U.S. public vehicle records

1987 Subaru DL problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

2 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

161,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1987 model year. Data updated: 2026-10-01 (October 1, 2026). 1 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.

This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Fuel System, Gasoline is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 2 complaints (50.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Fuel system concerns	1	50.0%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Fuel System, Gasoline

Suspension:Rear:Springs:Air Suspension System

Fuel System, Gasoline: 1; Suspension:Rear:Springs:Air Suspension System: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 1

150,000 and above miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 1 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

1995

2006

1995: 1; 2006: 1

Pattern summary

Fuel System, Gasoline leads the component reports. Fuel system concerns appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10171505 · 2006-10-21 (October 21, 2006)

TIME IS A KEY FACTOR, AS WELL AS PLACES THAT RUST VEHICLES SOONER THAN OTHERS. THE FAILURE IS A FUEL DAMPER AND/OR FUEL LINES AND/OR FUEL PUMP. THE CONSEQUENCES ARE SMELL OF FUEL, LEAKS, ERRATIC ENGINE, AND LEAD ON ONE OCCASION TO A LEAN CONDITION THAT FAILED A TIMING BELT. THE FUEL PUMP ALSO FAILED. IF THIS LEAK HAPPENS ON THE SUCTION SIDE OF FUEL PUMP IT IS ELUSIVE AND DANGEROUS. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 161,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10171505 at NHTSA ↗

Explore the data

Vehicle analysis explorer

Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.

Data completeness

2 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.

50.0%Usable mileage1 / 2 records

100.0%Valid incident date2 / 2 records

100.0%Valid filing date2 / 2 records

100.0%Ordered incident and filing dates2 / 2 records

Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.

Problems by model year

Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.

From model yearThrough model year

Component complaint heatmap
Component	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	120.0% ODI 484403 REPLACED 5 CV BOOTS. Look up ODI 484403 at NHTSA ↗	150.0% ODI 964295 1) PASSENGER FRONT SEAT BELT FAILS TO REMAIN LATCHED. 2) CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATES DUE TO BUILD UP OF COMBUSTION. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT Look up ODI 964295 at NHTSA ↗
Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	120.0% ODI 965714 SEAT BELT BUCKLE APPEAR TO BE FASTEN, BUT MOST OF THE TIME IT COMES UNFASTENED. TT Look up ODI 965714 at NHTSA ↗	150.0% ODI 964295 1) PASSENGER FRONT SEAT BELT FAILS TO REMAIN LATCHED. 2) CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATES DUE TO BUILD UP OF COMBUSTION. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT Look up ODI 964295 at NHTSA ↗
Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	1100.0% ODI 977914 ENGINE COMPARMENT FIRE, UNDER THE HOOD, ELECTRICAL SHORT. TT Look up ODI 977914 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	120.0% ODI 484403 REPLACED 5 CV BOOTS. Look up ODI 484403 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Emission Control	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	120.0% ODI 484403 REPLACED 5 CV BOOTS. Look up ODI 484403 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Fuel System, Gasoline	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	150.0% ODI 10171505 · 161,000 mi TIME IS A KEY FACTOR, AS WELL AS PLACES THAT RUST VEHICLES SOONER THAN OTHERS. THE FAILURE IS A FUEL DAMPER AND/OR FUEL LINES AND/OR FUEL PUMP. THE CONSEQUENCES ARE SMELL OF FUEL, LEAKS, ERRATIC ENGINE, AND LEAD ON ONE OCCASION TO A LEAN CONDITION THAT FAILED A TIMING BELT. THE FUEL PUMP ALSO FAILED. IF THIS LEAK HAPPENS ON THE SUCTION SIDE OF FUEL PUMP IT IS ELUSIVE AND DANGEROUS. *NM Look up ODI 10171505 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Fuel System, Gasoline:Carburetor System	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	120.0% ODI 484403 REPLACED 5 CV BOOTS. Look up ODI 484403 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	120.0% ODI 531947 VEHICLE HARD TO START IN COLD OR WET WEATHER. Look up ODI 531947 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.

Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.

Failure mileage by component

Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.

Component failure mileage distribution
Component	Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)	Median	Usable records	Examples
Fuel System, Gasoline	Too few reports for a range	161,000 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 10171505 · 161,000 mi TIME IS A KEY FACTOR, AS WELL AS PLACES THAT RUST VEHICLES SOONER THAN OTHERS. THE FAILURE IS A FUEL DAMPER AND/OR FUEL LINES AND/OR FUEL PUMP. THE CONSEQUENCES ARE SMELL OF FUEL, LEAKS, ERRATIC ENGINE, AND LEAD ON ONE OCCASION TO A LEAN CONDITION THAT FAILED A TIMING BELT. THE FUEL PUMP ALSO FAILED. IF THIS LEAK HAPPENS ON THE SUCTION SIDE OF FUEL PUMP IT IS ELUSIVE AND DANGEROUS. *NM Look up ODI 10171505 at NHTSA ↗

Complaint and recall timeline

Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.

ComponentPeriod

Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.

Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples

Monthly complaint and recall timeline
Month	Campaigns announced	Examples
2024-11	None	No examples available for this selection.
2024-12	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-01	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-02	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-03	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-04	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-05	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-06	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-07	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-08	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-09	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-10	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-11	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-12	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-01	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-02	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-03	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-04	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-05	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-06	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-07	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-08	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-09	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-10 (partial)	None	No examples available for this selection.

Emerging complaint spikes

Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.

This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.

No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.

Equal-age model-year comparison

Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.

Observation windowFirst model yearSecond model year

1988: 0 complaints · 1989: 0 complaints

Equal observation windows
Model year	Through age 0	Through age 1	Through age 2
1988	0	0	0
1989	0	0	0

Date coverage across each selected cohort

Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year	Incident dates used	Filing date fallbacks	Excluded dates
1988	4	1	0
1989	0	2	0

Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.

Components reported together

Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.

Component co-occurrence matrix
Component	Fuel System, Gasoline	Suspension:Rear:Springs:Air Suspension System
Fuel System, Gasoline	—	0
Suspension:Rear:Springs:Air Suspension System	0	—

Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.

Recurring narrative patterns

Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.

Search patterns

1 patterns with matching reports.

Fuel smell or leak mentions

1 mentions · 50.0% of complaints

Median mileage: 161,000 mi (1 usable records).

ODI 10171505 · 161,000 mi

Look up ODI 10171505 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

\b(fuel leak\w*|gas leak\w*|gas(?:oline)? smell|smell\w* (?:of )?(?:fuel|gas))\b

Complaints over time data
Category	Count
1995	1
2006	1