1998 Subaru Outback problems
The 1998 Subaru Outback has 165 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (24%) concerns engine. Next are brakes (11%) and cruise control (8%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 165 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 24% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 13 and 2
- Injuries and deaths
- 11 and 1
- Typical mileage
- 91,000 miles 69 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 3 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 2 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 6 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 16 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 14 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 10 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 5 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 4 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 8 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 69 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 91,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 90,000 miles (24 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 13 complaints mention a crash; 2 complaints mention a fire; 11 injuries reported; 1 death reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1998 ranks 24th most-complained-about out of 31 model years of the Subaru Outback with enough data (81 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
I was parking my car to go to the video store with my son. It appeared to lurch forward, speeding up, and did not come to a stop until it hit four other cars, and finally plowed into a large 4x4 broadside, with enough speed to push it into another car. My airbags deployed, and my disabled child fell out of the passenger side onto the pavement. Paramedics where called and he was determined to have minor injuries.
Vehicle hit an embankment at 15 MPH, and airbags failed to deploy. Vehicle was totalled. Consumer suffered neck and knee injuries.
Car overheated. Towed to garage. They replaced thermostat and tested. Ran ok for about 20 miles. Overheated again. Towed to garage. Now the diagnosis is that I need a new head gasket. This car has less than 90,000 miles and has been maintained flawlessly.
Fuel (gasoline) filler neck for the 1998 subaru legacy wagon rusts out. Mechanic indicated very common problem with this year make and model. Very poor design because the tube is behind a plastic molding that accumulates dirt, salt, water, and rots the tubing causing a chronic leak of gasoline potentially over the exhaust system. Recall and repair is needed.