Your vehicle report
2000 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
- 207
- Received Sep 1999 to Jan 2018
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Tires blow out or tread separates30 complaints · 14% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Head gasket leaks coolant into engine25 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline13 complaints · 6.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #03V153000This recall applies to certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Certain rear suspension subframe components were produced with poor paint quality which, after continued exposure to corrosive road salts for a period of several years, could result in rust-out of the component and possible breakage of the subframe.
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: 17 crashes, 5 fires, 7 people injured, 3 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 17 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
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
Steering, suspension & tires
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 |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 4 |
| 2000 | 33 |
| 2001 | 18 |
| 2002 | 21 |
| 2003 | 36 |
| 2004 | 25 |
| 2005 | 18 |
| 2006 | 6 |
| 2007 | 6 |
| 2008 | 8 |
| 2009 | 5 |
| 2010 | 5 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 4 |
| 2014 | 5 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 207 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 30 | 14% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 25 | 12% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 13 | 6.3% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 11 | 5.3% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 9 | 4.3% | – | NHTSA recall #03V153000 |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 9 | 4.3% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 8 | 3.9% | – | |
| Manual clutch wears out or fails early | 8 | 3.9% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 7 | 3.4% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 6 | 2.9% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 5 | 2.4% | – | |
| Suspension struts and shocks wear out early | 5 | 2.4% | – | |
| Transmission will not engage reverse gear | 4 | 1.9% | – | |
| Vehicle rolls backward out of park | 4 | 1.9% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 3 | 1.5% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 3 | 1.5% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 3 | 1.5% | – |
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 #03V153000April 22, 2003170,000 vehicles affected
suspension: rear
This recall applies to certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Certain rear suspension subframe components were produced with poor paint quality which, after continued exposure to corrosive road salts for a period of several years, could result in rust-out of the component and possible breakage of the subframe.
If such breakage occurs while the vehicle is being operated, control of the vehicle could be affected, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will clean and rust-proof the rear suspension subframe. Owner notification began july 14, 2003. 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.
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 2000 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