SUBARU LOYALE · model year

1989 SUBARU LOYALE

4 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1989SUBARULOYALE carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 0 fires, 3 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 1989 LOYALE is vehicle speed control:linkages with 2 filings, followed by seat belts:front:webbing (1) and fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly:filler pipe and cap (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 1989 LOYALE. 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.

4
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

4 filings

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

ComponentCount
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES2
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP1

Recent Complaints

19981203FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP

FUEL FILLER TUBE RUSTS PREMATURELY AND ALLOWS GASOLINE TO SPILL INTO THE WHEEL WELL OF THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL. DEALER CONTACTED AND CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

19980323VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

SUDDEN ACCELERATION RESULTING IN A VEHICLE COLLISION.

19980224CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

AFTER PUTTING VEHICLE INTO DRIVE, THE THROTTLE STUCK, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO INCREASE SPEED, RESULTING IN A COLLISION/INJURIES. *AK

19950605CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING

IN A VEHICLE COLLISION THE DRIVERS SEAT BELT DID NOT HOLD. TT

Compare 1989SUBARULOYALE to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1989 SUBARU LOYALE have?
The 1989 SUBARU LOYALE has 4 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 SUBARU LOYALE?
The most-complained component for the 1989 SUBARU LOYALE is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP.
Is the 1989 SUBARU LOYALE 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.