4.2

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
28,148 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2000 Subaru Outback:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #3

May 022005

Outback 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 84,443 miles
Head gasket failure on a 2000 Subaru Outback at 84443 miles. Then a full engine replacement at 97,000. There were no accidents or deaths caused by this, however, let me appeal to you to review Subaru's 2.5L engine. We bought this as a reliable car for our children. The vehicle became unreliable when it began overheating with our children at the wheel, not once but twice. The first instance was in the daylight hours and we were able to take it right into a Subaru dealership. The second instance was the car overheated with my child at the wheel on a dark road in rural SE Washington at night. Thank goodness she did have a cell phone and could call us for help. Two different authorized dealerships, looked at this problem three times and did not fix the problem. Now after replacing the head gaskets at a local vehicle repair shop and then the engine, yep, the engine due to oil and water leakage, because of the failure of the dealerships that misdiagnosed this problem. Now as I search for what happened and why, I find websites that document hundreds of Subaru owners with the identical story as mine. Overheating problems, dealership not fixing the problem properly and then ending up with head gasket and for some of us engine replacement. Please, please look into this. The websites are almost endless on this problem. I do not like being angry over this issue. I just want Subaru to fix what is wrong, and to help all of their customers get some financial assistance for what we have had to pay out of pocket, nothing else. Subaru of America needs to fix what is wrong with their 2.5L engines. Thank you for your help.

- Waitsburg, WA, USA

problem #2

Dec 012000

Outback

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
There is slippage in transmission. When driving, it can happen at any speed, and will happen more often in stop and go traffic. Contacted dealer. Consumer states that oil light and check engine light come on together and then the power goes out, this has occurred when stopping and moving, the problem is still on going. Dealer claims that the onboard computer shows that a problem exists but they can?T identify the cause unless it happens in their presence.

- Crozet, VA, USA

problem #1

Dec 012000

Outback

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Engine check light will come on and stay on and intermittently vehicle will shut off. Contacted dealer, and the dealer could not find the cause of problem.

- Crozet, VA, USA