U.S. public vehicle records

1993 Subaru GL: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

1 owner complaints analyzed

0 distinct recall campaigns

Not available median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1993 model year. Data updated: 2026-10-01 (October 1, 2026). 0 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

Power Train:Automatic Transmission is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 1 complaints (100.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Component breakdown

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

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 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: 0

No usable failure mileage is recorded. 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.

1997

1997: 1

Pattern summary

Power Train:Automatic Transmission leads the component reports. 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.

Examples from the source records

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

Owner report 810788 · 1997-04-08 (April 8, 1997)

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE WILL DOWNSHIFT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 810788 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.

Explore the data

Vehicle analysis explorer

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

Data completeness

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

0.0%Usable mileage0 / 1 records

100.0%Valid incident date1 / 1 records

100.0%Valid filing date1 / 1 records

100.0%Ordered incident and filing dates1 / 1 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	1993
Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly	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 483129 SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILED DUE TO SUN DETERIORATION. *AK Look up ODI 483129 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	114.3% ODI 969132 PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE, UNABLE TO LATCH SEAT BELT. TT Look up ODI 969132 at NHTSA ↗	17.1% ODI 484894 REAR SEAT BUCKLES FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL. *SKD Look up ODI 484894 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	741.2% ODI 961544 PASSENGER BUCKLE FAILS TO ENGAGE, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT Look up ODI 961544 at NHTSA ↗	333.3% ODI 960689 DRIVER SEAT BELT IS INOPERATIVE AND THE PASSENGER SIDE LATCHES SOMETIMES. TT Look up ODI 960689 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Suspension:Rear	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	150.0% ODI 815740 THE LEFT REAR CONTROL ARM HAS BROKEN AWAY FROM THE MOUNTING, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO REAR END/TO PULL FROM SIDE TO SIDE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK Look up ODI 815740 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	120.0% ODI 973415 THE REAR INNER ARM ASSEMBLY FAILED ON BOTH SIDES CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL . TT VEHICLE IS INOPERABLE CURRENTLY IN CONUMER'S GARAGE, CONSUMER STATES THE PASSENGER SIDE ARM BROKE ON A GRADUAL LEFT TURN, AS CONSUMER TURNED THE WHEEL TO CORRECT THE SKID THE DRIVER SIDE ARM BROKE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SPIN 360 DEGREE TO THE RIGHT WITH BOTH REAR WHEELS COLLAPSED UNDER THE VEHICLE.*JB Look up ODI 973415 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	114.3% ODI 528875 RIGHT REAR WHEEL ROTATED TO THE NEAR HORIZONTAL POSITION, MAKING THE VEHICLE INOPERATBLE. Look up ODI 528875 at NHTSA ↗	214.3% ODI 481915 RIGHT/REAR TRAILING ARM CRACKED AFTER RECALL REPAIRS, CAUSING TIRE TO LEAN INWARD. *AW Look up ODI 481915 at NHTSA ↗	15.9% ODI 805536 THE REAR SINGLE AXLE IS RUSTING OUT SAME RECALL FOR THE 1987 # 92V001000 . AK SLC Look up ODI 805536 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:Engine	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	114.3% ODI 805251 DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT 65 MPH, VEHICLE STOPPED SUDDENLY IN THE FAST LANE, TIMING BELT BROKE. AK ALSO FRONT PADS AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED.JB Look up ODI 805251 at NHTSA ↗	17.1% ODI 501678 HEAD GASKETS LEAK, CAUSING ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. *SD Look up ODI 501678 at NHTSA ↗	211.8% ODI 504003 HEAD GASKETS REPLACED DUE TO LEAK. *SD Look up ODI 504003 at NHTSA ↗	15.9% ODI 537807 TIMING BELTS BREAK ABOUT EVERY 40000 MILES. Look up ODI 537807 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Seat Belts:Front:Retractor	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	214.3% ODI 961871 THE TWO WINDOW REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTOR WILL NOT LET THE BELT COME OUT. TT Look up ODI 961871 at NHTSA ↗	15.9% ODI 975109 DRIVING VEHICLE AT SPEED OF 30MPH IMPACT 9:00 POSITION, DRIVERS SIDE LAP/SHOULDER BELT WILL NOT RETRACT CAUSING INJURIES. TT Look up ODI 975109 at NHTSA ↗	15.9% ODI 962531 DRIVER SIDE LAP/SHOULDER WILL NOT RETRACT. TT Look up ODI 962531 at NHTSA ↗	111.1% ODI 975316 FRONT LAP/SHOULDER BELT WILL NOT RETRACT ON PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE. TT *JB Look up ODI 975316 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Vehicle Speed Control	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	114.3% ODI 965225 W/MANUAL TRANSMISSION, VEHICLE EXPERIENCES UNWANTED ACCELERATION. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT Look up ODI 965225 at NHTSA ↗	17.1% ODI 966636 PUT VEHICLE IN DRIVE, IT ACCELERATED AND CRASHED. TT Look up ODI 966636 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	15.9% ODI 484482 SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL/ONE ACCIDENT. *SKD Look up ODI 484482 at NHTSA ↗	222.2% ODI 964143 STOPPED AT STOP SIGN ALL OF A SUDDEN CAR JUST ACCELERATED,CAUSED ACCIDENT. TT Look up ODI 964143 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	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 531432 ENGINE FIRE, CAUSING DEATH. Look up ODI 531432 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	17.1% ODI 986166 THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *AK Look up ODI 986166 at NHTSA ↗	211.8% ODI 480948 ENGINE OVERHEATED/SEIZED DUE TO WATER PUMP FAILURE. *AK Look up ODI 480948 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.
Power Train:Driveline:Constant Velocity Joint	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	150.0% ODI 511717 REPLACED CV JOINTS ON BOTH THE FRONT LEFT/RIGHT DRIVELINE. *AK Look up ODI 511717 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	125.0% ODI 731042 I BOUGHT A REBUILT CV JOINT IN OREGON BACK IN '97 WITH A LIFETIME WARRANTY. I BELIEVE I REPLACED IT TWICE . . . UNDER WARRANTY. IT IS QUITE A JOB TO REPLACE THE AXLE WITH THE CV AND DOJ TO THE FRONT . . .DANGEROUS TOO.*AK Look up ODI 731042 at NHTSA ↗	114.3% ODI 849075 WHILE DRIVING AT 25MPH OR MORE VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO THE RIGHT. ALSO, CV BOOTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE DEALER STILL CAN'T FIND A SOLUTION. *AK Look up ODI 849075 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	15.9% ODI 504003 HEAD GASKETS REPLACED DUE TO LEAK. *SD Look up ODI 504003 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.
Structure:Frame And Members	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	114.3% ODI 964043 CORROSION THROUGH OUT THE FRAME. TT Look up ODI 964043 at NHTSA ↗	214.3% ODI 10166868 · 160,000 mi DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, A SOUND OF RUST RIPPING WAS HEARD, RESULTING IN A SLIGHT LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTED THAT THE REAR SUBFRAME HAD CRACKED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE. THE REAR WHEELS WERE ALSO BOWED IN AT THE TOP, CAUSING THEM TO TOUCH THE SPRINGS, RENDERING THE VEHICLE UNDRIVEABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE. Look up ODI 10166868 at NHTSA ↗	15.9% ODI 968907 FRAME ROTTED TO THE EXTENT THAT JACK WOULD NOT SUPPORT CAR AT INDICATED POINT OR FLOOR. *AK Look up ODI 968907 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.

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
No usable records for this analysis.

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

1989: 0 complaints · 1993: 1 complaints

Equal observation windows
Model year	Through age 0	Through age 1	Through age 2
1989	0	0	0
1993	0	1	1

Date coverage across each selected cohort

Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year	Incident dates used	Filing date fallbacks	Excluded dates
1989	8	1	0
1993	1	0	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	Power Train:Automatic Transmission
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	—

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

0 patterns with matching reports.

No narratives match the published patterns.