Total Complaints
5 filings
SUBARU GL · model year
1983 SUBARU GL
5 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1983SUBARUGL carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 2 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1983 GL is suspension:rear with 1 filings, followed by structure:body (1) and seat belts:front:buckle assembly (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 14 investigation files overlapping the 1983 GL. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
5
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SUSPENSION:REAR | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19980323FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FIRE, CAUSING DEATH.
19980323SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
FRONT SEAT BELT EX TENDERS HAVE A GAP WHERE CHILDREN CAN PUT THERE FINGERS IN AND GET CUT WHEN SEAT BELT RETURNS TO ITS REST POSITION
19951207SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILED DUE TO SUN DETERIORATION. *AK
19951116STRUCTURE:BODY
SUNVISOR CONTINUOUSLY COMES DOWN WITHOUT ASSISTANCE, CAUSING DRIVER TO HIT VISOR WHEN GETTING IN VEHICLE. (0THER VEHICLE ON 486858) *SKD
19951017SUSPENSION:REAR
THE REAR INNER ARM ASSEMBLY FAILED ON BOTH SIDES CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL . TT VEHICLE IS INOPERABLE CURRENTLY IN CONUMER'S GARAGE, CONSUMER STATES THE PASSENGER SIDE ARM BROKE ON A GRADUAL LEFT TURN, AS CONSUMER TURNED THE WHEEL TO CORRECT THE SKID THE DRIVER SIDE ARM BROKE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SPIN 360 DEGREE TO THE RIGHT WITH BOTH REAR WHEELS COLLAPSED UNDER THE VEHICLE.*JB
Compare 1983SUBARUGL to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
PE19009Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Occupant Detection System (ODS) Failure
PE15012Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Passenger Front Air Bag Suppression
PE11011Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Front suspension control arm failure
EA09007Engineering AnalysisClosed
FUEL PUMP LEAKS
PE09017Preliminary EvaluationClosed
FUEL LINE LEAK
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1983 SUBARU GL have?▼
The 1983 SUBARU GL has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1983 SUBARU GL?▼
The most-complained component for the 1983 SUBARU GL is SUSPENSION:REAR with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STRUCTURE:BODY and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY.
Is the 1983 SUBARU GL safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.