Total Complaints
22 filings
SUBARU GL · model year
1988 SUBARU GL
22 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988SUBARUGL carries 22 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 0 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 1988 GL is seat belts:front:buckle assembly with 8 filings, followed by seat belts (2) and seat belts:front:retractor (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 1988 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.
22
Complaints
4
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
4 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 |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 8 |
| SEAT BELTS | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:SHOCK ABSORBER | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19990128ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER
THIS AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM HAS FAILED AFTER BEING REPAIRED TWICE. THE TURBO -CHARGER UNIT ALSO HAS FAILED AFTER BEING REPAIRED TWICE. *AK
19990128SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM
THIS AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM HAS FAILED AFTER BEING REPAIRED TWICE. THE TURBO -CHARGER UNIT ALSO HAS FAILED AFTER BEING REPAIRED TWICE. *AK
19980626SEAT BELTS
SEAT BELT FAILED TO STOP OR LOCK DURING ROLLOVER, RESULTING IN INJURIES.
19980626ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
TIMING BELTS BREAK ABOUT EVERY 40000 MILES.
19961210SUSPENSION:FRONT:SHOCK ABSORBER
STRUTS FAILED DUE TO BEING WORN OUT.
19961210POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
FRONT AXLES FAILED DUE TO WEAR.
19960930CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
SEAT BELT FAILED TO HOLD DRIVER IN POSITION DURING VEHICLE ROLLOVER, CONTRIBUTING TO INJURY.
19960603SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
UPON PRESSING THE PEDAL BEEPING NOISE OCCURS DUE TO POWDER BUILD UP ON BRAKING SYSTEM. *AK
19960216CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DRIVER SEATBELT BUCKLE LOCKED UP IN LATCH POSITION, AFTER AN ACCIDENT SEATBELT HAD TO BE CUT OFF. TT
19960216CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DRIVER SEATBELT BUCKLE LOCKED UP IN LATCH POSITION, AFTER AN ACCIDENT SEATBELT HAD TO BE CUT OFF. TT
19951201SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE FRONT SEAT BELTS DON'T LOCK. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
19951116CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL/ONE ACCIDENT. *SKD
19950721SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELTS DO NOT LATCH PROPERLY AS RECALL STATES IN OTHER SUBARU MODELS BUT MANUFACTURER OFFERS NO ASSISTANCE. TT
19950717SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
FRONT BRAKE ROTORS FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO GRIND/SQUEAK UPON BRAKING. *AK
19950717ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
VEHICLE STALLS/HESITATES. *AK
19950717ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
UPON ACCELERATING, A ROTTON EGG SMELLOCCURS FOLLOWED BY A BURNING BELT SMELL. *AK
19950508SEAT BELTS
DRIVERS SEAT BELT MAY STICK NOT RETRACTING OR EXTENDING PROPERLY. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
19950328SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE,IT BECAME UNLATCHED. TT
19950324SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
DRIVER SIDE LAP/SHOULDER WILL NOT RETRACT. TT
19950316SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE FRONT PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLES SOMETIMES APPEAR TO BE LOCKED, BUT IT COME LOOSE. TT
Compare 1988SUBARUGL 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 1988 SUBARU GL have?▼
The 1988 SUBARU GL has 22 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 SUBARU GL?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 SUBARU GL is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY with 8 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR.
Is the 1988 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.