1999 SUBARU OUTBACK Complaints

MY 1999 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK LIMITED DEVELOPED AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEM CHARACTERIZED BY HESITATION AND HARSH, ABRUPT ENGAGEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP. ORIGINALLY THE PROBLEM ONLY AROSE AS THE CAR WAS PLACED FROM PARK OR REVERSE INTO DRIVE. I TOOK IT TO ARMANDO'S SUBARU IN CANFIELD, OH AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. LATER THIS PROBLEM BECAME MORE FREQUENT AND PRONOUNCED. THE ENGINE WOULD REV UP AND THE CAR WOULD JERK WHEN THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGED. ALSO, THE PROBLEM STARTED OCCURING NOT ONLY WHEN I ORIGINALLY SET THE AT INTO GEAR, BUT ALSO FROM STOPS AFTER THE CAR WAS ALREADY IN GEAR. I WOULD SOMETIMES HAVE TO REV THE ENGINE MORE THAN ONCE TO GET IT TO ENGAGE AND IT JERKED. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE DEALER I WAS TOLD IT MIGHT BE THE CONTROL MODEL BUT PROBABLY WOULD NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS. I DID NOT FEEL THE CAR WAS SAFE ANYMORE BECAUSE I COULD NOT BE SURE WHETHER THE TRANSMISSION WOULD ENGAGE OR HESITATE WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC. INCIDENT DATE LISTED IS APPROX TIME PROBLEM FIRST DEVELOPED, IT GOT WORSE OVER TIME.

HEAD GASKET FAILED ON MY 1999 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK. THE MATERIAL ON THE GASKET IS COMPLETELY GONE IN A FEW AREAS, CAUSING LEAKAGE INTO THE ENGINE AND SUBSEQUENT ENGINE FAILURE. SUBARU SPECIALIST THAT FIXED IT SAID HE HAD REPAIRED 10 SUBARU HEAD GASKETS IN JUST THE PAST 2 WEEKS ALONE. ANOTHER FRIEND HAS A 1999 SUBARU FORESTER THAT HAD ITS HEAD GASKET FAIL WITHIN 3 WEEKS OF MINE. ACCORDING TO THE SUBARU REPAIR SPECIALIST, SUBARU DOES NOT ADMIT THE HEAD GASKET IS DEFECTIVE. 2 DAYS AFTER GETTING THE HEAD GASKET FIXED, THE ALTERNATOR FAILED AND THE CAR SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON A HIGHWAY. BARELY HAD ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO EASE THE CAR OFF THE ROAD OUT OF TRAFFIC. OH, ONE MORE THING. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THE REPAIR FACILITIES CAN'T SEEM TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG BUT THE EMISSIONS INSPECTION REPEATEDLY FAILS DUE TO THE LIGHT BEING ON.*AK

REAR WASHER PUMP TOTAL FAILURE CAR LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD WHEN PROBLEM AROSE WITH UNDER 55,000 MILES. *AK

KEYLESS ENTRY CONTROL MODULE TOTAL FAILURE. CAR IS LESS THAN 6 YEARS OLD & HAS LESS THAN 76,000 MILES. REPLACEMENT PART IS $200 + LABOR TO INSTALL. DEALER SAYS THIS IS A RARE PROBLEM. *AK

MY 1999 SUBARU OUTBACK OVERHEATED AND PROBLEM ATTRIBUTED TO CRACKED HEAD GASKET. DEALER STATES THAT 99-01 ARE COVERED AS WARRANTY DESPITE MILEAGE IF HAS A PHASE 2 ENGINE. MINE IS PHASE 1. TRYING TO DETERMINE AMOUNT OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS.*AK

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

I BOUGHT A 1999 SUBARU OUTBACK 30TH ANNIVERSARY LIMITED EDITION IN JUNE OF 1999. WITHIN SIX MONTHS, THE CAR BEGAN TO EXHIBIT CLUTCH AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I BROUGHT THIS TO THE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION OF THE SUBARU DEALER. FOR THREE YEARS THEY DENIED THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE, ALWAYS SAYING THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEMS. FINALLY IN JUNE OF 2002, I WAS ABLE TO GET A REGIONAL SERVICE SUPERVISOR TO ADMIT THAT THE CAR DEFINITELY HAD PROBLEMS. HIS FIRST SOLUTION WAS TO SUGGEST THAT I TRADE THE CAR IN ON A NEW ONE. WHEN I DECLINED, HE OFFERED TO HAVE THE CAR PROPERLY REPAIRED, AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THREE YEARS PRIOR. AFTER FOUR TRIPS TO TWO DIFFERENT SUBARU DEALERS AND AFTER SUPPOSEDLY HAVING THE ENTIRE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY REPLACED THREE TIMES, THE CAR IS IN WORSE SHAPE THAN IT EVER HAS BEEN. SUBARU HAS REFUSED TO REPAIR THE CAR, DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT'S UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT COVERS THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION. I HAVE HAD TO RETAIN AN ATTORNEY TO DEAL WITH SUBARU OF AMERICA. SUBARU CLAIMS THAT THE CAR NOW OPERATES AS DESIGNED AND THAT ANY PROBLEMS I AM NOW EXPERIENCING ARE A RESULT OF MY DRIVING HABITS. SUBARU REFUSES TO REPLACE THE CAR BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO STALL ANY REPAIRS UNTIL THE CAR PASSED THE TWO YEAR LEMON LAW EXCLUSION. THIS IS NOT THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. I HAVE HAD REPEATED BRAKE FAILURES. THE CAR WENT THROUGH A SET OF MICHELIN RADIAL TIRES IN LESS THAN 20,000 MILES. THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT IS DEFECTIVE. I HAVE EXPERIENCED REPEATED ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURES. THIS CAR CANNOT BE DRIVEN IN SNOW (CONTRARY TO SUBARU'S COMMERCIALS) BECAUSE THE TIRES BECOME COMPACTED WITH SNOW AND ARE THROWN OUT OF BALANCE. THE BRAKES ALSO BECOME COMPACTED WITH SNOW AND ICE AND HAVE FAILED REPEATEDLY, ALMOST CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY. THE RADIO ANTENNA REFUSES TO RETRACT IN COLD WEATHER. I COULD GO ON AND ON, BUT SUBARU REFUSES TO LISTEN OR REPAIR THE CAR.

I KEEP GETTING A CHIRP WHEN THE CLUTCH IS OUT; GOES AWAY WHEN IT\\'S FULLY DEPRESSED. PROBLEM IS THE THROW-OUT BEARING ASSEMBLY. SEEMS THE PINS THAT HOLD IT IN PLACE KEEP FAILING, CAUSING THE BEARING TO RUB AGAINS THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY, WEARING IT OUT PREMATURELY. IT\\'S A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR FOR SUCH A SMALL, INEXPENSIVE PART. AND IT KEEPS FAILING. FIRST AT 18,500, THEN AT 43000, THEN AGAIN AT 45000.

ENGINE OVERHEATED AFTER A 30-MINUTE TRIP. TEMP GAUGE READ NORMAL. THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP, RADIATOR, HEAD GASKET ALL OK, BUT EXHAUST VALVES AND CYLINDER WALLS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR.*AK

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