FaultScore

1999 Subaru Legacy engine problems

14 of the 119 complaints about the 1999 Subaru Legacy are about the engine — 12% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 66,000 miles.

C

14

Complaints

1

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Gasoline 5 35.7%
Engine 4 28.6%
Engine 2 14.3%
Belts AND Associated Pulleys 1 7.1%
Cooling System 1 7.1%
Engine AND Engine Cooling 1 7.1%

Engine & Cooling across every Subaru Legacy year

1993 17 4.3%
1995 18 4.5%
1996 24 6.0%
1997 34 8.5%
1998 30 7.5%
1999 14 3.5%
2000 18 4.5%
2001 14 3.5%
2002 13 3.3%
2003 13 3.3%
2005 34 8.5%
2006 20 5.0%
2007 10 2.5%
2010 35 8.8%
2011 28 7.0%
2012 23 5.8%
2013 20 5.0%
2015 24 6.0%
2018 10 2.5%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 175,000 miles NEW Palestine, IN

ENGINE

LEAKING COOLANT AND REPLACED RADIATOR, THERMOSTAT AND STILL LEAKING AND STARTED TO OVERHEAD. FOUND OUT IT WAS HEAD BASKETS AND DID RESEARCH ON RECALLS FOR THIS YEAR MAKE AND MODEL. FOUND OUT ON FORUMS THAT THERE WERE MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH BOTH TYPES OF ENGINES THAT YEAR THE SINGLE AND DUAL OVERHEAD CAM ENGINES AND ALL AROUND THE SAME MILEAGE, BUT ONLY THE SINGLE OVERHEAD CAM ENGINE HAD THE RECALL. I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE DUAL OVERHEAD CAM ENGINE AS WELL.

NHTSA complaint #11054207 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 141,000 miles Ashland, OR

ENGINE

STARTED NOTICING A PROBLEM WHEN COMING DOWN A LONG, STEEP HILL WITH EXTENSIVE SHUDDERING WHEN BRAKING. WHEN I GOT INTO TOWN, THERE WAS A EVEN MORE SHUDDERING WHEN COMING TO A STOP AT A RED LIGHT. I HAD TO PULL ON THE PARKING BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR. WHEN WE STARTED UP AGAIN, IT PULLED VERY HARD SO WE PULLED OVER AND WHEN I PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL, THE ENGINE RACED UP ABOVE 4,000 RPM. I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, BUT WHEN IT WAS STARTED AGAIN, IT RACED AGAIN. I EASED IT SAFELY HOME A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY WITH THE UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION PROBLEM CONTINUING.

NHTSA complaint #10668510 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Pulteney, NY

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I RECENTLY BOUGHT A USED 1999 SUBARU LEGACY WAGON. THE PREVIOUS OWNER TOLD ME THERE WAS AN OIL LEAK THAT RESULTED FROM THE OIL FILTER FRACTURING. THIS CAUSED SMOKE TO COME FROM OIL BURNING ON THE HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD. AFTER OWNING THE CAR FOR A FEW DAYS, I HAD THE OIL CHANGED AND NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE STILL SMOKES AROUND THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AFTER DRIVING IT. I CAN ALSO HEAR OIL DRIPPING FROM THE FILTER ONTO THE MANIFOLD. WHILE ONLINE REVIEWING MY CAR INSURANCE, I NOTICED THAT THIS VERY PROBLEM IS A RECALL DEFECT. I FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS AND CALLED SUBARU ABOUT THIS. THE REPRESENTATIVE NAMED PATRICIA SAID THAT THERE WAS NO RECALLS FOR THIS VEHICLE AND QUICKLY ENDED THE CONVERSATION. I KNOW THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE AND NEED THIS ADDRESSED. MY WIFE AND BABY RIDE IN THIS CAR. THE RECALL # IS -98V127000. THANK YOU.

NHTSA complaint #10253222 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Wapaoneta, OH

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

CAR OVERHEATED RANDOMLY. HAVE REPLACED RADIATOR, WATER PUMP, 3 THERMOSTATS, HEAD GASKETS, AND HAD HEADS MACHINED AT SHOP. STILL OVERHEATED AND DIED FREQUENTLY. HAD IT TO MECHANIC MULTIPLE TIMES. EACH TIME THEY SAY IT WAS FIXED. BEING TOWED BACK TO REPAIR SHOP TODAY BECAUSE IT WON'T EVEN START NOW.

NHTSA complaint #10186451 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Kensington, MD

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID #98V127000 CONCERNING THE ENGINE. THIS CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL, BUT HIS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #10142699 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 40,000 miles Traverse City, MI

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

CAR HESITATES TO ACCELERATE UNTIL 2500 RPM, THEN JUMPS.

NHTSA complaint #10114821 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 66,000 miles Jonesborough, TN

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS

COMPLAINED SEVERAL TIMES TO DEALER THAT CAR HAD NO POWER, POOR GAS MILEAGE, HESITATION UPON STARTING OUT, MOTOR FELL APART AT 66,000 MILES ON INTERSTATE. CAR, ALTHOUGH A NEW MOTOR, CONTINUES TO HAVE NO POWER, POOR GAS MILEAGE, HESITATION UPON STARTING OUT. WHAT'S GOING TO KEEP THE MOTOR FROM BLOWING UP AGAIN, AND MAYBE WE BE KILLED. O2 AND PT SENSORS CONTINUES TO BLOW. SUNROOF WILL NOT OPEN;ADVISED A NEW ONE WOULD BE $975. SUNROOF COMPLAINT AT 13,680 MILES.

NHTSA complaint #10039507 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 66,000 miles Jonesborough, TN

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

COMPLAINED SEVERAL TIMES TO DEALER THAT CAR HAD NO POWER, POOR GAS MILEAGE, HESITATION UPON STARTING OUT, MOTOR FELL APART AT 66,000 MILES ON INTERSTATE. CAR, ALTHOUGH A NEW MOTOR, CONTINUES TO HAVE NO POWER, POOR GAS MILEAGE, HESITATION UPON STARTING OUT. WHAT'S GOING TO KEEP THE MOTOR FROM BLOWING UP AGAIN, AND MAYBE WE BE KILLED. O2 AND PT SENSORS CONTINUES TO BLOW. SUNROOF WILL NOT OPEN;ADVISED A NEW ONE WOULD BE $975. SUNROOF COMPLAINT AT 13,680 MILES.

NHTSA complaint #10039507 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Waterbury, CT

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER SAID I HAD A BURNED CYLINDER. THIS WAS AT 108,000 MILES. A SECOND MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT MISFIRING IN CYLINDER NO. 4 WAS OCCURRING AND FURTHER STATED THAT COMPRESSION IN ALL FOUR CYLINDERS WAS BELOW SPECIFICIATIONS. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE DEFECT OCCURRED DURING MANUFACTURING AND WAS NOT A RESULT OF ANYTHING I DID OR DID NOT DO TO THE CAR. SUBARU OF AMERICAN CONTACTED AND OFFERED $1,000 TOWARD A NEW CAR, BUT SAID OTHERWISE IT WAS MY PROBLEM BECAUSE THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY.

NHTSA complaint #762553 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Elkins, WV

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #761045 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

South Lake Tahoe, CA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

VEHICLE LEAKS OIL, AND THE OIL FLAWS ALL OVER ENGINE. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #890603 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Evansville, IN Crash

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

CAR HAS PULLED TO THE RIGHT SINCE PURCHASE. PURCHASED VEHICLE LATE SEPT., 1998. AC DID NOT WORK VERY WELL, BUT WEATHER WAS COOL AND IT WAS NOT A PRESSING ISSUE. THE FOLLOWING SPRING/SUMMER, TOOK IN FOR REPAIRS TO DEALER IN EVANSVILLE. AC STILL WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. ACCIDENT 5/19/99 WHERE I REAR-ENDED A VAN AT APPROX. 20 MPH., AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. AC STILL ONLY WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. ON 9/17/99, AFTER DRIVING THE CAR APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES AT 65 MPH, I NOTICED THE TEMP GAUGE WAS ABOVE THE "H" AND PULLED OVER. THE CAR DIED AND NEVER RESTARTED. OVERHEATED TO THE EXTENT THAT AFTER ENGINE DIED, SMOKE BILLOWED OUT THE EXHAUST/TAIL PIPE AND OVER 3 HOURS AFTER THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF, RADIATOR FLUID STILL BOILED OVER WHEN ADDED. DEALER UNABLE TO PROVIDE EXPLANATION FOR OVERHEATING OR AC PROBLEMS. SUBARU REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE HAS REFUSED TO RETURN MY CALLS FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REPAIRS.

NHTSA complaint #712565 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Glenview, IL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

REPEATED COLD ENGINE HESITATION; HAZARDOUS WHEN TURNING ONTO BUSY STREET.

NHTSA complaint #710639 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bothell, WA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO CRACKED #2 PISTON; CROSS MEMBER WAS MIS-MANUFACTURED-CAMBER COULD NOT BE ADJUSTED TO SPEC.

NHTSA complaint #707825 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1999 Subaru Legacy problems

← Full 1999 Subaru Legacy report