Total Complaints
6 filings
SUBARU SUBARU · model year
1992 SUBARU SUBARU
6 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1992SUBARUSUBARU carries 6 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 1992 SUBARU is engine and engine cooling:engine with 3 filings, followed by seat belts:front:anchorage (1) and suspension:front (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 1992 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.
6
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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20021105POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
I NEED YOUR HELP TO FIX A PROBLEM GONE ON FAR TOO LONG. MY SUBARU SVX TRANSMISSION SUFFERS WITH A DELAY WHEN SHIFTING GEARS, HIGH REVS AND SLIPPING WHILE SHIFTING AND A CLUNKING WHEN PUTTING THE CAR IN REVERSE. THE HEAT TRANSMISSION INSTALLED IN THE SUBARU SVX AND LEGACY MODELS SUFFER FROM A SEVERE COOLING PROBLEM. THE RADIATOR BASED TRANSMISSION COOLER CAN NOT COOL THE TRANSMISSION FLUID COOL ENOUGH. THE TRANSMISSIONS POOR DESIGN DOES NOT ALLOW THE LUBRICANT TO FLOW THROUGH IT TO KEEP PARTS LUBRICATED(THUS MORE FRICTION AND HEAT DAMAGE). UNUSUAL HIGH OVERDRIVE PLACES ADDITIONAL SIDE LOADS ON BEARINGS GENERATING HEAT. THE ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE SYSTEM PUTS EVEN MORE STRAIN ON THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING EVEN MORE HEAT. THIS PROBLEM IS OF EPIDEMIC PROPORTION SO COMMON AMONG OVER 90% OF THESE CARS MANUFACTURED. SUBARU IS AWARE OF THE MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING DEFECTS IN THE TRANSMISSIONS FOR ALL SVX MODELS. ALMOST ALL SVX OWNERS, EVERY WEBSITE, AND EVEN YOUR OWN COMPLAINT FILES ARE AWARE OF T
20021009ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND NO WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF CAUSING CONSUMER TO PULL OVER AND IT WILL BE HARD TO GET THE VEHICLE BACK STARTED. DEALER NOTIFIED. MR
19970325SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
SEAT BELT LOCK UP.
19970325SUSPENSION:FRONT
POOR SUSPENSION.
19961114ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
CRANKSHAFT REPLACED.
19961114ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
CRANKSHAFT REPLACED.
Compare 1992SUBARUSUBARU to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1992 SUBARU SUBARU have?▼
The 1992 SUBARU SUBARU has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1992 SUBARU SUBARU?▼
The most-complained component for the 1992 SUBARU SUBARU is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE and SUSPENSION:FRONT.
Is the 1992 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.