Total Complaints
4 filings
SUBARU SUBARU · model year
1987 SUBARU SUBARU
4 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987SUBARUSUBARU carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 2 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1987 SUBARU is suspension:rear with 2 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump (1) and tires:temporary/emergency spare tire (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 1987 SUBARU. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
4
Complaints
0
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
2
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 |
|---|---|
| SUSPENSION:REAR | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | 1 |
| TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19971003FireFatalTIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE
SPARE TIRE MOUNTED IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT FIRE CAUSING FATALITY.
19960725FireFatalFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
UPON VEHICLE STRIKING A TREE FUEL PUMP FAILED TO SHUT OFF, CAUSING FIRE/FATALITY. *SD
19950921SUSPENSION:REAR
REAR AXLE CORRODED PRIOR TO RECALL, RECALL REPAIRS REFUSED DUE TO MODEL YEAR. (92V-001) *AW
19950612SUSPENSION:REAR
REAR AXLE COMPLETELY CORRODED OUT AND SPLIT IN HALF, REPLACE REAR SUSPENSION MEMBER. TT
Compare 1987SUBARUSUBARU to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1987 SUBARU SUBARU have?▼
The 1987 SUBARU SUBARU has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 2 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 SUBARU SUBARU?▼
The most-complained component for the 1987 SUBARU SUBARU is SUSPENSION:REAR with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP and TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE.
Is the 1987 SUBARU SUBARU 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1987 SUBARU SUBARU; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.