IllustrationMY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ABOUT 65 MPH, THE HOOD FLEW OPEN SMASHED THE WINDSHIELD, SHE CROSSED A LANE OF TRAFFIC WENT INTO THE DITCH, HIT HER HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND RECEIVED A MILD CONCUSSION. *TR
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
Latches/locks/linkages complaints
5 reportsTHE HOOD FLEW OPEN WHILE I WAS DRIVING 65 MPH. THIS CAR HAD NOT RECENTLY HAD ITS OIL CHANGED OR ITS HOOD OPENED. THE HOOD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, AS WELL AS THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. *NM
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 CO…
Read full complaint
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
THE TRUNK DOOR ON MY SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK STATION WAGON WILL NOT OPEN. ONCE YOU LOCK IT, YOU CAN NOT OPEN IT AGAIN UNLESS YOU JIGGLE THE LOCK OVER AND OVER WITH THE KEY. THIS IS A VERY FRUSTRATING FAILURE BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE A STATION WAGON, A WORKING TRUNK DOOR IS VITAL. I WAS TOLD BY A SUBARU DEALER THAT IT WOULD COST AB…
Read full complaint
THE TRUNK DOOR ON MY SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK STATION WAGON WILL NOT OPEN. ONCE YOU LOCK IT, YOU CAN NOT OPEN IT AGAIN UNLESS YOU JIGGLE THE LOCK OVER AND OVER WITH THE KEY. THIS IS A VERY FRUSTRATING FAILURE BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE A STATION WAGON, A WORKING TRUNK DOOR IS VITAL. I WAS TOLD BY A SUBARU DEALER THAT IT WOULD COST ABOUT $300 TO $400 TO FIX SO I HAVE DELAYED FIXING IT BECAUSE I CAN SOMETIMES WORK ON IT AND GET IT TO OPEN. WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, HE TOLD ME HE HAD 3 TO 4 OTHER SUBARU OWNERS COME IN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WHICH HE IS NOT CAPABLE OF FIXING. APPARENTLY, THE BACK INSIDE PANEL HAS TO BE REMOVED AND A BODY SHOP HAS TO DO THE WORK. YESTERDAY, I WAS AT A SUPERMARKET PARKING LOT TRYING TO OPEN THE BACK WHEN A COUPLE APPROACHED ME AND TOLD ME THEY HAD TO REPLACE THEIR LOCK BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T OPEN. THEY HAVE A SUBARU STATION WAGON ALSO (I DON'T KNOW THE YEAR, BUT IT WAS NOT BRAND NEW) I BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE MOTOR OR LOCK. *B
THE HOOD LATCH OF MY 1999 OUTBACK IS FAULTY. TOOK IT BACK 2 X TO BE REPAIRED. THEY LOOKED AT MY LIKE I WAS CRAZY. THEY "CLEANED" THE LATCH ON 1/6/04, THEN THE PROBLEM HAPPENED 1 WEEK LATER WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY. I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPT. AND INSISTED ON A REPLACEMENT HOOD LATCH. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 1/21, THE …
Read full complaint
THE HOOD LATCH OF MY 1999 OUTBACK IS FAULTY. TOOK IT BACK 2 X TO BE REPAIRED. THEY LOOKED AT MY LIKE I WAS CRAZY. THEY "CLEANED" THE LATCH ON 1/6/04, THEN THE PROBLEM HAPPENED 1 WEEK LATER WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY. I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPT. AND INSISTED ON A REPLACEMENT HOOD LATCH. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 1/21, THE "TIGHTENED THE CABLE", LESS THAN 24 HRS. LATER THE HOOD LATCH OPENED AGAIN. WHEN THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS CALLED, HE TOLD MY HUSBAND "WELL, WE DIDN'T CHARGE HER ANYTHING!". TODAY, 1/23 THE HOOD OPENED AGAIN. WHEN TALKING ABOUT THIS TO A COWORKER SHE STATED THIS ALSO HAPPENED TO HER OUTBACK LAST YEAR. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE. *LA
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.