1999 Subaru Forester Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Forester years
- About as many complaints as other years 15th of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 131 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 Subaru Forester. That ranks 15th out of 29 Forester model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (32 complaints, 24%), typically at around 72,000 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 1 fire, 5 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 131owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1999 Subaru Forester problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 32 | 24% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 25 | 19% | 86,700 | — | — |
| Suspension | 25 | 19% | 43,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 18 | 14% | 50,096 | — | — |
| Tires | 7 | 5% | 116,650 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 5% | 48,700 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 4% | 94,863 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 3% | 175,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 4 | 3% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 2% | 125,700 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 2% | 29,020 | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 2% | 96,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 2% | 61,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1999 Subaru Forester recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder
Problem: 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.
Risk: This condition causes the vehicle stopping distance to be increased, possibly resulting in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Seat belt anchorage separation (PE99020) — opened Mar 5, 1999, closed Mar 26, 1999.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
(partial copy of message i sent to subaru earlier this week.) [my] forester is old, but i wouldn't be replacing it if i didn't need another head gasket. You surely are aware of the problem your 4 cyl. Engines have had with failing head gaskets. Unfortunately, this is the second one experiencing…
Why is the brake line corrosion recall wqk-47 only for 2009-2013 foresters? I own a 1999 forester which has just had a catastrophic brake line failure that is exactly the same as what is described in the recall. Corrosion of the brake lines is in the area of the junction block that is located under…
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 subaru forester. On several occasions, while driving, the engine overheated and seized. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was previously repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The…
As others have stated here and many more from various subaru forums, i've been dealing with the shifting into drive issue (it acts as if it's in neutral) with the at. It can take several seconds to several minutes (and sometimes longer or not at all) before it engages. I usually have to rev/pump…
There are days where the vehicle will not engage into drive. It goes in reverse but still not engage the drive gear. After about a week of the vehicle sitting and not being turned on it will engage and work fine. But will do it again a few weeks to a couple of months later.
Other Subaru Forester years
← 1998 Forester · 2000 Forester →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Forester | 28 | 3 |
| 2025 Forester | 97 | 3 |
| 2024 Forester | 30 | 2 |
| 2023 Forester | 74 | 1 |
| 2022 Forester | 98 | 1 |
| 2021 Forester | 210 | 0 |
| 2020 Forester | 602 | 0 |
| 2019 Forester | 834 | 3 |
| 2018 Forester | 498 | 3 |
| 2017 Forester | 590 | 1 |
| 2016 Forester | 415 | 3 |
| 2015 Forester | 615 | 3 |
| 2014 Forester | 403 | 2 |
| 2013 Forester | 78 | 12 |
| 2012 Forester | 105 | 15 |
| 2011 Forester | 147 | 16 |
| 2010 Forester | 262 | 17 |
| 2009 Forester | 178 | 17 |
| 2008 Forester | 50 | 1 |
| 2007 Forester | 74 | 1 |
| 2006 Forester | 88 | 2 |
| 2005 Forester | 93 | 1 |
| 2004 Forester | 219 | 2 |
| 2003 Forester | 189 | 3 |
| 2002 Forester | 88 | 1 |
| 2001 Forester | 139 | 0 |
| 2000 Forester | 75 | 0 |
| 1999 | 131 | 1 |
| 1998 Forester | 101 | 1 |
See all Subaru Forester problems by year, every Subaru model, or the Subaru VIN decoder.
Similar Subaru models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Subaru Forester?
Owners most often report power train, engine and engine cooling, suspension problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 32 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1999 Subaru Forester?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1999 Subaru Forester a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Forester model years, the 1999 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.