NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
1999 Subaru Outback complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1999 record →
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 DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND GOING UP A INCLINE, APPLIED THE BRAKES AND BRAKE PEDAL WAS SOFT, AND WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOORBOARD, CAUSING CONSUMER TO SLOW DOWN AND REAR END ANOTHER VEHICLE. *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
WHEN DRIVING DOWN HILL, IF YOU TOUCH THE BRAKES TO SLOW THE TRANSMISSION ABRUPTLY DOWNSHIFTS CAUSING THE CAR TO JOLT SHARPLY AND STARTLE THE DRIVER. THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT UPSHIFT UNTIL THROTTLE IS APPLIED FOR A MOMENT WHICH CAUSES YOU TO SHOOT UP ON THE CAR AHEAD. NOT APPLYING THROTTLE RESULTS IN A LOT OF ENGINE BREAKING AND HIGH RPM'S. I FEEL THIS IS VERY DISTRACTING AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IF IT HAPPENS ON A SLIPPERY SURFACE BECAUSE THE ABRUPT AND UNANTICIPATED BRAKING CVOULD CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL AND/OR SKID. THE DEALER SAYS THERE IS NO FIX - IT'S DESIGNED THAT WAY. THEY ALSO TOLD ME THEY HAD RECEIVED OTHER COMPLAINTS.
CONSUMER WAS COASTING UP A SLIGHT HILL WHEN VEHICLE TOOK OFF TO RIGHT WITH BRAKES APPLIED, CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL. *AK
COMSUMERS PANT LEG GOT CAUGHT ON A SMALL 2 INCH ROUND MECHANISM THAT STICKS OUT OF THE SIDE OPENING OF THE BACK DOOR CAUSING HER TO FALL TO THE CONCRETE RESULTING IN BRUISES. NLM
WHEEL BEARING WAS LEAKING GREASE WHEN IT WAS LUBRICATED WHICH CAUSED AN UNUSUAL NOISE. DEALER REPLACED THE SEAL FOR THE WHEEL BEARINGS. *AK
VEHICLE VIBRATES WHILE DRIVING.
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
'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 IS NOT ADVERTISING THIS FEATURE AND THE CAR WAS SOLD TO US WITH NO DISCLOSURE CONCERNING 'SLOPECONTROL'. WE HAVE NARROWLY ESCAPED TWO REAR-END COLLISIONS AND ARE SELLING THE CAR BACK AT A LOSS TO PURCHASE A SAFER STICK SHIFT.
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1999 Subaru Outback → · Every Outback year → · How the figures are calculated →