Major Problems with 1999 Subaru Forester Derived from Complaints & Recalls

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Worst 3 complaints of 1999 Subaru Forester

1999 Subaru Forester FOUNDATION COMPONENTS Victims: 2

1999 Subaru Forester HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM Victims: 1

1999 Subaru Forester RETRACTOR Victims: 1

Browse 1999 Subaru Forester complaints by category

Problems with AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING and WHEEL BEARING are the most frequent issues recorded by the NHTSA from Subaru Forester owners.

Problem Category	Number of Problems
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION > POWER TRAIN gear shift resulted in a severe jolt to passengers and the driver of the vehicle due to transmission failure. yh	14 ~ 33836 miles
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING chronic engine and oil leakage of a 1999 subaru forester. no satisfaction from 2 dealerships (bald hill subaru and pilgrim...	11 ~ 53636 miles
WHEEL BEARING > FRONT > SUSPENSION the right rear wheel bearing assembly has failed on three occasions causing a mild roaring sound dealer has replaced the	11 ~ 16533 miles
ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC new vehicle became uncontrollable veering from side to side then going off the road within first 7 miles of driving...	8
REAR > SUSPENSION there was a humming sound coming from the rear end of the vehicle due to right rear wheel bearing failure.	7 ~ 34321 miles
TIRES within the first 9 months i experienced problems with 4 out of the original 5 of these tires including a...	6 ~ 38883 miles
ENGINE > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1999 subaru forester s. at 40 000 new transmission. at 45 000 speed odometer sticking needs to be replaced. now	5 ~ 90508 miles
MULTIPLE AXLE > SUSPENSION rear bearings failing wheels make dull roar above 30 mph. from number of similar reports in this database this is...	5
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL design of the throttle/pedals creates difficulty in having a smooth acceleration placement of the pedals also create a potential hazard	5 ~ 9740 miles
POWER TRAIN every day i accelerate from my driveway immediately after start up the car hesitates and i do not understand why...	5 ~ 41600 miles
FOUNDATION COMPONENTS > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC design of the throttle/pedals creates difficulty in having a smooth acceleration placement of the pedals also create a potential hazard	5
GASOLINE > ENGINE > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING engine rebuilt due to failure had to be completely replaced due to failure of rebuilt unit. mjs...	5
WHEELS no summary listed for abov evehicle. *ak...	4 ~ 4000 miles
AXLE SHAFT > AXLE ASSEMBLY > POWER TRAIN engine rebuilt due to failure had to be completely replaced due to failure of rebuilt unit. mjs...	4
CLUTCH ASSEMBLY > POWER TRAIN especially during cold or damp weather my 1999 subaru forester's clutch shudders strongly when shifting gears. this occurs primarily when...	3 ~ 32140 miles
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE consumer complaint concerning 1999 forester gas mileage. *ts the consumer stated he experienced problems with the transmission brakes a knock	3 ~ 82121 miles
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC consumer complaint concerning 1999 forester gas mileage. *ts the consumer stated he experienced problems with the transmission brakes a knock	3 ~ 33397 miles
STRUCTURE paint peeling off right rear side and rear bumper. ph nlm **dimsii ivoq entry posted 12/12/02 after cut over to	3 ~ 32000 miles
SEAL > AXLE SHAFT > AXLE ASSEMBLY defective seal on the transmission caused transmission fluid to leak into exhaust assembly. yh ...	3 ~ 17011 miles
ENGINE note: below is an extract from a message i sent to an attorney in wisconsin in 2011 regarding the problems...	2 ~ 125700 miles
FILLER PIPE AND CAP > TANK ASSEMBLY > STORAGE gas nozzle thrown from tank afraid of explosion due to spark. *ak...	2 ~ 42500 miles
AXLE ASSEMBLY > POWER TRAIN 06/27/00 at 39787 miles noise gradually getting louder in rear vibration. right rear wheel bearing and axle replaced at dealership....	2 ~ 26500 miles
SUSPENSION dealer reported vehicle was not aligned at time of manufacturing caused prematurely wear tires which subaru of america is only	2
WINDSHIELD > VISIBILITY no summary...	2
COOLING SYSTEM > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING consumer complained about engine head gasket leaking coolant and mixing with the oil. instead of replacing the head gasket dealer	2 ~ 65600 miles
HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM > STEERING at 60 to 70 mph the car can suddenly loses handling control. it starts to bob and rock and i...	2
ANCHORAGE > FRONT > SEAT BELTS rear seat belts do not fit child safety seats properly. mjs...	2
SERVICE BRAKES why is the brake line corrosion recall wqk-47 only for 2009-2013 foresters? i own a 1999 forester which has just...	1 ~ 80000 miles
UNKNOWN OR OTHER there are days where the vehicle will not engage into drive. it goes in reverse but still not engage the...	1
SIDEWALL > TIRES in one months time we have had 4 separate cooper weathermaster s/t2 205/70r15 tires have sidewall failure. these are snow...	1 ~ 192000 miles
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM about 3 years into owning this '99 forester the illumination for my gear shifting column between the front seats went...	1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM on 1998 forester 5-spd when pulling out on freeways and other roads as i switch from 3 to 4 or	1 ~ 175000 miles
MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE > EXHAUST SYSTEM > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING dt: the contact stated since purchase of the vehicle there has been antifreeze smell. he would periodically check the reservoir...	1
MECHANICAL > EQUIPMENT both rear wheel bearings have failed twice. replaced twice by repair shop. original ones lasted 50 000 miles 1st replacement	1
TREAD/BELT > TIRES while driving at 55 on the highway left rear driver's side tire blew out. consumer had to replace the tire	1
AIR CONDITIONER > APPLIANCE > EQUIPMENT my 1999 subaru forester's air conditioner stopped working right after 5 years. i left the car at the dealership over...	1
AIR BAGS during a 35 mph rear collision front air bags did not deploy. vehicle was towed. consumer suffered minor injuries. dealership	1 ~ 72000 miles
EQUIPMENT rear wheel bearings on my 1999 subaru forrester purchased on mar 6 1999 have failed on the left rear wheel...	1 ~ 31699 miles
CATALYTIC CONVERTOR > EMISSION CONTROL > EXHAUST SYSTEM while driving the engine light illuminated. the mechanic repaired the catalytic converter once but the consumer continued to have the...	1 ~ 100000 miles
FRONTAL > AIR BAGS the consumer hit a light pole while driving 25 mph and lost control of the vehicle. the vehicle hit a	1 ~ 51000 miles
LUBRICANT > MANUAL TRANSMISSION > POWER TRAIN multiple major and costly repairs to a vehicle that is driven on hard road services only and in a safe...	1 ~ 53000 miles
ACCESSORY SCISSOR/SCREW/BOTTLE JACK/LIFT > MECHANICAL > EQUIPMENT unsafe original equipment jack provided with 1999 subaru forester l and in all likelhood with subsequent models. when attempting to...	1 ~ 26340 miles
AXLE HUBS > POWER TRAIN 99 subaru forester l after 50 000 miles rear axle bearings and hub broke. steering on corners was affected....	1 ~ 51032 miles
SWITCH > IGNITION > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM consumer having problems with ignition switch and it will be hard for consumer to startvehicle. dealer notified.*ak...	1
INTERIOR/UNDER DASH > WIRING > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM blower switch was on high number 4 when electrical smoke came out from the climate control panel. blower would not...	1
DRIVESHAFT > DRIVELINE > POWER TRAIN the failure probably occurred thousands of miles earlier since i heard a noise that i though was tire noise but...	1
RETRACTOR > FRONT > SEAT BELTS was waiting at a stop light when another vehicle rearended forester. seat belt on driver's side failed to restrain. this	1
SEATS following is a copy of the letter to subaru sent august 26 2001: dear subaru customer response staffmember:no safety defect.	1
DIFFERENTIAL UNIT > DRIVELINE > POWER TRAIN the right rear wheel bearing assembly has failed on three occasions causing a mild roaring sound dealer has replaced the	1
MASTER CYLINDER > FOUNDATION COMPONENTS > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC owner received recall notification (99v-040) however dealership refused repair dealership not informed. *mjs...	1
DISC > FOUNDATION COMPONENTS > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC i have detected that within the speed range of 5 miles per hour up to 70 miles per hour the...	1
STEERING rear end steering freezes up causing a loss of road control. dealer has been contacted. *ak...	1
REAR/OTHER > SEAT BELTS rear seat belts do not fit child safety seats properly. mjs...	1
BUCKLE ASSEMBLY > FRONT > SEAT BELTS rear seat belt anchors/assembly on 1999 subaru forester do not allow for acceptable secure installation of child seat (have tried...	1
LINKAGES > VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL vehicle will accelerate quickly in forward or reverse gears and without warning which has already caused one crash. consumer has	1
BEAD > TIRES chevron receipt of 4/20/00 reads: all four bridgestone tires are unsafe due to bead problems - had to put studded...	1

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