1999 Subaru Outback Problems, Recalls & Reliability
150 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1999 Subaru Outback, alongside 1 recall campaign and 0 defect investigations. It scores 20/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 68,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 1999 Subaru Outback has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 1999 sits among all Outback years
What owners report
“'slopecontrol' causes the car to downshift any time the brakes are applied on a slope of a certain pitch. This is an acceptable feature at speeds below 40 mph, but at freeway speeds the car reacts violently and decellerates to an unsafe speed with little or no warning to following traffic. Subaru…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Outback
“Engine make a noise. The dealer and technician diagnosis the piston was worn-out at premature mileages . Please provide further information. Ph”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Outback
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 69 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 87,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 60,000 and 113,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
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…
Fix: 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…
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1999 Subaru Outback reliable?
The 1999 Subaru Outback drew 150 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 20/100, scored against the model's worst year (2019).
What are the most common 1999 Subaru Outback problems?
The top reported problems for the 1999 Subaru Outback are transmission & drivetrain (32 complaints), engine (28), and suspension (13).
At what mileage do 1999 Subaru Outback problems show up?
Owners most often report 1999 Subaru Outback problems around 87,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 60,000 and 113,000 miles.
Does the 1999 Subaru Outback have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 1999 Subaru Outback. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.