Your vehicle report
1997 Subaru Outback
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 79
- Received Jul 1997 to Oct 2012
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Head gasket leaks coolant into engine13 complaints · 16% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines7 complaints · 8.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail4 complaints · 5.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
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 #98V091000Vehicle description: passenger station wagon, sedan and sport utility vehicles. Due to improper welding, fractures can occur on the support bracket of the front transverse link.
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 identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 7 crashes, 2 fires, 2 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.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 7 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Head gasket leaks coolant into engine
- Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
1 more problem
Brakes
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
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.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 6 |
| 1998 | 10 |
| 1999 | 11 |
| 2000 | 4 |
| 2001 | 7 |
| 2002 | 6 |
| 2003 | 6 |
| 2004 | 9 |
| 2005 | 5 |
| 2006 | 5 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 6 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 79 |
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.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 13 | 16% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 7 | 8.9% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 4 | 5.1% | – | |
| Hood latch fails and hood flies open | 4 | 5.1% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 4 | 5.1% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 3 | 3.8% | – | |
| Timing chain fails and destroys engine | 3 | 3.8% | – |
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 #98V091000May 4, 199829,442 vehicles affected
suspension: front: springs: leaf spring assembly: hanger,bracket
Vehicle description: passenger station wagon, sedan and sport utility vehicles. Due to improper welding, fractures Can occur on the support bracket of the front transverse link.
Such fractures Can result in partial or complete separation of the bracket causing a failure of the lower suspension mounting, leading to a loss of vehicle control.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace if necessary the front suspension support brackets.
NHTSA recall #98V035000February 20, 199861,115 vehicles affected
vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The throttle shaft ball bearing on the sensor side of the throttle body assembly was not installed in certain throttle bodies.
Operation of a vehicle with a missing throttle shaft bearing Can eventuallly lead to an incomplete return of the throttle valve resulting in a high idling condition.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the throttle body and replace the throttle assembly if the bearing is missing.
NHTSA recall #98V042000February 20, 199819,386 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (prndl)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. Due to poor welds, ignition keys Can stick, shift levers/linkages Can break and shift levers Can move.
This condition Can cause unexpected movement of the vehicle increasing the risk of a crash or property damage.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the automatic transmission shift lever assemblies (except the handle grip).
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 1997 Subaru Outback.
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