Total Complaints
9 filings
SUBARU JUSTY · model year
1988 SUBARU JUSTY
9 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988SUBARUJUSTY carries 9 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 1988 JUSTY is latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch with 2 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system (1) and engine and engine cooling:exhaust system (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 JUSTY. 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.
9
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 |
|---|---|
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 1 |
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19970905SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE (#95V103006) IN JUNE. CALLED DEALERSHIP FOR APPOINTMENT. DROVE VEHICLE TO DEALER-75 MILES ONE WAY. AFTER ARRIVING WAS INFORMED DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS FOR REPAIRS. *AK
19961126ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
EXHAUST SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED; ALSO, FRONT DRIVER'S SEATBACK SEPARATED FROM BOTTOM/WINDSHIELD WIPER ARM CRACKED/ LOCK MECHANISM INTERIOR SPRING BROKE/STRUTS LEAK PREMATURELY AND HOOD RUSTED AROUND LATCH. *AK
19961126LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
EXHAUST SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED; ALSO, FRONT DRIVER'S SEATBACK SEPARATED FROM BOTTOM/WINDSHIELD WIPER ARM CRACKED/ LOCK MECHANISM INTERIOR SPRING BROKE/STRUTS LEAK PREMATURELY AND HOOD RUSTED AROUND LATCH. *AK
19961126LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
EXHAUST SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED; ALSO, FRONT DRIVER'S SEATBACK SEPARATED FROM BOTTOM/WINDSHIELD WIPER ARM CRACKED/ LOCK MECHANISM INTERIOR SPRING BROKE/STRUTS LEAK PREMATURELY AND HOOD RUSTED AROUND LATCH. *AK
19961126SUSPENSION
EXHAUST SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED; ALSO, FRONT DRIVER'S SEATBACK SEPARATED FROM BOTTOM/WINDSHIELD WIPER ARM CRACKED/ LOCK MECHANISM INTERIOR SPRING BROKE/STRUTS LEAK PREMATURELY AND HOOD RUSTED AROUND LATCH. *AK
19961126SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
EXHAUST SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED; ALSO, FRONT DRIVER'S SEATBACK SEPARATED FROM BOTTOM/WINDSHIELD WIPER ARM CRACKED/ LOCK MECHANISM INTERIOR SPRING BROKE/STRUTS LEAK PREMATURELY AND HOOD RUSTED AROUND LATCH. *AK
19961126VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
EXHAUST SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED; ALSO, FRONT DRIVER'S SEATBACK SEPARATED FROM BOTTOM/WINDSHIELD WIPER ARM CRACKED/ LOCK MECHANISM INTERIOR SPRING BROKE/STRUTS LEAK PREMATURELY AND HOOD RUSTED AROUND LATCH. *AK
19960707LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
HOOD LATCH FAILED WHILE EXITING FROM HIGHWAY AT 45 MPH, HOOD FLEW UP AND SMASHED INTO WINDSHILED, IMPAIRING VISIBILITY. *AK
19960412FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
GAS, CONSUMER SMELLED A VERY BAD ODOR/FUMES IN THE VEHICLE WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE. *AK
Compare 1988SUBARUJUSTY 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 JUSTY have?▼
The 1988 SUBARU JUSTY has 9 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 SUBARU JUSTY?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 SUBARU JUSTY is LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM.
Is the 1988 SUBARU JUSTY 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.