Total Complaints
33 filings
SUBARU SVX · model year
33 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1994SUBARUSVX carries 33 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 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 1994 SVX is power train:automatic transmission with 21 filings, followed by power train:axle assembly:axle shaft (3) and suspension:front:wheel bearing (2). 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 1994 SVX. 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.
Total Complaints
33 filings
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 21 |
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT | 3 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:MULTIPLE AXLE | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 1 |
MY 94 SUBARU SVX TRANSMISSION WILL NOT MOVE IN ANY GEAR. VERY COSTLY TO REPAIR SUBARU SHOULD PAY. POOR DESIGN IN TRANSMISSION *TR
Mileage: 116,000
MY SUBARU SVX TRANSMISSION RECENTLY STARTED SUFFERING A DELAY WHEN SHIFTING GEARS, HIGH REVS AND SLIPPING WHILE SHIFTING AND JUST NOW I TRIED TO DRIVE IT AND A CLUNKING SOUND HAPPENED WHEN PUTTING THE CAR IN REVERSE. NOW IT WON'T GO IN TO REVERSE AT ALL, ALSO, 1ST GEAR DOESN'T WORK HALF THE TIME AND THE REST OF THE FORWARD GEARS SEEM TO SLIP SEVERELY MOST OF THE TIME TOO. THE CAR HAS LOW MILEAGE, AND I HAVE NOT HAD ANY TROUBLE WITH IT BEFORE. TROUBLE STARTED MAYBE A FEW DAYS AGO.. 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 P
Mileage: 85,276
STARTED OUT AS 3RD AND 4TH SLIPPING, AND AFTER BABYING IT FOR A WEEK OF GOING TO WORK AND BACK HOME IT WILL NO LONGER HOLD 3RD OR 4TH. AFTER DOING RESEARCH IT HAS BEEN FOUND THAT THE 4EAT HAS ABOUT AS MUCH ISSUES AS THE PINTO (WITHOUT THE EXPLODING). EVERY OWNER OF THE SVX AND A 4EAT HAS SUFFERED THIS IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER. THE LEGACY'S WERE RECALLED AND REPAIRED, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE SVX? FOR A $30-$40K MSRP FROM THE DEALER, YOU WOULD ASSUME THEY WOULD TREAT THESE CARS WITH A BIT MORE CLASS IN THIS SITUATION. TOP IT ALL OFF, I ONLY HAVE 58K MILES ON MY 94. *NM
Mileage: 58,540
I HAD TRANSMISSION FAILURE OF THE 3RD AND 4TH GEARS THAT STARTED OUT AS GEARS SLIPPING, THEN THE TRANSMISSION STOPPED SHIFTING TO 3RD AND 4TH ALL TOGETHER. I DID NOT DO ANYTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS TOO EXPENSIVE. I HAD TO BUY ANOTHER CAR JUST TO GET TO AND FROM WORK SINCE IT WAS CHEAPE, AND I HAVE BEEN LETTING THE CAR SIT IN MY DRIVEWAY.*AK
Mileage: 121,500
WHILE DRIVING 100 MPH TRANSMISSION FAILED. ENGINE REVVED AT A HIGH RATE. THEN, VEHICLE LOST POWER, AND THE CONSUMER HIT A WALL. VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
Mileage: 104,443
AFTER RESEARCHING ABOUT MY SUBARU SVX, I FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS A CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION SUBARU PUT IN THESE CARS. THERE IS AN EXTENSIVE FAQ PAGE AT SUBARU SVX.COM AS TO THE REASON FOR THE PROBLEMS. MY CAR WILL NOT TRANSFER IN TO 4TH GEAR AND THE TRANSMISSION RUNS HOT. *JB
JUST ANOTHER DEAD TRANSIMISSION IN MY SVX. IT SEEMS LIKE 116,000-124,000 MILES IS THE LIFETIME OF THESE THINGS (SO MANY DEAD THERE HAVEN'T BEEN ANY NEW TRANSMISSIONS AVAILABLE SINCE 2001) . *AK
1994 SUBARU SVX, HAD A TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE FAILURE IS WELL KNOWN TO SVX OWNER COMMUNITY. THERE ARE MANY SITES AND ARTICLES THAT ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF THE 4EAT TRANSMISSION FAILING. THE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT IS VERY COSTLY AND SUBARU SHOULD HELP. *JB
Mileage: 95,000
THIS IS OUR THIRD SVX AND ALL THREE HAVE HAD WHEEL BEARING FAILURE.*AK
THIS IS OUR THIRD SVX AND ALL THREE HAVE HAD WHEEL BEARING FAILURE.*AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A WINDING NOISE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. WHEN SHE TRIED TO SHIFT VEHICLE, IT WOULD NOTL MOVE. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK
WHEN YOU DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR IN NEED OF AN EMERGENCY SPEED INCREASE THE CAR GOES INTO NEUTRAL RATHER THAN GOING INTO A GEAR. AN ACCIDENT HAS NOT OCCURRED YET, HOWEVER I'VE HAD SOME RATHER DANGEROUS SITUATIONS THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO NOT HAVE THE CAR FAIL TO MOVE IN. *AK
TRANSMISSION CHATTERS ON TIGHT TURNS, AND CLATTERS ON SHIFTING. THIS IS SECOND TIME THAT CONSUMER HAS TO GET NEW TRANSMISSION. *AK
TRANSMISSION DIED. *AK
ALL FOUR TIRES HAVE DEVELOPED CRACKS BETWEEN TREADWEAR AT 6000 MILES. CALLED AND WRITTEN MANY TIMES TO FIRESTONE. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P225/50R16 )
THE FOLLOWING LETTER HAS BEEN SENT TO SUBARU OF AMERICA.... THIS LETTER IS SENT ON THE BEHALF OF THE MANY OWNERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE FAILURES OF THE 4EAT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IN THE SUBARU SVX. IT IS EVIDENT THAT THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE TRANSMISSION THAT CAUSES THE PREMATURE FAILURES FOR ALL MODEL YEARS. THESE FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED IN CARS WITH VERY LOW MILEAGE AND CONTINUED TO OCCUR THEREAFTER. REPAIR AND/OR REPLACMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION IS VERY EXPENSIVE, COSTING APPROXIMATELY AND, AS OF THIS DATE, THERE HAS BEEN NO SUPPORT FROM SUBARU. UNDERSTANDABLY, THE OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE BECOME QUITE ANGRY AT SUBARU'S LACK OF RESPONSE OR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT A PROBLEM EVEN EXISTS, AND HAVE CONSULTED LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. TO AVOID AN UNPLEASANT AND HOSTILE SITUATION, AND IN AN EFFORT TO MAINTAIN GOOD RELATIONS WITH THE OWNERS OF YOUR CARS, THE FOLLOWING SOLUTIONS ARE DEMANDED: 1. SUBARU RECALLS AND REPLACES THE TRANSMISSIONS FOR ALL MOD
TRANSMISSION GOING TO FAIL VERY SOON -- I HAVE CONSTANT AND SEVERE TRANSMISSION BINDING WHEN I MAKE A TURN FROM A 0 - 5 MPH START. THE TRANSMISSION IS SELF-DESTRUCTING. I'VE BEEN TOLD THEY HAVE INSUFFICIENT FILTRATION AND COOLING BY SEVERAL SUBARU TECHNICIANS. A DESIGN FLAW IF YOU ASK ME. WHY IS IT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE LAGACY ALREADY ( SAME 4EAT TRANSMISSION) BUT NOT FOR THE SVX ?!?!?! $2,000 FIXES DO NOT EXACTLY FIT INTO MY BUDGET. NOT TRYING TO BE DISRESPECTFUL -- JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY US SVX OWNERS ARE BEING BASICALLY "IGNORED". *AK
THE FOLLOWING LETTER HAS BEEN SENT TO SUBARU OF AMERICA.... FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE EXTENT OF THE SUBARU SVX TRANSMISSION PROBLEM PLEASE GO TO WWW.KINETICCONCEPTS.COM. *AK
THE FOLLOWING LETTER HAS BEEN SENT TO SUBARU OF AMERICA.... FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE EXTENT OF THE SUBARU SVX TRANMISSION PROBLEM PLEASE GO TO WWW.KINETICCONCEPTS.COM
THE FOLLOWING LETTER HAS BEEN SENT TO SUBARU OF AMERICA.... FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE EXTENT OF THE SUBARU SVX TRANMISSION PROBLEM PLEASE GO TO WWW.KINETICCONCEPTS.COM
Occupant Detection System (ODS) Failure
Passenger Front Air Bag Suppression
Front suspension control arm failure
FUEL PUMP LEAKS
FUEL LINE LEAK
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.