1999 Subaru Forester problems & reliability
131 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 Subaru Forester. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1999 Subaru Forester vehicles were involved in 13 fatal crashes with 9 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 32 | 24% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 25 | 19% |
| Suspension | 25 | 19% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 18 | 14% |
| Tires | 7 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 4% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 3% |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 3% |
| Wheels | 4 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 74,000 miles (middle 50% between 48,700 and 96,000 miles), based on 49 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“(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 such failure. I…”
Engine · filed Feb 28, 2020
“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 the car behind the…”
Service Brakes · filed Jul 9, 2019
“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 manufacturer was not…”
Engine · filed Apr 4, 2017
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE SEPARATION
Preliminary Evaluation PE99020 · opened Mar 5, 1999 · closed Mar 26, 1999
Technical service bulletins
42 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 Subaru Forester. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin announces the recommended cleaning procedures to followed when encountering vehicles with long time exposure to pollen on painted surfaces on vehicles imported from Japan. This bulletin does not apply to…
12-249-23R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 11, 2023
This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models.
01-167-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 23, 2022
This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure.
15-302-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 23, 2022
This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic essential information during diagnosis and repair of the Infotainment concerns. (Applicable to all models with Harman or Denso CP1 Infotainment).
15-192-22R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 18, 2022
This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models
01-167-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 17, 2021
This bulletin is to advise of SOAâ s revised catalytic converter recycling program shipping procedure.
09-51-08R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 7, 2021
To help reduce confusion and increase technician efficiency, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) has developed the following cross reference list to help locate the appropriate Special Service Tool.
14-22-16R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2021
Special Service Tools Cross Reference List.
14-22-16R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 4, 2020
All Models (Vehicle Cleaning- COVID-19Best Practices)
01-181-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2020
This Service Information bulletin announces instruction for application of additional lubrication between the brake caliper support and pad clips. This will prevent the pad from dragging due to corrosion buildup which…
06-68-19R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 11, 2019
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1999 Subaru Forester in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1999 Subaru Forester?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 74,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.