Total Complaints
10 filings
SUBARU GL · model year
1985 SUBARU GL
10 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1985SUBARUGL carries 10 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 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 1985 GL is structure:frame and members with 1 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (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 1985 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.
10
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
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 |
|---|---|
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM | 1 |
| WHEELS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:REAR | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19990929SUSPENSION:FRONT
WHILE DRIVING AT 25MPH OR MORE VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO THE RIGHT. ALSO, CV BOOTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE DEALER STILL CAN'T FIND A SOLUTION. *AK
19990929POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT
WHILE DRIVING AT 25MPH OR MORE VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO THE RIGHT. ALSO, CV BOOTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE DEALER STILL CAN'T FIND A SOLUTION. *AK
19980114SUSPENSION:REAR
RIGHT REAR WHEEL ROTATED TO THE NEAR HORIZONTAL POSITION, MAKING THE VEHICLE INOPERATBLE.
19961118ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT 65 MPH, VEHICLE STOPPED SUDDENLY IN THE FAST LANE, TIMING BELT BROKE. *AK ALSO FRONT PADS AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED.*JB
19961118SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT 65 MPH, VEHICLE STOPPED SUDDENLY IN THE FAST LANE, TIMING BELT BROKE. *AK ALSO FRONT PADS AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED.*JB
19960122SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM
THE LOWER CONTROL ARM SNAPPED AT THE WELD WHILE THE CAR WAS MOVING AND THE WHOLE LEFT WHEEL CAME OFF. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
19960122WHEELS
THE LOWER CONTROL ARM SNAPPED AT THE WELD WHILE THE CAR WAS MOVING AND THE WHOLE LEFT WHEEL CAME OFF. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
19950720SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE, UNABLE TO LATCH SEAT BELT. TT
19950512VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
W/MANUAL TRANSMISSION, VEHICLE EXPERIENCES UNWANTED ACCELERATION. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
19950419STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
CORROSION THROUGH OUT THE FRAME. TT
Compare 1985SUBARUGL 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 1985 SUBARU GL have?▼
The 1985 SUBARU GL has 10 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 SUBARU GL?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 SUBARU GL is STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY.
Is the 1985 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.