2000 Subaru Outback Problems and Recalls (182 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2000 Subaru Outback is Engine (20% of 182 owner reports). There are 2 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Engine — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 182 complaints · 2 recalls

What problems show up on the 2000 Subaru Outback?

36 of 182 filings named Engine (20% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Transmission / driveline (34 reports).

There are 2 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Suspension and Fuel system. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 1999 has 110 reports on file; this year has 182. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2000 Subaru Outback

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 2 campaigns on file below.
  2. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  3. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  4. Suspension. Listen for clunks over bumps and look at tire wear for alignment issues.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Engine. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Engine 36 complaints · 19.8% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 14
  • Fires 4
  • Injuries 7
  • Deaths 2
All Subaru Outback years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Engine (ENGINE) appears in 36 of 182 owner complaints (19.8%) in this vehicle snapshot. Engine (ENGINE): 36 complaints, 19.8% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 2 fire reports 36 · 19.8% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 34 complaints, 18.7% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 fire reports 34 · 18.7% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 21 complaints, 11.5% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 21 · 11.5% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 14 complaints, 7.7% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 4 crash reports 14 · 7.7% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 12 complaints, 6.6% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 12 · 6.6% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 11 complaints, 6.0% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 4 crash reports 11 · 6.0% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 9 complaints, 5.0% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 9 · 5.0% Tires (TIRES): 7 complaints, 3.9% of reports Tires (TIRES) 1 fire reports 7 · 3.9% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 6 complaints, 3.3% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 1 crash reports 6 · 3.3% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 125 complaints, 68.7% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 10 crash reports 1 fire reports 125 · 68.7% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Engine (ENGINE) 36 19.8% 0 crashes · 2 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 34 18.7% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 21 11.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 14 7.7% 4 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 12 6.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 11 6.0% 4 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 9 5.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Tires (TIRES) 7 3.9% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 6 3.3% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 125 68.7% 10 crashes · 1 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 1999; the first recall shown was reported in Apr 2003. 1999-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 1999-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2000-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2000-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2000-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2000-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2001-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2001-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2001-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2001-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2002-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2002-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2002-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2002-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2003-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2003-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2003-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2003-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2004-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2004-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2004-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2004-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2005-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2005-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2005-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2005-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2006-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2006-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2007-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2008-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2010-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2010-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 Owner reports Jul 1999 Jan 2018 Recall campaign 03V153000 ◆ Recall campaign 03V153000 Recall campaign 13E065000 ◆ Recall campaign 13E065000
  • Campaign 03V153000 was reported 1,249 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 13E065000 was reported 3,462 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1999-Q3 Owner reports 1
1999-Q4 Owner reports 3
2000-Q1 Owner reports 1
2000-Q2 Owner reports 2
2000-Q3 Owner reports 9
2000-Q4 Owner reports 5
2001-Q1 Owner reports 8
2001-Q2 Owner reports 1
2001-Q3 Owner reports 4
2001-Q4 Owner reports 1
2002-Q1 Owner reports 6
2002-Q2 Owner reports 6
2002-Q3 Owner reports 3
2002-Q4 Owner reports 3
2003-Q1 Owner reports 9
2003-Q2 Owner reports 3
2003-Q3 Owner reports 14
2003-Q4 Owner reports 9
2004-Q1 Owner reports 8
2004-Q2 Owner reports 8
2004-Q3 Owner reports 4
2004-Q4 Owner reports 4
2005-Q1 Owner reports 4
2005-Q2 Owner reports 3
2005-Q3 Owner reports 2
2005-Q4 Owner reports 9
2006-Q1 Owner reports 4
2006-Q4 Owner reports 2
2007-Q1 Owner reports 1
2007-Q2 Owner reports 1
2007-Q3 Owner reports 3
2007-Q4 Owner reports 1
2008-Q1 Owner reports 4
2008-Q2 Owner reports 2
2008-Q4 Owner reports 2
2009-Q1 Owner reports 5
2010-Q1 Owner reports 3
2010-Q2 Owner reports 1
2010-Q3 Owner reports 1
2011-Q2 Owner reports 2
2011-Q4 Owner reports 1
2012-Q1 Owner reports 1
2012-Q4 Owner reports 1
2013-Q2 Owner reports 2
2013-Q3 Owner reports 1
2013-Q4 Owner reports 1
2014-Q1 Owner reports 2
2014-Q3 Owner reports 1
2014-Q4 Owner reports 2
2015-Q1 Owner reports 1
2015-Q4 Owner reports 1
2016-Q1 Owner reports 1
2016-Q2 Owner reports 2
2016-Q3 Owner reports 1
2018-Q1 Owner reports 2
Recall campaign 1 03V153000
Recall campaign 1 13E065000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (2)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Suspension and Fuel system.

  1. Recall campaign 03V153000

    Suspension

    Report date
    Component:
    Suspension (SUSPENSION)
    Consequence:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 13E065000

    Fuel system

    Report date
    Component:
    Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
    Remedy:
    Airtex will notify owners, and will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. Recall is expected to begin on January 2, 2014. Customers may contact Airtex at 1-800-880-3056. The recall is expected to begin during January 2014. This recall is being conducted by Airtex, not by Subaru.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 6 of 182 complaints · page 1 of 8
2018-01-10Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11061950
CrashFireInjuryDeath
REAR SUB FRAME ROTTED OUT IN MULTIPLE PLACES AND BROKE LOOSE WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THERE WAS A RECALL IN 2003. THE CAR WAS NEVER REPAIRED BEFORE I PURCHASED IT A FEW YEARS AGO. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO DOYLE SUBARU IN WEBSTER NY. THEY OFFERED TO COVER THE EXPENSE OF THE PART BUT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY THEM $800.00 TO COVER THE REPAIR LABOR! THEY HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR 8 WEEKS NOW AND I'M DISABLE AND ON SSD WITHOUT MUCH INCOME. I COULD HAVE DIED WHEN THE CAR BROKE LOOSE ON THE EXPRESSWAY WHILE I WAS GOING 55 MPH. I'M WITHOUT A LONER CAR AND CAN'T MAKE MY MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS. THE CAR HAD TO BE FLAT BED TOWED TO THE DEALER. IT CAN'T BE DRIVEN THE WAY IT IS. MY ATTORNEY TRIED TO CALL THE DEALER BUT THEY REFUSE TO CALL HIM BACK.
2018-01-06Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11060933
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE 2000 SUBARU OUTBACK HAS A NOXIOUS SMELL FROM FUEL IN THE CABIN ONLY IN COLD WEATHER,THAT YOU MUST RIDE WITH THE WINDOWS OPEN UNTIL THIS DISSIPATES. I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALER TO ASK IF THEY WOULD HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT IS THE PROBLEM AND WHAT WOULD BE AN ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR? I, JUST ABOUT GOT THE QUESTION OUT OF MY MOUTH,WHEN THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE SAID IT'LL COST AROUND $200 MAYBE A LITTLE MORE TO REPLACE TWO FUEL LINES AND FITTINGS(SCREW CLAMPS) ON THE TOP RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE. I ASKED IF SOMETHING THIS SERIOUS WAS EVER COVERED BY A RECALL AND HE SAID NO, BUT I SHOULD CHECK WITH SUBARU OF NORTH AMERICA TO MAKE SURE,BEING THE CAR IS A 2000 HIS COMPUTER MAY NOT HAVE IT, FOR THAT FAR BACK? SO, I CALLED SUBARU OF NA EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND ALSO EXPLAINED THAT WHILE I WAS DOING SOME ON-LINE RESEARCH IT SEEMED AS THOUGH THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED AND DISCUSSED PROBLEM WITH MANY SUBARU OWNERS AND THEY ARE VERY SPECIFIC AS TO WHAT THE EXACT PROBLEM IS. SUBARU OF NA KNOWS OF NO PROBLEM EVER, I GUESS ADMISSION WOULD MEAN THIS PROBLEM TRULY EXISTS. THIS ISSUE ONLY BECAME PREVALENT WITH SUBARU'S OWNED IN COLD WEATHER AREAS, SOUTHERN STATES OR WEST COAST WOULD NOT SEE THIS PROBLEM REGULARLY BECAUSE YOU NEED TEMPERATURES TO BE APPROXIMATELY 30 DEGREES AND BELOW. I AM JUST TRYING TO FIND OUT WHY NO FEDERAL AGENCY HAS HELD SUBARU TO A HIGHER STANDARD, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO A PROBLEM WITH A FUEL LINE AND THE FACT THAT THIS IS PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE AND WELL DOCUMENTED. I AM NOT A MECHANIC, AND LIVING ON A FIXED INCOME I DON'T HAVE THE DISPOSABLE INCOME THAT I HAD IN THE PAST, SUBARU KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, WHICH IS EVIDENT IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENTS FAMILIARITY WITH THE FIX? CAN SOMEONE PLEASE ENLIGHTEN ME AS TO WHY THIS HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO GO FOR AS LONG AS IT HAS? SUBARU KNOWS DOES THE GOVERNMENT, I HOPE NOT. CONCERNED, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *PM
2016-08-03EXTERIOR LIGHTING
NHTSA ODI 10892936
CrashFireInjuryDeath
UNKNOWN COMPONENT PART/SYSTEM. DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. CHECKED FUSE AND BULB WHICH WAS STILL GOOD; REPLACED BULB ANYWAY AND IT STILL DIDN'T WORK. NEXT DAY THE OTHER HEADLIGHT ALSO WENT OUT. CHECKED THE SAME THINGS. HIGH BEAMS, FOG AND PARKING LIGHTS STILL WORKED. MY SON JIGGLED THE BULB SOCKET AND WIRES AND THE LIGHTS CAME ON BUT NOW THE DRIVER HIGH BEAM WENT OUT. HIGH BEAM BULB AND FUSE WERE BOTH OKAY. THE LOW BEAMS ALSO NOW APPEARED TO BE YELLOW. HAD TO DRIVE AT NIGHT A FEW DAYS LATER (I ALWAYS DRIVE WITH MY FOG LIGHTS ON UNLESS THE HIGH BEAMS ARE USED) AND IT SEEMED LIKE I COULD NOT SEE VIRTUALLY ANYTHING AHEAD OF ME; THE LOW BEAMS WERE EXTREMELY DIM AND UNSAFE TO USE. WAS FORCED TO USE MY SINGLE WORKING HIGH BEAM. IN GOOGLING THE PROBLEMS ONLINE I CAME ACROSS SCORES OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. SOME REPLACED THE DRL MODULE WITH NO CHANGE IN RESULT. IT HAS TO BE A SOCKET PROBLEM OR GROUNDING PROBLEM OF SOME SORT, OR PERHAPS A WIRING PROBLEM, THOUGH SOME PEOPLE REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS TO NO AVAIL, AND REPLACED PINS, CLIPS IN THE BULB SOCKET ASSEMBLY. THIS IS DANGEROUS.
2016-06-02Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 10872273
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I WAS ADVISED BY A MECHANIC ON 4/20/15 THAT THE REAR CRADLE IS VERY RUSTY, ENOUGH THAT I SHOULD AVOID CARRYING HEAVY LOADS. I JUST NOTICED ON THIS WEBSITE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL IN 2003 FOR INADEQUATE RUSTPROOFING OF THAT PART; HOWEVER, WE NEVER RECEIVED NOTICE OF A RECALL. CAN THIS BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED NOW? THERE WAS NO INCIDENT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROBLEM.
2016-05-04Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10863233
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED ON A TOWN STREET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, FOLLOWED BY THE ODOR OF GAS FUMES. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION BY EXPERIENCED SUBARU MECHANICS REVEALED A SIMULTANEOUS FAILURE OF THE A/C COMPRESSOR, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, A HEADLIGHT BULB AND FINALLY, A DAMAGED FUEL LINE THAT WAS SPRAYING A MIST OF GASOLINE OVER THE ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE MECHANICS HAD NEVER SEEN A SITUATION LIKE THIS BEFORE, AND HAD NO EXPLANATION FOR HOW THESE COMPONENTS COULD HAVE FAILED AT THE SAME TIME. THE FUEL LINE AND BULB WERE REPLACED.
2016-02-20Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 10837324
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE REAR SUB-FRAME IS ROTTED AND ABOUT TO BREAK. WHILE DRIVING THE SUB-FRAME IS SHIFTING CAUSING LOUD BANGING. WHEN STARTING, STOPPING AND DRIVING THE LOUD BANGING IS HEARD FROM THE SHIFTING OF THE ROTTED SUB-FRAME.

Subaru Outback Complaints and Recalls by Year

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2000 Subaru Outback?

Owners named Engine most often — 36 of 182 reports (20%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2000 Subaru Outback?

NHTSA lists 2 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Suspension and Fuel system. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2000 Subaru Outback?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources