Total Complaints
26 filings
SUBARU GL · model year
1987 SUBARU GL
26 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987SUBARUGL carries 26 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 3 fires, 1 injury, 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 1987 GL is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 4 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (4) and equipment:mechanical:accessory scissor/screw/bottle jack/lift (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 1987 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.
26
Complaints
2
Crashes
3
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 4 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 4 |
| EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:ACCESSORY SCISSOR/SCREW/BOTTLE JACK/LIFT | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:REAR | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:TORSION BAR | 1 |
| WHEELS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040128TIRES:TREAD/BELT
WHILE DRIVING REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. *AK THE FELT REAR WHEEL FELL OFF/REAR SUSPENSION TORSION BAR SPLIT. *SC
Mileage: 125,000
19980430SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
THE REAR OUTBOARD SEATBELT ANCHORS HAVE RUSTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
19970724PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL
EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE FAILED TO RELEASE, CAUSING PADS/DISC TO OVERHEAT.
19970411STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
FRAME ROTTED TO THE EXTENT THAT JACK WOULD NOT SUPPORT CAR AT INDICATED POINT OR FLOOR. *AK
19970411EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:ACCESSORY SCISSOR/SCREW/BOTTLE JACK/LIFT
FRAME ROTTED TO THE EXTENT THAT JACK WOULD NOT SUPPORT CAR AT INDICATED POINT OR FLOOR. *AK
19970122WHEELS
WHEEL FELL OFF, CAUSING ACCIDENT. (NEW JERSEY POLICE REPORT)
19961231SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:TORSION BAR
TORSION BAR SPLIT.
19961125SUSPENSION:REAR
THE REAR SINGLE AXLE IS RUSTING OUT SAME RECALL FOR THE 1987 # 92V001000 . *AK *SLC
19960917ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
KEY CAN BE REMOVED FROM IGNITION WHILE IN DRIVE AT STOP. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.*AK
19960601POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT
CONSTANT VELOCITY BOOT REPLACED DUE TO NOISE. *SD
19960601ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
DRIVE BELTS REPLACED. *SD
19960601ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
OIL PAN REPLACED DUE TO OIL LEAK. *SD
19960601ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
CAMSHAFT BELT REPLACED DUE TO OIL LEAK. *SD
19960601ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
WATER PUMP PIPE REPLACED. *SD
19960601POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER
TORQUE CONVERTER REPLACED DUE TO LEAK. *SD
19960601ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HEAD GASKETS REPLACED DUE TO LEAK. *SD
19960312FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLED OUT, THE CONSUMER PARKED THE VEHICLE, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IT COUGHT FIRE, ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. *AK
19960312FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLED OUT, THE CONSUMER PARKED THE VEHICLE, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IT COUGHT FIRE, ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. *AK
19960312FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLED OUT, THE CONSUMER PARKED THE VEHICLE, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IT COUGHT FIRE, ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. *AK
19951117CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
DRIVING VEHICLE AT SPEED OF 30MPH IMPACT 9:00 POSITION, DRIVERS SIDE LAP/SHOULDER BELT WILL NOT RETRACT CAUSING INJURIES. TT
Compare 1987SUBARUGL 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 1987 SUBARU GL have?▼
The 1987 SUBARU GL has 26 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 3 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 SUBARU GL?▼
The most-complained component for the 1987 SUBARU GL is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:ACCESSORY SCISSOR/SCREW/BOTTLE JACK/LIFT.
Is the 1987 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.