Vehicle recall 99V040000 · March 3, 1999
Subaru Forester and Legacy
Vehicle description: passenger and sport utility vehicles equipped with anti-lock braking system (ABS).
Source: NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026. Last refreshed Sep 23, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC.
- Summary
- Vehicle description: passenger and sport utility vehicles equipped with anti-lock braking system (ABS). (the 1999 2.2 liter legacy vehicles are excluded). In extremely cold weather, the brake pedal goes to the floor and the vehicle stopping distance is increased.
- Consequence
- This condition causes the vehicle stopping distance to be increased, possibly resulting in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder.
- Notes
- Owner notification began June 7, 1999. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Subaru at Subaru at 1-800-782-2783.ALSO contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
Recall details
- NHTSA campaign
- 99V040000
- Reported to NHTSA
- March 3, 1999
- Filed by
- SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC.
- Manufacturer campaign
- WXQ-74
- Owner notification
- June 7, 1999
- Vehicles potentially affected
- 221,987
- Initiated by
- the manufacturer
- Components
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Master cylinder
Vehicles covered
As listed by NHTSA. A recall usually covers only some vehicles of each model and year, often a production date range.
- Subaru Forester (1998-1999): 1999, 1998
- Subaru Legacy (1998-1999): 1999, 1998
Has your Subaru been repaired?
Recalls here come from NHTSA’s records for the model and year. Not every vehicle of a model is included in every recall, and this site can’t see whether a repair has been done. Only a VIN lookup can tell you that.
NHTSA’s VIN search doesn’t show recalls that were already repaired, recalls more than 15 years old, or some small manufacturers’ recalls. A Subaru dealer can also check your VIN. Recall repairs are free.