IllustrationSPEEDOMETER INTERMITTENTLY FAILS ABOUT 25% OF THE TIME. ODOMETER STOPS ALSO. THERE IS NO PATTERN TO WHEN IT FAILS OR UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS. UNABLE TO DETERMINE SPEED ACCURATELY. REPAIR NOT YET DONE. SUBARU IS CHARGING FOR THIS REPAIR. *NM
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
Vehicle Speed Control complaints
9 reportsDT: CALLER SPEEDOMETER HEAD IS BROKEN OR THERE IS SOMETHING BROKE INSIDE. CALLED DEALER SAID SUBARU SAID THEY NEW THERE IS PROBLEM WITH THAT MODEL AND SPEEDOMETER HEAD. SUBARU WAS NOT GOING TO RECALL DUE TO NOT BEING A SAFETY CONCERN. *AK SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER OPERATES SPORADICALLY AT TIMES RECORDING SPEED AND MILEAGE, O…
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DT: CALLER SPEEDOMETER HEAD IS BROKEN OR THERE IS SOMETHING BROKE INSIDE. CALLED DEALER SAID SUBARU SAID THEY NEW THERE IS PROBLEM WITH THAT MODEL AND SPEEDOMETER HEAD. SUBARU WAS NOT GOING TO RECALL DUE TO NOT BEING A SAFETY CONCERN. *AK SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER OPERATES SPORADICALLY AT TIMES RECORDING SPEED AND MILEAGE, OTHER TIMES NOT AT ALL. *SB
BIG HESITATION (CAR IS WARMED UP) WHEN STARTING AGAIN FROM STOP WHEN TURNING LEFT ACROSS TRAFFIC. IF I DON'T ALLOW 3X NORMAL DISTANCE I'D GET SLAMMED. I START WITH A SLOW STEADY DEPRESSION OF ACCELERATOR AND END UP HAVING TO PUT IT TO THE FLOOR FOR IT TO EVEN MOVE. DEALER KEEPS TELLING ME THEY COULDN'T DUPLI9CATE AND NOTHING …
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BIG HESITATION (CAR IS WARMED UP) WHEN STARTING AGAIN FROM STOP WHEN TURNING LEFT ACROSS TRAFFIC. IF I DON'T ALLOW 3X NORMAL DISTANCE I'D GET SLAMMED. I START WITH A SLOW STEADY DEPRESSION OF ACCELERATOR AND END UP HAVING TO PUT IT TO THE FLOOR FOR IT TO EVEN MOVE. DEALER KEEPS TELLING ME THEY COULDN'T DUPLI9CATE AND NOTHING IS WRONG. SUBARU.COM JUST BLEW ME OFF AND TOLD ME TO GO BACK TO DEALER. I'M AFRAID ONE DAY IT WON'T MOVE AT ALL; AND I BELIEVE IN PREVENTION WITH A CAPITAL P. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE DAY I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT.*AK
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT 70MPH WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON, HAD TO APPLY BRAKES BECAUSE OF A SLOW MOVING VEHICLE IN FRONT. VEHICLE LOCKED AND THE RPMS SHOT UP HIGH, AND SHIFTED INTO A LOWER GEAR. SHUT OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL AT THIS TIME, AND IT WAS STILL LOCKED INTO THAT MODE.*AK
ON TWO OCCASIONS VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. FIRST TIME WHILE APPLYING BRAKES AND COMING TO A STOP LIGHT, AND SECOND TIME WHILE IN REVERSE. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHENEVER BRAKES ARE APPLIED THERE IS SUDDEN ACCELERATION. (CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT USED). DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. *AK
BRAKE PEDAL AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL ARE SO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER THAT WHEN STEPPING ONE OF THE PEDALS, CONSUMER IS APPLYING BOTH PEDALS AT THE SAME TIME. *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES DRIVER'S FOOT CAN HIT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND APPLY BOTH BY MISTAKE. DEALER SAYS ITS PART OF DESIGN AND NOTHING CAN BE DONE. *AK
CONSUMER WAS COASTING UP A SLIGHT HILL WHEN VEHICLE TOOK OFF TO RIGHT WITH BRAKES APPLIED, CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL. *AK
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.