1999 Subaru Forester Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 1999 Forester most often describe rear wheel bearing noise and wear, coolant loss traced to the head gaskets, and automatic transmission shifting problems. Many reports come in around 40,000-90,000 miles, though the head gasket and bearing reports span a wide range and some owners describe repeat repairs.

1. 1
   Suspension

   Rear wheel bearing noise and repeat failures

   • 24 complaints (18%)
   • median 45,500 mi at 5.1 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • filed 2000–2006

   Owners describe a humming, growling or grinding noise from the rear of the car that turns out to be a failed rear wheel bearing. Several complaints involve repeat failures on the same wheel, in some cases more than once within a few thousand miles, and one owner reports the rear housing being replaced after the bearing overheated. Dealers are described as replacing or adjusting the bearings, sometimes under warranty and sometimes not. Most reports fall between roughly 16,000 and 81,000 miles, with several failing a second time within 10,000 miles of replacement.

   What to check: Ask whether any rear wheel bearings have been replaced and how many times, and listen for a hum from the rear at highway speed on a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The car is 4 years old with 24100 miles. At 16000 miles, right rear wheel bearing failed and was replaced under warranty. At 22000 miles, right rear bearing noise returned and the dealer 'adjusted' the bearing for 'free', even though the 3 year warranty had passed. At 24100 miles, the bearing failed with grinding and smoking while vehicle was on the highway. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10032914, filed 2003-08, 24,100 miles

   “There was a grinding noise coming from the front end of the vehicle. Upon inspection of the noise by the dealership, they indicated the noise occurred because of a right wheel bearing failure. The right wheel bearing was replaced, but then the failure occurred on the left side.”

   NHTSA complaint #10089274, filed 2004-08, 48,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine cooling

   Coolant loss and head gasket leaks

   • 16 complaints (12%)
   • median 91,350 mi at 5.9 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • filed 2001–2020

   Owners describe losing coolant without an obvious external leak, a sweet antifreeze smell, the temperature gauge climbing into the hot range, and mechanics identifying a leaking head gasket. Some reports mention coolant mixing with the oil, and in a few cases the engine stalled or seized after overheating. Complaints describe dealers adding a coolant conditioner or telling owners the reservoir was overfilled, and some owners say a later gasket repair was not covered. Reported from about 60,000 to 170,000 miles, with several cases near 70,000-110,000 miles.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check the coolant reservoir level and look for residue or a sweet smell around the engine; ask for receipts showing whether the head gasket or the Subaru coolant conditioner service was ever done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I bought a 1999 Subaru Forester s less than 2 years ago. In december 2003, at approx. 71,200 miles, the car began loosing antifreeze. I discovered that I needed a head gasket job. Now I find they have a recall on this. Shortly thereafter I discovered the mysterious vanishing oil problem with this engine. At 75,775, I checked the oil and found it mostly gone! I returned to my mechanic, who found no external leak and no sign of oil burning on the spark plugs. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10066514, filed 2004-04, 77,848 miles

   “We have a 1999 Subaru Forester with a 2.5 l engine. We got a recall notice 2-2004 regarding external coolant leaks at the engine cylinder head gaskets. This recall covered vehicle years 1999-2002 or 4 years of vehicles. We took the vehicle in and had the specific (special conditioner) installed as required by Subaru. Unfortunately for us it took Subaru 5 years to acknowledge the problem as we are on the front end of the model years in question. Last week the head gaskets failed and with it a large repair bill. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10165110, filed 2006-08, 108,750 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Automatic transmission slow to engage drive

   • 8 complaints (6%)
   • median 81,500 mi at 6.8 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 1999–2016

   Owners describe the car acting as if it is in neutral when Drive is selected, taking seconds to minutes to engage, and revving the engine until it catches and lurches forward. Some say the problem appears when braking before a stop or when starting off, and that a transmission service helps only briefly before it returns. Dealers are described as unable to duplicate the concern in some cases. Mostly reported between about 72,000 and 93,000 miles, with some earlier cases and symptoms that worsen over time.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: On a test drive, select Drive from a cold start and from a stop and note any delay before the car moves; ask whether the fluid has been serviced and whether any transmission repairs were done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “With about 15-18k miles, I started having problems with stuttering in first and second gear. It was always worst in winter, when it was cold. I searched the internet for other issues and found several chat rooms where people were having similar issues. I took the car in several times to the dealers who said they could not duplicate the problem. When reading the chat rooms, some people did have the dealers say this was a problem. I called Subaru's customer line and was told to go to the dealer.”

   NHTSA complaint #10060599, filed 2004-03, 15,000 miles

   “Have a 1999 Forester l w/auto tramsmission. I can drive in reverse all day with no problem. Going forward is hit and miss. Sometimes I can sit for 15 to 30 minutes before the forward gears engage. Once forward engages, I have no problem until I turn off the ignition. Servicing the trans is a temporary fix for a few thousand miles and then the problem slowly returns. I really like my car, but I'm sure the trans will eventually cease working all together.evidently other are having same problem according to chat rooms.”

   NHTSA complaint #10105992, filed 2005-01, 93,000 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   Brake pedal going soft or to the floor

   • 23 complaints (18%)
   • median 74,000 mi at 9.3 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2019

   Owners describe the brake pedal sinking to the floor or feeling very soft, with stopping distance increasing, and in some cases a collision when the car did not stop as expected. Complaints mention corroded brake lines near a junction block under the car, and one owner reports a dealer saying the vehicle was not covered by a brake recall that applied to other model years. Reported from low mileage up to about 100,000 miles, including cold-weather cases.

   Recall 99V0400001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask for brake service records, have the brake lines and master cylinder inspected for corrosion, and check that the pedal holds firm when pressed and held.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a subura 1999 Forester it is telling me on internet their is a recall part needed for brakes system. But my dealer says there is not. .only for a different Forester. I think my Forester should be covered. It is a forrester. I am having a brake problem. The internet says yes the dealer says no.”

   NHTSA complaint #10252297, filed 2008-12, 192 miles

   “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 area of the passenger seat. It seems that vehicle safety should not be dependent on the age of the vehicle, especially something as critical as the braking system. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11230370, filed 2019-07, 80,000 miles

Buying note. These cars are old enough that maintenance history matters more than mileage, so ask for receipts covering head gasket work, wheel bearings, brake lines and transmission service. A pre-purchase inspection that includes the rear bearings, cooling system and brake lines is worthwhile before buying.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.