There are 36 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2000 Subaru Outbackin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
STOPPED FOR A RED LIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN CAR WOULD NOT GO FORWARD BECAUSE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE FORWARD GEARS. EVIDENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH A KNOWN DEFECT AND EXPENSIVE REPAIR. *TR
THE TPS HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE, ALL LEADS FROM THE WIRING HARNESS HAVE BEEN GROUND AND LUBRICATED, BUT THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT SHOCK REMAINS. THE MANUFACTURER'S TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT, HAVING MADE THE FORMER GUESSES ON THE TPS REPLACEMENT AND LEADS, SUGGESTS REPLACING THE ECM AND TCM TO SEE IF THAT CORRECTS THE PROBLEM. THE SEVERE SHIFT SHOCK IS THE MOST CURRENT PROBLEM WITH THIS EGREGIOUSLY DEFECTIVE VEHICLE IN WHICH ALL MAJOR PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED SINCE PURCHASING IT NEW, THE REPAIR COST SO FAR EQUIVALENT TO THE PURCHASE PRICE. THERE IS 126,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD ONLY ONE OWNER WHO HAS ALWAYS DRIVEN IT WITH THE UTMOST CARE. THE VEHICLE IN ITS CURRENT STATE SINCE JULY 2010 IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE - WITHOUT FOLLOWING AN OBVIOUS PATTERN, THE AT DASHBOARD LIGHT FLASHES AND WITHIN SECONDS THERE IS SEVERE SHIFT SHOCK, ON HIGHWAYS AT 65MPH AND IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC AT 10MPH. THE ENGINE HAS TO BE TURNED OFF IMMEDIATELY SO THAT THE COMPUTER COMPONENTS CAN HOPEFULLY RESET, WHICH RESETTING DOES NOT ALWAYS HAPPEN. IF THE ENGINE IS NOT SWITCHED OFF, THE SEVERE SHIFT SHOCK CONTINUES. HAVING THIS HAPPEN AT ANY SPEED IS SO DANGEROUS, AND TRYING TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY IS EVEN MORE DANGEROUS. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET FROM SUBARU OWNERS, BUT SUBARU CORPORATE OFFICE DENIES ALL RESPONSIBILITY, SIMPLY STATING THAT THE VEHICLES SHOULD BE TAKEN TO DEALERSHIPS. THE DEALERSHIPS ARE UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM AS THE DEFECT IS INHERENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE VEHICLE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHILE SHIFTING FROM PARK INTO DRIVE, THE VEHICLE TAKES 15-20 SECONDS FOR THE GEARS TO SHIFT. THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT HAS NOT ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 170,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SUBARU OUTBACK. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTS THE VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE GEARS, THE VEHICLE JERKS VERY STRONGLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS CHANGED, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE DEALER RECOMMENDED THAT THE TRANSMISSION BE REBUILT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 93,000. UPDATED 4/23/09 *CN UPDATED 04/27/09*JB
TRANSMISSION IS GOING OUT OF 2000 OUTBACK BEFORE 70,000 MILES. IT IS STATED ON THE INTERNET THAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR OF OUTBACK. I BOUGHT THIS CAR BECAUSE IT WAS SUPPOSE TO LAST FORA LONG TIME WITH LOW MAINTENANCE. I DON'T FEEL THAT I OR ANYONE ELSE SHOULD HAVE TO REPLACE A TRANSMISSION IN A CAR THAT HAS LESS THAN 70,000 MILES ON IT. I DON'T EVEN HAVE THE CAR PAID FOR AND IT WILL COST ME $2700.00 TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION WITH A REBUILT ONE THAT COULD STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR
2000 SUBARU OUTBACK, TRANSMISSION SLIPS UNTIL WARMED UP. STARTED AT 60,000 MILES AND GETTING WORSE. WEB RESEARCH INDICATES A COMMON FAILURE OF PISTON SEALS AND A KNOWN PROBLEM AS SUBARU HAS REDESIGNED. WHAT ABOUT US PAST CUSTOMERS? *TR
TRANSMISSION WILL INTERMITTENTLY FAIL TO GO INTO DRIVE FROM PARK OR REVERSE. HAPPENS AT RANDOM. ENGINE CAN BE COLD OR WARM AND IT STILL HESITATES. SOMETIMES TAKES OVER A MINUTE TO GET THE TRANSMISSION TO ENGAGE. ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE WE GET STRANDED. TOOK CAR TO DEALER AND THEY TOPPED OFF THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND SAID THE DELAY WAS NORMAL. ISSUES BEGAN AT 65K MILES AND HAVE PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE. CAR NOW HAS 77K MILES AND ONLY OPTION GIVEN HAS BEEN TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. *TR
THE CLUTCH ON MY SUBARU OUTBACK 2000 IT'S BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE DAY ONE I PURCHASED THE CAR IN 2000. AT TIMES RANDOMLY IT WOULD SLIP OR THE PEDAL WOULD NOT RETURN UP. SLIPPING OF THE CLUTCH OR THE PEDAL BEING STUCK MULTIPLE TIMES ALMOST CAUSED ME TO GET INTO ACCIDENT WHEN CHANGING LANES OR MERGING INTO TRAFFIC. *JB
VEHICLE WILL NOT ENGAGE INTO DRIVE FROM PARK, OR VEHICLE WILL DISENGAGE FROM DRIVE WITHOUT WARNING, PUTTING THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL. ALTHOUGH NO ACCIDENT HAS OCCURRED VEHICLE HAS FAILED TO ENGAGE INTO DRIVE IN SEVERAL HIGH TRAFFIC SITUATIONS. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 67,000 MILES. *NM
DRIVER SIDE FRONT CV JOINT BOOT TORE FOR NO APPARENT REASON, 62,289 MILES. NEIGHBOR WHO IS A FORMER SUBARU MECHANIC SAID SHOULD NOT HAPPEN UNLESS I RAN OVER SOMETHING AND PUNCTURED BOOT, I DID NOT. SUBARU WOULD NOT REPLACE UNDER WARRANTY OUT OF WARRANTY AT 36K. A POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD DUE TO CV GREASE LEAKING ONTO EXHAUST SYSTEM AS WELL AS A POTENTIAL MECHANICAL FAILURE IF PROBLEM IS NOT CAUGHT IN TIME. *JB
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS DELAY IN ENGAGING FROM A STOP INTO ANY FORWARD GEAR FROM ANY GEAR. *NM
THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS DELAYED ENGAGEMENT WHEN CHANGING FROM PARK TO DRIVE. THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT ENGAGE FOR UP TO 10 SECONDS THEN IT WILL ENGAGE ABRUPTLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LUNGE FORWARD UNCONTROLLABLY IN AN UNSAFE MANNER. SUBARU HAS DEEMED THE PROBLEM A TRANSMISSION FAILURE REQUIRING A NEW TRANSMISSION. PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED AT 74,000 MILES DESPITE REGULAR MAINTENANCE. THIS SITUATION HAS BEEN DESCRIBED IN COMPLAINT# 10074032, 10090065, 10106683, AND 10122566. SUBARU OF AMERICA DENIES THAT THERE IS A PATTERN OF COMPLAINTS/PROBLEMS.
VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 9 MONTHS AGO WAS EXPERIENCING A SLIGHT DELAY IN ENGAGING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FROM ANY GEAR INTO DRIVE. HAD DEALERSHIP LOOK AT IT AND DO A TRANSMISSION FLUSH OF ALL FLUID. THE PROBLEM REALLY DIDN'T GET BETTER UNTIL FINALLY ON 3/19/05 AT ONLY 51,800 MILES THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NO LONGER ENGAGE IN DRIVE AT ALL. A TRANSMISSION SHOP LOOKED AT IT AND SAID AN 'O' RING FAILED CAUSING THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION TO NEED TO BE REBUILT AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER TO BE REPLACED. COST WAS $2,644 AND WAS ONLY 6 WEEKS PAST EXPIRATION OF THE WARRANTY.
DRIVING NORMAL SHIFTED THE CAR AND THE CLUTCH FELT SOFT AND THE RETURN TO NORMAL POSITION WAS SLOW. I CALLED THE DEALER REPAIR AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT, HOWEVER THERE WAS NO RECALL. I TOOK TO DEALER FOR REPAIR. IT COST ME $216.00 TO REPAIR SOMETHING THAT THE MANUFACTURER KNEW WAS DEFECTIVE AND IT WASN'T COVERED BY MY EXTENDED WARRANTY.*AK
TRANSMISSION WILL NOT GO INTO GEAR. WHEN DRIVER APPLIED THE GAS VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE. CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER TO WAIT UNTIL IT FAILED COMPLETELY. DEALERSHIP WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE DEFECT UNTIL IT HAPPENED PERMANENTLY. *AK
INTERMITTENTLY, THE GEAR POSITIONING LEVER STICKS IN GEAR. THE CONSUMER DEPRESSES THE BRAKE PEDAL SEVERAL TIMES AND PLAYS WITH THE LEVER TO UNSTICK IT. THE DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED A PART IN THE GEAR POSITIONING LEVER, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST. ALSO, THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN THE PARK GEAR. *LA
THERE CURRENTLY HAS BEEN SEVERAL TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS REGARDING 2000-2002 MANUAL TRANSMISSION SUBARU OUTBACKS. THESE BULLETINS REFER TO A DEFECT IN THE CLUTCH THAT CAUSES A PREMATURE WEAR OF THE CLUTCH AND YOKE DUE TO AN IMBALANCE IN CAUSING THE CAR TO "JUDDER" OR SHUDDER WHEN ENGAGING INTO GEARS. I HAVE HAD AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, GLEN OWNER OF OAKLAND AUTO WORKS STATE THAT HE COULD NOT WARRANTY THE REPAIR OF CLUTCH BECAUSE THE RECOMMENDED REPAIR BY SUBARU DOES NOT RELIABLY FIX THE PROBLEM AND MANY PEOPLE END UP HAVING TO HAVE THE CLUTCH REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES IN A SHORT TIME SPAN. SUBARU IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE CHANGED THE CLUTCH KIT SEVERAL TIMES AND THE METHOD OF REPAIR TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM YET HAVE FAILED TO PERFORM A RECALL. I AM CURRENTLY UNSURE ON HOW TO PROCEED IN THE REPAIR OF MY VEHICLE AS THE REPAIR COST IS $1350.00 AND IF THE UNIT FAILS OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY I MAY BE SUBJECT HAVING TO PAY THIS AMOUNT AGAIN. SOME OTHER PROBLEMS WHICH ERRUPT FROM THIS DEFECT INCLUDE THE CLUTCH CATCHING FIRE. THE CLUTCH PEDAL STICKING AND NOT RELEASING DUE TO THE YOKE BEING WORN FOR THE CLUTCH "JUDDER". LAST, PREMATURE OF THE CLUTCH WITH ONLY HAVING A LIFESPAN OF 30,000 MILES OR LESS. *AK
CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. VEHICLE DELAYED WHEN IT WAS PUT INTO DRIVE. ALSO, CONSUMER WOULD BE DRIVING AND SUDDENLY THE TRANSMISSION WOULD GO INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT CHANGING GEARS. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER, WHO RECOMMENDED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK......INITIALLY, DEALER COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. AFTER 2 MOR EVISITS TO DEALER, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE IS UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO AN INTERNAL FAILURE. *AK WHEN THE COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC WAS DONE NO CODES REGISTERED, ACCORDING TO THE DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN NEED OF REPAIR. *NM
PASSENGER SIDE SUN ROOF DRAIN PLUGS UP, SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. BACKED UP WATER DRAINS INTO INSIDE REAR CARGO AREA. MY VEHICLE CAME EQUIPPED WITH THE LARGE ALL WEATHER RUBBER MAT IN THE CARGO AREA. SINCE THE AREA WHERE THE WATER POURS OUT IS NEAR THE RIGHT REAR OF THE CAR THE MOST OF THE WATER ENDS UP ON THE CARPET UNDER THE MAT AND IT IS NOT ALWAYS NOTICEABLE. ORIGINAL CONTRACTOR THAT FIXES LEAKS FOR DEALER SAID THE FIX SHOULD TAKE CARE OF PROBLEM, DID NOT. THIS CONTRACTOR, DIFFERENT FROM THE FIRST CONTRACTOR, SAID BASICALLY THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO TO PREVENT DRAINS FROM PLUGGING UP. WAS NOT DRIVING THIS TIME, WASHED CAR AND SAW WATER ON RUBBER MAT WHILE CLEANING INSIDE OF CAR. THE FIRST TIME I WAS DRIVING, IN REAR VIEW MIRROR I SAW WATER COMING FROM HEADLINER AREA, VERY DISTRACTING. ALSO, WORRY ABOUT POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO HEADLINER AND FUTURE BODY STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY DUE TO WATER LEAKING INTO ROOF AREA. IF DRAINS CONTINUE TO PLUG UP HEADLINER COULD POSSIBLE BECOME WEAK AND FAIL. IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING THIS COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE THE DRIVER TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. NOT SURE OF ACTUAL DATE THIS WAS ADDRESSED WITH DEALER BELIEVE IT WAS ADDRESSED WHEN I TOOK CARE IN TO HAVE CV JOINT REPAIRED. DEALER DID NOT REPORT WORKER TO SUBARU. *JB
Showing 1–20 of 36 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026