALL IN THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET THE ORIGINAL PART ONLY THE SAFER NEW PARTS. I KEEP THINKING ABOUT HOW EASY A RECALL FOR APPROXIMATELY A 2 AND A HALF YEARS MODEL CAR IS (I HAVE EXPERIENCED A GM RECALL OF A PART THAT WENT VERY SMOOTHLY). THERE IS A GREAT COST TO SOCIETY AND MYSELF OF THERE NOT BEING AN OFFICIAL RECALL. PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL WITH A LETTER OR I WILL SEND ANOTHER LETTER BY SIGNED RECEIPT EMAIL. SINCERELY, MARCIE ELLIS. *JB

IN OCTOBER 2003, THE ENGINE OF MY 1999 SUBARU OUTBACK WITH 80,000 MILES OVERHEATED, SEIZED AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE TIME AND REALIZED THE CAR WAS LOSING POWER AND THE THERMOSTAT GAUGE WAS ABOVE "H". I CONTACTED SUBARU PRIOR TO THE REPAIR AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS LIKELY DUE TO IMPROPER MAINTENANCE AND BESIDES, MY VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS WAS SUBARU'S RESPONSE EVEN THOUGH I REGULARLY MAINTAIN MY CAR. I DID GET THE ENGINE REPLACED AT SIGNIFICANT OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSE. LAST WEEK, WHILE TRAVELING ALONG THE INTERSTATE, MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE AGAIN WAS ON "H" AND I QUICKLY PULLED OFF THE ROAD. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WAS ON AND I IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A SUBARU MECHANIC AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE HEAD GASKET HAD FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT EXPENSE AFTER ONLY 30,000 MILES ON A FACTORY REBUILT ENGINE. ALTHOUGH I AM NOW AWARE THAT SUBARU SENT OUT A RECALL / NOTIFICATION LETTER IN FEB. 2004, I DID NOT RECEIVE ONE, APPARENTLY BECAUSE I HAVE THE TYPE OF ENGINE THAT MAY NOT BE COVERED BY THE NOTIFICATION. IT IS CLEAR FROM A REVIEW OF THIS WEBSITE THAT I AM NOT ALONE IN MY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE OUTBACK'S ENGINE AND COOLING SYSTEM, AND THE FACT THAT SUBARU IS NOT STANDING BEHIND ITS PRODUCT. *JB

THE 1999 SUBARU OUTBACK IS EQUIPPED WITH A DUAL OVERHEAD CAM ENGINE. THE TIMING BELT PULLEY FOR THE CAMS ARE MADE OF PLASTIC. MY WIFE AND 2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER HAD JUST EXITED INTERSTATE 20 NEAR ATLANTA WHEN THE ENGINE "SOUNDED LIKE AN EXPLOSION" ACCORDING TO MY WIFE. THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY LOST ALL POWER AND SEIZED, AND SHE HAD DIFFICULTY STEERING AND STOPPING THE CAR WITHOUT POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT CAM PULLEY (PLASTIC) HAD SHATTERED CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SEIZE. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON THE INTERSTATE AT SPEED, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND INJURIES. THE CAR HAD BEEN MAINTAINED, INCLUDING REPLACEMENT OF TIMING BELT AT RECOMMENDED INTERVAL. THE ENGINE IS RUINED AND REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OR REBUILDING. CAR HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY GARAGE SINCE. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP AFTER GETTING THE VEHICLE SERVICED THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT COIL SPRING FRACTURED. THIS PUNCTURED THE TIRE AND CAUSED IT TO GO FLAT IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. THE MECHANIC TOOK THE TIRE OFF AND FOUND THAT THE COIL SPRING FRACTURED. THERE WAS NHTSA RECALL, 01V216000, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP GETTING REPAIRED.