"How reliable is the 1999 Subaru Outback?"

"Based on 150 NHTSA complaints, the 1999 Subaru Outback has a median complaint mileage of 87000 miles. The most common issue is Automatic Transmission."

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

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1999 Subaru Outback is Automatic Transmission, accounting for a significant portion of the 150 total complaints filed."

1999 Subaru Outback: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 150 complaints

150

Total Complaints

87,000mi

Median Mileage

Automatic Transmission

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

47,075 25th Percentile

87,000 Median Mileage

112,310 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Automatic Transmission

Engine

Power Train

Engine And Engine Cooling

Vehicle Speed Control

Electrical System

Unknown Or Other

Manual Transmission

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Suspension

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"'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 I..."

"A NEW DESIGN CHANGE WITH THE CHIP WITHIN TRANSMISSION IS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO DOWNSHIFT WHEN APPLYING BRAKES.THERE IS NO WAY TO FIX IT AT PRESENT MOMENT. *AK"

"VEHICLE VIBRATES WHILE DRIVING."

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: 68,000 mi Median: 70,000 mi 75th: 87,000 mi

Engine 11 complaints

25th: 85,000 mi Median: 91,000 mi 75th: 115,000 mi

Power Train 7 complaints

25th: 32,250 mi Median: 43,500 mi 75th: 53,000 mi

Engine And Engine Cooling 6 complaints

25th: 49,150 mi Median: 83,200 mi 75th: 100,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 25 NY: 25 CT: 12 CO: 11 ID: 9 MN: 7 PA: 7 MA: 6 WA: 4 WI: 4

Who Files Complaints?

46.7%

Original Owners

53.3%

Second+ Owners

Subaru Outback — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1996	57	115,000	Frontal	19
1997	94	103,995	Engine	7
1998	165	91,056	Engine	13
2000	247	78,000	Tires	22
2001	207	74,999	Fuel System, Gasoline	18
2002	171	75,000	Fuel System, Gasoline	14
2003	116	74,110	Air Bags	7
2004	108	67,190	Air Bags	16
2005	353	85,000	Suspension	20
2006	404	95,316	Vehicle Speed Control	12
2007	182	83,000	Air Bags	17
2008	277	80,000	Air Bags	12
2009	141	71,396	Air Bags	2
2010	466	66,800	Power Train	20
2011	851	80,500	Power Train	35
2012	367	87,000	Power Train	18
2013	403	40,000	Engine	34
2014	275	30,500	Air Bags	26
2015	633	20,000	Visibility/Wiper	36
2016	757	34,000	Electrical System	37
2017	1091	30,000	Electrical System	55
2018	962	15,000	Electrical System	42
2019	1277	10,200	Electrical System	48
2020	1122	6,000	Visibility/Wiper	37
2021	394	3,250	Visibility/Wiper	16
2022	521	11,963	Visibility/Wiper	18
2023	118	6,000	Electrical System	15
2024	111	1,900	Visibility/Wiper	9
2025	87	1,249	Unknown Or Other	9

Active Recalls (1)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Coil Springs

Campaign 01V216000 | 25/06/2001

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.

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 AUTHORIZE

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

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Vehicle Rankings

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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