Total Complaints
4 filings
SUBARU SUBARU · model year
1997 SUBARU SUBARU
4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997SUBARUSUBARU 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, 1 fire, 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 1997 SUBARU is tires:sidewall with 1 filings, followed by wheels:rim (1) and fuel system, other:storage:fuel gauge 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 9 investigation files overlapping the 1997 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.
4
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
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 |
|---|---|
| TIRES:SIDEWALL | 1 |
| WHEELS:RIM | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20070723FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 SUBARU WAGON. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED TWO WEEKS AGO. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE RISING FROM THE RADIATOR WHILE DRIVING. THE RADIATOR WAS REPLACED AND HE ACCUSED THE DEALER OF SELLING HIM A LEMON. THE DEALER STATED THAT HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE "AS IS" AND NOTHING COULD BEEN DONE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE BLEW THE HEAD GASKET AND CRACKED THE ENGINE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 71,400.
Mileage: 71,400
20041103FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM
THE GAS GAUGE DOESN'T WORK. I FILL THE CAR UP AND THE GAUGE GOES UP THEN FALLS BACK TO EMPTY. WHILE DRIVING IT FLOATS UP AND DOWN BETWEEN HALF AND THEN SITS ON EMPTY. I AM TRYING TO DETERMINE IF THIS IS A MANUFACTURES DEFECT.*AK
20030825WHEELS:RIM
CONSUMER NOTICED LOW LEAK FROM ALL FOUR VEHICLE TIRES. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED, TECHNICIAN NOTICED PROBLEM WAS DUE TO WHEEL RIMS.*AK
20020621TIRES:SIDEWALL
ALL FOUR TIRES ARE LOSING AIR PRESSURE ON SIDWALL. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK *YH
Compare 1997SUBARUSUBARU to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 SUBARU SUBARU have?▼
The 1997 SUBARU SUBARU has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 SUBARU SUBARU?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 SUBARU SUBARU is TIRES:SIDEWALL with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include WHEELS:RIM and FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM.
Is the 1997 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.