"How reliable is the 1999 Subaru Forester?"

"Based on 156 NHTSA complaints, the 1999 Subaru Forester has a median complaint mileage of 72000 miles. The most common issue is Automatic Transmission."

"What are common problems with the 1999 Subaru Forester?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1999 Subaru Forester is Automatic Transmission, accounting for a significant portion of the 156 total complaints filed."

1999 Subaru Forester: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 156 complaints

156

Total Complaints

72,000mi

Median Mileage

Automatic Transmission

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

48,700 25th Percentile

72,000 Median Mileage

96,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Automatic Transmission

Engine And Engine Cooling

Wheel Bearing

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Rear

Tires

Multiple Axle

Foundation Components

Gasoline

Engine

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT ANCHOR BOLT THAT MOUNTS IN THE INSIDE SEAT BASE CAME OUT OF ITS MOUNTING HOLE WHEN THE SEAT BELT HARNESS WAS INSERTED INTO THE RECEIVING BUCKLE. THE ENTIRE HARNESS AND ATTACHING HARDWARE THEN RETRACTED TOWARD THE DOOR HITING THE PASSENGER. UPON EXAMINATION OF THE DRIVER SID..."

"AT 60 TO 70 MPH THE CAR CAN SUDDENLY LOSES HANDLING CONTROL. IT STARTS TO BOB AND ROCK AND I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO TIP OVER. THIS OCCURRED 2 TIMES WITH 2 DIFFERENT DRIVERS. EVENTUALLY THE CAR DID STRAIGHTEN OUT AND FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO CARS AROUND SO NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED. *AK"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Automatic Transmission 14 complaints

25th: 60,350 mi Median: 74,000 mi 75th: 84,000 mi

Engine And Engine Cooling 11 complaints

25th: 52,225 mi Median: 79,924 mi 75th: 90,525 mi

Wheel Bearing 11 complaints

25th: 27,775 mi Median: 38,500 mi 75th: 56,191 mi

Rear 7 complaints

25th: 31,699 mi Median: 43,000 mi 75th: 66,943 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

NY: 23 CA: 15 PA: 11 VA: 10 OH: 10 MA: 8 NJ: 6 KY: 6 MN: 6 CO: 5

Who Files Complaints?

60.3%

Original Owners

39.7%

Second+ Owners

Subaru Forester — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1998	138	98,000	Vehicle Speed Control	9
2000	95	80,000	Wheel Bearing	7
2001	169	60,000	Vehicle Speed Control	39
2002	109	93,000	Vehicle Speed Control	29
2003	238	85,000	Fuel System, Gasoline	28
2004	268	96,000	Fuel/Propulsion System	19
2005	105	80,000	Suspension	23
2006	121	51,000	Vehicle Speed Control	20
2007	89	59,187	Suspension	16
2008	67	87,950	Suspension	8
2009	228	60,000	Air Bags	25
2010	305	60,000	Seats	28
2011	195	54,000	Engine	41
2012	139	42,513	Engine	22
2013	94	47,000	Engine	17
2014	575	50,000	Suspension	84
2015	883	42,206	Engine	89
2016	601	39,000	Air Bags	77
2017	773	30,000	Air Bags	63
2018	660	14,635	Visibility/Wiper	53
2019	1081	8,743	Visibility/Wiper	63
2020	791	6,000	Visibility/Wiper	44
2021	267	8,250	Visibility/Wiper	28
2022	132	2,900	Visibility/Wiper	11
2023	94	9,000	Unknown Or Other	10
2024	34	-	Unknown Or Other	4
2025	82	2,750	Visibility/Wiper	13

Active Recalls (1)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Master Cylinder

Campaign 99V040000 | 03/03/1999

THIS CONDITION CAUSES THE VEHICLE STOPPING DISTANCE TO BE INCREASED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A CRASH.

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER.

Extend Your Transmission Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Change transmission fluid at manufacturer intervals — not 'lifetime' fluid
Come to a full stop before shifting from reverse to drive
Don't ride the brakes on hills — use a lower gear
Check transmission fluid level and color monthly — dark fluid needs changing
Address slipping, hard shifts, or delayed engagement immediately

Vehicle Rankings

Most complained Worst transmissions Worst engines Worst brakes Most crashes Compare vehicles

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28