Your vehicle report

1999 Subaru Legacy

The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.

NHTSA data through October 2026View original NHTSA data Change vehicle

Your vehicle at a glance

Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.

Owner complaints
94
Received Nov 1998 to Sep 2019
Official recalls listed
3
Naming this model year; check your VIN for applicability
BrakeNews flagged problems
0
Statistical signals, not official defect findings or recalls

Owner reports

Most reported problems

  1. 1
    Airbags fail to deploy in crashes9 complaints · 9.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
  2. 2
    Unintended acceleration despite braking9 complaints · 9.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
  3. 3
    Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips8 complaints · 8.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
See all reported problems

Official NHTSA records

Recalls to check

  • Recall #01V216000Vehicle 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.
  • Recall #99V040000Vehicle description: passenger and sport utility vehicles equipped with anti-lock braking system (ABS). (the 1999 2.2 liter legacy vehicles are excluded). In extremely cold weather, the brake pedal goes to the floor and the vehicle stopping distance is increased.
View recall details

BrakeNews signals

Flagged complaint patterns

Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.

No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.

How flags are identified

Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 18 crashes, 1 fire, 12 people injured, 0 deaths.

Explore by system

Where do owners report problems?

Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.

Schematic car with five system shortcutsGeneric side view, with the front on the left. Numbered links explore engine, brakes, steering, electrical, and body complaints. Text controls below provide the same choices.12345FRONTSCHEMATIC VIEW

Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.

View selected problems

Showing all 9 listed problems by system.

Engine & powertrain

1 more problem

Brakes

Electrical & lights

Airbags, belts & seats

Steering, suspension & tires

Body, doors & glass

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Driver assistance

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Other

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Complaint history

When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.

Complaints received about the 1999 Subaru Legacy
24
Show as a table
YearComplaints
19981
199924
20009
20017
200213
20039
20044
20055
20061
20073
20084
20092
20102
20112
20122
20130
20143
20151
20160
20171
20180
20191
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 (to Oct 2026)0
Total94

Problems owners report

Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.

ProblemComplaintsShareShare ratioStatus
Airbags fail to deploy in crashes99.6%–
Unintended acceleration despite braking99.6%–
Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips88.5%–
Instrument cluster or speedometer fails55.3%–
Tires blow out or tread separates44.3%–
Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline44.3%–
Seat belt fails to latch or retract33.2%–
Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines33.2%–NHTSA recall #99V040000
Transmission fails or loses power while driving33.2%–

AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.

Recalls

  • NHTSA recall #01V216000June 25, 2001180,000 vehicles affected

    suspension: front: springs: coil springs

    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.

    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.

  • NHTSA recall #99V040000March 3, 1999221,987 vehicles affected

    service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder

    Vehicle description: passenger and sport utility vehicles equipped with anti-lock braking system (ABS). (the 1999 2.2 liter Legacy vehicles are excluded). In extremely cold weather, the brake pedal goes to the floor and the vehicle stopping distance is increased.

    This condition causes the vehicle stopping distance to be increased, possibly resulting in a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder.

  • NHTSA recall #98V127000June 8, 199820,306 vehicles affected

    engine and engine cooling: engine

    Vehicle description: passenger vehicles, also service parts supplied to Subaru dealers are involved (lot numbers F01 J21D2, F01 J30D2, F02 J09D1, F02 J09D2, and F02 J20D1). The purolator oil filter cans used on these vehicles Can fracture causing a vaporized oil spray and subsequent oil leak.

    This vaporized oil spray Can result in oil vapor ignition by the hot exhaust system resulting in a possible underhood fire.

    Remedy

    Dealers will inspect and replace these engine oil filters.

Other model years

About this data

NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1999 Subaru Legacy.

Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.

Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN