Total Complaints
7 filings
SUBARU SUBARU · model year
1988 SUBARU SUBARU
7 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988SUBARUSUBARU carries 7 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 SUBARU is fuel system, gasoline:carburetor system with 1 filings, followed by visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system (1) and engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:emission control (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 9 investigation files overlapping the 1988 SUBARU. 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.
7
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 |
|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19981108POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
4WD STATIONWAGEN GL , AFTER ACCELERATING TO DRIVING SPEEDS, LOUD CLICKING OCCURS, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY RAPID INTERMITTENT LOCKING OF FRONT WHEELS, FOLLOWED BY FULL LOCKUP OF ALL WHEELS, FORCING VEHICLE TO SUDDEN AND COMPLETE STOP. ENGINE DOES NOT DIE, AND WHEN ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED, TRANSMISSION RETURNS TO NORMAL FUNCTION. DEFECT - EVEN AT LOWER SPEEDS OF 15-20 MPH, CAUSED SUDDEN LOCKUP IN TRAFFIC, NEARLY CAUSING 3 REAR-END COLLISIONS WITH FOLLOWING VEHICLE AND 1 FRONTAL COLLISION WITH BRIDGE WALL DURING 1 MILE TRIP TO GET VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. PROBLEM SEEMS TO APPEAR AFTER ACCELERATION TO DRIVE SPEED IS DONE. ONCE SPEED STABILIZES, LOCKUP OCCURS, AND CAN BE MINIMIZED IF ENGINE IS SPED UP WITH ACCELERATOR, BUT ONCE STARTED, RESULTS AGAIN IN FULL LOCKUP ONCE ACCELERATION IS LET UP. THIS IS A HIGHLY DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT APPEARS TO HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING UNTIL IT HAPPENS. I SUSPECT IT IS POSSIBLY A CONTROL COMPUTER PROBLEM, A VACUUM-RELATED SYSTEM PROBLEM AND / OR AN IN
19960201FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM
INTAKE GASKET ON ONE HEAD LEAKED COOLANT 2 TIMES/O-RING BETWEEN BASEPLATE AND INTAKE MANIFOLD INSTALLED. *SD
19960201VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
FRESH AIR VENT LEAKS ACID RAIN, CAUSING FREON TO BE RELEASED INTO THE PASSENGER'S COMPARTMENT THROUGH ETCHED PINHOLES. *SD
19960201ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
OXYGEN SENSOR FAILED, CAUSING THE WATER VAPOR ON COLD START UPS. *SD
19960201POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
CLUTCH REPLACED 2 TIMES. *SD
19960201STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
STEERING DESIGN DEFECT, CAUSING PREMATURE BOOT/AXLE FAILURES. *SD
19960201SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
SEAT BELTS NEVER RACHETED KEEPING DRIVER/PASSENGER FROM HITTING WINDSHIELD. *SD
Compare 1988SUBARUSUBARU to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 SUBARU SUBARU have?▼
The 1988 SUBARU SUBARU has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 SUBARU SUBARU?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 SUBARU SUBARU is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL.
Is the 1988 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 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.