Illustration"FUZZY LOGIC" TRANSMISSION CONTROLLER IS DANGEROUSLY SLOW, INCONSISTENT, AND UNPREDICTABLE. SCANNING 19 INPUTS IS EXCESSIVE OVER-KILL AND REMOVES MUCH OF DRIVER'S CONTROL AND PEACE OF MIND. *NLM
2000 Subaru Outback
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2000 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
70–25K
2025–50K
2850–75K
1875–100K
22100–150K
9150K+
104 reports with mileage · 103 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 42 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 35 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
17 crash reports5 fire reports7 injury reports
What owners actually said
207 reportsTHE AIR DEFLECTOR WHICH WAS INSTALLED IN THE HOOD AREA, BECAME UNATTACHED, AND FLEW INTO THE WINDSHIELD, WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH A SPEED. *JB *TT
DURING A FRONT-END, LOW-SPEED COLLISION, I HIT MY HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL. MY SEATBELT DID NOT PROPERLY RESTRAIN ME IN MY SEAT, AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, I BROUGHT A PROBLEM TO MY DEALERS SERVICE CENTER, IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WOULD NOT PROPERLY RETRACT. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CORRECTED, …
Read full complaint
DURING A FRONT-END, LOW-SPEED COLLISION, I HIT MY HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL. MY SEATBELT DID NOT PROPERLY RESTRAIN ME IN MY SEAT, AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, I BROUGHT A PROBLEM TO MY DEALERS SERVICE CENTER, IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WOULD NOT PROPERLY RETRACT. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CORRECTED, AND I BELIEVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE SEATBELT FAILURE DURING MY ACCIDENT. *NLM
DURING A FRONT-END, LOW-SPEED COLLISION, I HIT MY HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL. MY SEATBELT DID NOT PROPERLY RESTRAIN ME IN MY SEAT, AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, I BROUGHT A PROBLEM TO MY DEALERS SERVICE CENTER, IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WOULD NOT PROPERLY RETRACT. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CORRECTED, …
Read full complaint
DURING A FRONT-END, LOW-SPEED COLLISION, I HIT MY HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL. MY SEATBELT DID NOT PROPERLY RESTRAIN ME IN MY SEAT, AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, I BROUGHT A PROBLEM TO MY DEALERS SERVICE CENTER, IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WOULD NOT PROPERLY RETRACT. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CORRECTED, AND I BELIEVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE SEATBELT FAILURE DURING MY ACCIDENT. *NLM
CLUTCH AND FLYWHEEL CAUGHT FIRE WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. CAR HAS 36000 MILES ON IT AND IS SERVICED BY THE DEALER REGULARLY. DEALER CHARGED ME $1200 TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH AND SAID THAT IT WAS MY FAULT, THAT I MUST "RIFE THE CLUTCH" OR HABITUALLY OVERLOAD THE VEHICLE, NEITHER OF WHICH IS TRUE. I SUSPECT THE CLUTCH WAS FLAWED …
Read full complaint
CLUTCH AND FLYWHEEL CAUGHT FIRE WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. CAR HAS 36000 MILES ON IT AND IS SERVICED BY THE DEALER REGULARLY. DEALER CHARGED ME $1200 TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH AND SAID THAT IT WAS MY FAULT, THAT I MUST "RIFE THE CLUTCH" OR HABITUALLY OVERLOAD THE VEHICLE, NEITHER OF WHICH IS TRUE. I SUSPECT THE CLUTCH WAS FLAWED TO BEGIN WITH. *JB
I PURCHASED NEW A 2000 SUBARU OUTBACK STATION WAGON. THE ENGINE HEAD GASKETS ARE LEAKING ALREADY. TWO SEPARATE SUBARU DEALERS AND TWO PRIVATE GARAGES TELL ME THE HEAD GASKETS ARE GOING IN THESE CARS LEFT AND RIGHT. THERE ARE LOTS OF ANGRY OWNERS ON THE WEB. THE HEAD GASKETS, VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR BECAUSE THE ENGINE MUST BE RE…
Read full complaint
I PURCHASED NEW A 2000 SUBARU OUTBACK STATION WAGON. THE ENGINE HEAD GASKETS ARE LEAKING ALREADY. TWO SEPARATE SUBARU DEALERS AND TWO PRIVATE GARAGES TELL ME THE HEAD GASKETS ARE GOING IN THESE CARS LEFT AND RIGHT. THERE ARE LOTS OF ANGRY OWNERS ON THE WEB. THE HEAD GASKETS, VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR BECAUSE THE ENGINE MUST BE REMOVED FROM THE CAR, ARE GOING WAY TOO SOON!. *JB
NAR 3-10-03 THE CONSUMERS WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY FROM THE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT. THE CONSUMER HAS ENCLOSED PICTURES OF DAMAGES AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. ALSO PROVIDING THAT A NOTICE OF FAILURE BE SENT TO SUBARU FOR THE VEHICLE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS. AS WELL AS MAKE A CLAIM AGAI…
Read full complaint
NAR 3-10-03 THE CONSUMERS WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY FROM THE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT. THE CONSUMER HAS ENCLOSED PICTURES OF DAMAGES AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. ALSO PROVIDING THAT A NOTICE OF FAILURE BE SENT TO SUBARU FOR THE VEHICLE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS. AS WELL AS MAKE A CLAIM AGAINST SUBARU. *CB *JB
THE TRANSMISSION FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE NOT TO ACCELERATE, THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED 3 TIMES.*JB
2000 SUBARU OUTBACK WAGON DEVELOPED ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILURE AT 61, 800 MILES REQUIRING EXTENSIVE REPAIRS. DEALER CLAIMED THE REASON TO BE NO COOLANT FLUSH AT THE 30,000 MILE MARK ON THE VEHICLE
TRANSMISSION FAILURE
Official recalls
103V153000 · Suspension:rear
Apr 22, 2003
THIS RECALL APPLIES TO CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. CERTAIN REAR SUSPENSION SUBFRAME COMPONENTS WERE PRODUCED WITH POOR PAINT QUALITY WHICH, AFTER CONTINUED EXPOSURE TO CORROSIVE ROAD SALTS FOR A PERIOD OF SEVERAL YEARS, COULD RESULT IN RUST-OUT OF THE COMPONENT AND POSSIBLE BREAKAGE OF THE SUBFRAME.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF SUCH BREAKAGE OCCURS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING OPERATED, CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE COULD BE AFFECTED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL CLEAN AND RUST-PROOF THE REAR SUSPENSION SUBFRAME. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JULY 14, 2003. 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.