Total Complaints
17 filings
SUBARU GL · model year
1986 SUBARU GL
17 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1986SUBARUGL carries 17 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 1 fire, 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 1986 GL is suspension:front:control arm with 3 filings, followed by seat belts:front:retractor (2) and suspension:rear (2). 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 1986 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.
17
Complaints
1
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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:FRONT:CONTROL ARM | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 2 |
| SUSPENSION:REAR | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 2 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 1 |
| WHEELS | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20060829STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, A SOUND OF RUST RIPPING WAS HEARD, RESULTING IN A SLIGHT LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTED THAT THE REAR SUBFRAME HAD CRACKED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE. THE REAR WHEELS WERE ALSO BOWED IN AT THE TOP, CAUSING THEM TO TOUCH THE SPRINGS, RENDERING THE VEHICLE UNDRIVEABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE.
Mileage: 160,000
19980520SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM
DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH DEFECTIVE CONTROL ARM FELL OFF, CAUSING THE RIGHT AND LEFT REAR WHEEL TO COME OFF WITHOUT WARNING. *AK
19970122TIRES
LEFT FRONT TIRE BROKE OFF, CAUSING DAMAGE TO UNDERCARRIAGE. (OHIO STATE POLICE REPORT)
19960625FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *AK
19960404ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HEAD GASKETS LEAK, CAUSING ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. *SD
19951116SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
REAR SEAT BUCKLES FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL. *SKD
19951103STRUCTURE:BODY
FRONT FRAME RAIL IS CORRODED, HAS TWO HOLES IN IT. TT CONSUMER FOUND THIS FAILURE WHEN HAVING FRONT END OF VEHICLE ALIGNED, THE COMPANY REFUSED TO PERFORM AN ALIGNMENT BECAUSE THE FAILURE PREVENTED THEM FROM PUTTING VEHICLE ON A LIFT, VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED WITH RECALLS 90V086 AND 92V001 AND FEELS THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENED IN THE RECALLS HAS HAPPENED WITH THE FRAME RAIL. WHILE DRIVING, THE BOLT THAT HOLDS THE CONTROL ARM BROKE. WHILE DRIVING, THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL BROKE. *SLC
19951103STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
FRONT FRAME RAIL IS CORRODED, HAS TWO HOLES IN IT. TT CONSUMER FOUND THIS FAILURE WHEN HAVING FRONT END OF VEHICLE ALIGNED, THE COMPANY REFUSED TO PERFORM AN ALIGNMENT BECAUSE THE FAILURE PREVENTED THEM FROM PUTTING VEHICLE ON A LIFT, VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED WITH RECALLS 90V086 AND 92V001 AND FEELS THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENED IN THE RECALLS HAS HAPPENED WITH THE FRAME RAIL. WHILE DRIVING, THE BOLT THAT HOLDS THE CONTROL ARM BROKE. WHILE DRIVING, THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL BROKE. *SLC
19951103WHEELS
FRONT FRAME RAIL IS CORRODED, HAS TWO HOLES IN IT. TT CONSUMER FOUND THIS FAILURE WHEN HAVING FRONT END OF VEHICLE ALIGNED, THE COMPANY REFUSED TO PERFORM AN ALIGNMENT BECAUSE THE FAILURE PREVENTED THEM FROM PUTTING VEHICLE ON A LIFT, VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED WITH RECALLS 90V086 AND 92V001 AND FEELS THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENED IN THE RECALLS HAS HAPPENED WITH THE FRAME RAIL. WHILE DRIVING, THE BOLT THAT HOLDS THE CONTROL ARM BROKE. WHILE DRIVING, THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL BROKE. *SLC
19951103SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM
FRONT FRAME RAIL IS CORRODED, HAS TWO HOLES IN IT. TT CONSUMER FOUND THIS FAILURE WHEN HAVING FRONT END OF VEHICLE ALIGNED, THE COMPANY REFUSED TO PERFORM AN ALIGNMENT BECAUSE THE FAILURE PREVENTED THEM FROM PUTTING VEHICLE ON A LIFT, VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED WITH RECALLS 90V086 AND 92V001 AND FEELS THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENED IN THE RECALLS HAS HAPPENED WITH THE FRAME RAIL. WHILE DRIVING, THE BOLT THAT HOLDS THE CONTROL ARM BROKE. WHILE DRIVING, THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL BROKE. *SLC
19950612CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
PUT VEHICLE IN DRIVE, IT ACCELERATED AND CRASHED. TT
19950526SEATS
THE BOLT THAT HOLDS THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT HAS CRACKED FROM THE ANCHOR. TT
19950420SUSPENSION:REAR
RIGHT/REAR TRAILING ARM CRACKED AFTER RECALL REPAIRS, CAUSING TIRE TO LEAN INWARD. *AW
19950411SUSPENSION:REAR
REAR INNER ARMS CORRODED, INVOLVED IN INITIAL RECALL FOR CORRODED INNER ARMS. TT
19950331SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
LEFT REAR SEAT BELTS DON'T WORK, WON'T RETRACT. TT
19950323SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM
RUST HOLE ON INNER CONTROL ARM NEXT TO WHEEL BEARING/SHOCK SPRING MOUNT. *SKD
19950314SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
THE TWO WINDOW REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTOR WILL NOT LET THE BELT COME OUT. TT
Compare 1986SUBARUGL 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 1986 SUBARU GL have?▼
The 1986 SUBARU GL has 17 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 SUBARU GL?▼
The most-complained component for the 1986 SUBARU GL is SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR and SUSPENSION:REAR.
Is the 1986 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.