1999 Subaru Impreza problems & reliability
22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 Subaru Impreza. 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.
1 complaint report injuries (2 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1999 Subaru Impreza vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 0 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 6 | 27% |
| Power Train | 4 | 18% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 9% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 9% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 9% |
| Child Seat | 1 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 5% |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 14 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“1999 subaru impreza 2.5rs, I discovered the entrance to the fuel filler started to rust. It will cost me $500 to have it repaired. I also noticed that I am not the only one with this problem. *tr”
Fuel System, Other · filed May 9, 2009
“My 99 subaru impreza rs's rear wheel bearings are starting to fail. I've been doing some research and find that this is a common problem with subaru's. There is an obvious defect with the bearing because so many people are experiencing problems. I also found that there is a new procedure for repairing the wheel…”
Suspension · filed Mar 1, 2006
“Dt: the contact owns a 1999 subaru impreza. The contact stated while trying to install car seat in order to use the tether strap a mounting bracket has to be installed. Subaru insisted that contact pay for this bracket, he felt that this was a safety issue, and she should not have to pay for this. He was going to…”
Child Seat · filed Aug 31, 2005
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
36 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 Subaru Impreza. 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 Impreza 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 Impreza?
- · 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.