1999 Subaru OUTBACK: complaints, problems and recalls

JAN 6, 2003 (YOUR WEB SITE WON'T LET ME SELECT THE CURRENT YEAR, SO I SELECTED 2002, THE LAST AVAILABLE DATE THAT CAN BE SELECTED, BELOW) I OWN A 1999 SUBARU OUTBACK. IT CURRENTLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 43,000 MILES ON IT. THE CLUTCH MECHANISM HAS FAILED TWICE, ONCE AT 18,651 AND ONCE AT 42,500. BOTH TIMES THE THROW-OUT BEARING FAILED. I'VE OWNED 8 CARS AND DRIVEN THEM IN 10 STATES AND THREE PROVINCES. I'VE DRIVEN IN THE DESERT, THE MOUNTAINS AND BY THE OCEAN WITH MOST OF THESE CARS. IN ALL CASES, I'VE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A CLUTCH BELOW …

Owner-reported narrative. 43,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000758 at NHTSA ↗

THERE ARE SEVERAL ISSUES GOING ON WITH MY 1999 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK VEHICLE: 1) THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON WHEN THE FUEL GAUGE DROPS DOWN TO EMPTY ALTHOUGH THE GAS TANK WAS JUST FILLED WITH GAS. 2) THE FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT READ CORRECT. AFTER THE GAS TANK IS FULL, THE GAUGE FLUCTUATES BACK AND FORTH (SOMETIMES THE GAUGE READS NEAR EMPTY, SOMETIMES THE GAUGE READS 3/4 OF THE TANK FULL) WHEN OPERATING THE VEHICLE. 3) THE CAR DID NOT PASS THE CALIFORNIA SMOG TEST. 4) THE RPM GAUGE DOES NOT STAY CONSTANT WHILE DRIVING AT AN EVEN SPEED. ON…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10005527 at NHTSA ↗

ENGINE MAKE A NOISE. THE DEALER AND TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSIS THE PISTON WAS WORN-OUT AT PREMATURE MILEAGES . PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. PH

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10005918 at NHTSA ↗

WE HAVE AN AUTO REPAIR GARAGE, AND WE HAVE SEEN A RECURRING PROBLEM ON 1999 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK CARS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS. THESE CARS DEVELOP A "TWEETY" CLUTCH RELEASE BEARING. WHEN WE GO IN TO REPLACE THE BEARING, WE HAVE FOUND THAT ONE OF THE TWO CLIPS FOR THE BEARING IS ALWAYS MISSING. THIS IS WHAT CAUSES THE BEARING TO GO BAD PREMATURELY. EACH TIME WE FIND THE SAME THING. ONE OF THE CLIPS ON THE CLUTCH RELEASE BEARING HAD BROKEN, CAUSING THE BEARING TO SIT CROOKED. THIS THEN ALLOWED THE CLUTCH RELEASE BEARING TO WEAR A GROOVE ON …

Owner-reported narrative. 100,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007850 at NHTSA ↗

ONLY THREE MONTHS AFTER MY PURCHASE THE CAR DEVELOPED A NOISE. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC WHO RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE CLUTCH RELEASE BEARING. I WAS SHOCKED THAT THIS PIECE HAD GONE BAD SO EARLY, AND I COULDN''T UNDERSTAND WHY. I AUTHORIZED THE REPAIRS, AND AS THEY BEGAN WORKING ON IT THEY DISCOVERED WHY IT HAD GONE BAD PREMATURELY. ONE OF THE CLIPS ON THE CLUTCH RELEASE BEARING HAD BROKEN, CAUSING THE BEARING TO SIT CROOKED. THIS THEN ALLOWED THE CLUTCH RELEASE BEARING TO WEAR A GROOVE ON THE SNOUT THAT THE BEARING RIDES ON. THE BEARING WA…

Owner-reported narrative. 68,105 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007852 at NHTSA ↗

CLUTCH CHIRPS LIKE A BIRD WHEN OUT, IS SILENT WHEN FULLY DEPRESSED. DIAGNOSIS: BAD THROW OUT BEARING. THIS IS THE THIRD CLUTCH IN THIS CAR FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM. THE FIRST AT APPROXIMATELY 18,000 MILES; THE SECOND AT APPROXIMATELY 43,000, AND NOW AGAIN JUST 1500 MILES LATER! CLUTCH ACTUALLY DISENGAGED PERMANENTLY ON THE SHOP FLOOR WHILE THE DEALER WAS EXAMINING THE CAR -- HE WAS POKING AROUND THE BEARING AND IT "FELL OUT" OF ALIGNMENT, COMPLETELY PREVENTING THE CLUTCH FROM WORKING. THIS COULD'VE HAPPENED TO ME ON THE ROAD, WHILE DRIVING.*J…

Owner-reported narrative. 44,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10008359 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT WHEN THE CAR JOLTED TO A STOP. THE MECHANIC SAID THE WIRES HOLDING POWER HARNESS IN PLACE HAD BROKEN AT AN EARLIER POINT IN TIME. THIS CAUSED THE POWER HARNESS TO SHIFT TO REST ON TOP OF THE SWAY BAR. THE CONSTANT RUBBING AGAINST THE SWAY BAR CAUSED 3 WIRES TO SHORT, BLOWING ALL FUSES AND THE COMPUTER MODULE. A SUBARU REP SAID THERE WAS ONE OTHER CASE LIKE THIS IN THE UP OF MICHIGAN. BUT HE BLAMED PACKED SNOW IN THE WHEEL WELLS. THIS DOES NOT MAKE SENSE IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS IN MAY. SUBARU ALSO CONFIRMED HAD …

Owner-reported narrative. 40,493 miles reported. Look up ODI 10009361 at NHTSA ↗

SUNROOF SHATTERED AND FELL ON DRIVER AND PASSENGER. NO ROCKS WERE PRESENT, NOR ANY WIND. IT SIMPLY EXPLODED.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10016850 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2001-06-25 (June 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: 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.