IllustrationWHEN INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND DOORS ARE LOCKED FROM INSIDE OF VEHICLE, DOORS WILL OPEN WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. DOORS ON DRIVER'S SIDE WILL OPEN. PASSENGER'S SIDE DOORS ARE DOING SAMETHING. DEALERSHIP FIXED DEFECT THE FIRST TIME, BUT VEHICLE IS STILL HAVING SAME PROBLEM. *AK
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 reportsWHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH BUG DEFLECTOR, A PIECE OF EQUIPTMENT THATIS ATTACHED TO FRONT OF HOOD WITH SOME LITTLE CLIPS, FLEW OFF CRACKING WINDSHIELD OF VEHICLE IN REAR. SUBARU HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK
WHILE AT DRIVEWAY PUT VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND JUST TAPPED ACCELERATOR PEDAL, AND ENGINE OVER ACCELERATED, CAUSING CONSUMER TO CRASH INTO DRIVEWAY.*AK *SLC
WHEN DISENGAGING THE SEAT BELT, OR WHEN MOVING FORWARD THEN BACK, THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR IS SUPPOSED TO TAKE UP THE SLACK. AS THE BELT RETRACTS IT HAS A TENDENCY TO CURL UP AND GET JAMMED IN THE GUIDE LOOP ABOVE MY SHOULDER. SO MY DRIVING IS DISTRACTED BECAUSE I AM TRYING TO UNJAM THE BELT. I HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO SUBAR…
Read full complaint
WHEN DISENGAGING THE SEAT BELT, OR WHEN MOVING FORWARD THEN BACK, THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR IS SUPPOSED TO TAKE UP THE SLACK. AS THE BELT RETRACTS IT HAS A TENDENCY TO CURL UP AND GET JAMMED IN THE GUIDE LOOP ABOVE MY SHOULDER. SO MY DRIVING IS DISTRACTED BECAUSE I AM TRYING TO UNJAM THE BELT. I HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO SUBARU AND THE DEALER AND THEIR RESPONSE IS THAT THERE IS NO FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. SEVERAL OF THEM SAY THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS 80% OF THE TIME. I HAVE ALSO SEEN BELTS JAMMED IN OTHER SUBARUS. *AK
ON THREE OCCASSIONS, WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE WITH FOOT APPLIED TO BRAKES, VEHICLE ACCELERATED 5- 10 FEET, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
AFTER PUTTING 1000 MILES ON THE TIRES THE CONSUMER NOTICED A DARK BROWN RING ABOUT 1 INCH FROM THE TOP OF THE OUTSIDE TREAD WALL, FIRESTONE COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM AND OFFERED TO REPLACED THAT TIRE, THE CONSUMER DECIDED TO REPLACE ALL TIRES WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND(FIRESTONE WILDERNESS TIRES P225/60R16 97H M+S). NLM
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE DESIGN OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM ALLOWS FOR EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL AND FORCE TO ACTIVATE THE BRAKES IN NORMAL USE COMPARED TO OTHER VEHICLES, THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL OPERATIONAL AND WITHIN THE MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATION. *MJS
TAIL LIGHTS LEAKS LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER. IN COLD WEATHER TAIL LIGHTS BULBS WOULD BLOW. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
VEHICLE SHIMMIED WHEN ICE DEVELOPED UNDER CARRIAGE.*AK
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.