1993 Subaru SVX: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
4 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1993 model year. Data updated: . 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.
Most common problems
Power Train:Automatic Transmission is the most frequently named component, appearing in 4 of 4 complaints (100.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 2 | 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 4 |
Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 4
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 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 |
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. 4 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 1 |
| 1999 | 1 |
| 2000 | 1 |
| 2003 | 1 |
1998: 1; 1999: 1; 2000: 1; 2003: 1
Pattern summary
Power Train:Automatic Transmission leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 2 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10024588 · 2003-06-20 (June 20, 2003)
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WITH A SEMI-MANUAL MODE ONLY WORKS IN SECOND AND THIRD GEARS. THE VEHICLE WILL BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10024588 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 713438 · 1999-10-17 (October 17, 1999)
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
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 713438 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 718172 · 2000-02-01 (February 1, 2000)
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. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 718172 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 781487 · 1998-10-20 (October 20, 1998)
TRANSMISSION FAILURE.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 781487 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.
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
4 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
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.
| Component | 1990 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 3100.0%ODI 714060THE 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 | 17575.8%ODI 10002059CONSUMER STATES WHILES DRIVING 30MPH THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL IN THE STREET. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. PH | 4100.0%ODI 10024588AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WITH A SEMI-MANUAL MODE ONLY WORKS IN SECOND AND THIRD GEARS. THE VEHICLE WILL BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. *AK | 2175.0%ODI 10018652 · 95,000 mi1994 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 | 1365.0%ODI 10023052I BOUGHT A SUBARU SVX TWO MONTHS AGO I FAIRLY GOOD CONDITION RUNNING GOOD AND ALL THE PERSON I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM INFORM ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION ON THE CAR WAS THE SECOND NEW TRANS INSTALLED BOTH TIMES BY A SUBARU DEALER BUT A MONTH IN TO DRIVING THE CAR AFTER I GOT TAGS IND INSURANCE THE TRANS IS TAKING VERY LONG TO SHIFT IN SECOND GEAR THE ENGINE REVS REAL HIGH TO 5500 RPM BEFORE IT GOES IN TO SECOND GEAR. *NLM | 133.3%ODI 711065THE 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 SU… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Power Train:Axle Assembly:Axle Shaft | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 2410.4% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 310.7%ODI 700735THESE WHEEL BEARINGS DON'T SEEM TO LAST VERY LONG. ACCORDING TO PEOPLE I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS WITH THE NEW PARTS PROBABLY WON'T LAST VERY LONG. I'M IN THE AIR FORCE AND NOW LIVE IN ITALY. I CANT AFFORD THE TWO DAYS AND 200 DOLLARS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM REPEATEDLY. | 315.0%ODI 724844I NOTICED MY TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT CAR, BROUGHT IT TO DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T NOTICE A PROBLEM, UNDER WARRANTY AT TIME OF FIRST ATTEMPT TO ALLEVIATE PROB.. WHEEL BEARINGS HAVE BEEN GETTING NOISIER SINCE AUGUST OF LAST YEAR. I KNOW THEY ARE GOING TO BE BAD SOON, JUST NEED TO MAKE SOME TIME TO BRING IT IN. I HAVE HEARD THAT BOTH OF THESE PROBLEMS-TRANSMISSION AND WHEEL BEARINGS- HAVE BEEN ONGOING WITH ALOT OF SVX OWNERS. PLEASE REPLY TO THIS QUESTIONAIRE. THANK YOU HANS.*AK | 133.3% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Suspension:Front:Wheel Bearing | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 104.3%ODI 10136544 · 165,000 miI PURCHASES A SUBARU SVX 1992 MODEL. I TEST DROVE IT AND IT SEEMED FINE. TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC TO HAVE IT LOOKED OVER AND IT CAME BACK CLEAN EXCEPT FOR SOME SUGGESTIONS TO CHANGE BRAKE PADS , FLUIDS ETC. THIS WAS ALL DONE. HOWEVER A COUPLE MONTHS LATER A MAJOR PROBLEM OCCURRED. THE GEAR WOULD SOMETIMES NOT SHIFT, THE CAR WOULD MAKE A LOUD THUD SOUND IN REVERSE AND OVER REV ON HIGHWAY DRIVING. I FOUND OUT FROM VARIOUS FORUMS THAT THIS CAR HAS A FLAW , THE TRANSMISSION IS DUE TO FAILURE. EVERY CAR OWNER IN THIS FORUM HAS EXPERIENCED PREMATURE TRA… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 13.6%ODI 766527THIS IS OUR THIRD SVX AND ALL THREE HAVE HAD WHEEL BEARING FAILURE.*AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Unknown Or Other | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 62.6%ODI 700361THE TRANSMISSION FAILS ON THE SUBARU SVX DUE TO A POOR DESIGN. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 13.6%ODI 700537THE LEAK FROM THE ENGINE SEPARATOR PLATE IS BECAUSE ITS PLASTIC. (SO TOLD BY THE TECHNICAN). SUBARU CHANGED IT IN LATE 95, BUT I AM STUCK WITH IT. ALSO, THE TRANSMISSION HESITATES FROM SHIFTING 2 TO 3, WITH A SERIOUS LOSS OF POWER. THE CASSETTE PLAYER STOPPED WORKING. THE MOON ROOF DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE WHEEL BEARING NOISE IS TREMENDOUS. | 15.0% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Power Train:Manual Transmission | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 73.0%ODI 561565TACHOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER RACED AND THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED WHILE IN TRAFFIC, ALMOST CAUSING A COLLISION. | 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. |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 52.2%ODI 10029576VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A LOT, WHEN CONSUMER STARTED THE IGNITION, INSTANTLY THE RPMS "REVVED" UP TO THE MAXIMUM. CONSUMER TURNED VEHICLE OFF, WAITED A FEW MINUTES, AND THEN RESTARTED. WHEN GEAR WAS PLACED IN REVERSE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED BACKWARD ALMOST HITTING PEDESTRIANS.*AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 13.6%ODI 826861DUE TO CARBON FORMING AROUND THE THROTTLE BODY, THE THROTTLE WAS IN OPEN POSITION, RESULTING IN UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION. THE BRAKING SYSTEM DID NOT TO WORK PROPERLY, WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. DEALER SAID THE REASON THE CARBON WAS FORMING AROUND THE THROTTLE BODY WAS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE OCCUPANT DID NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE AS MUCH. *AK | 15.0%ODI 7018982/14/97-REPORTED TO BROWN'S SUBARU THAT CAR FELT LIKE IT STARTED IN A DIFFERENT GEAR OTHER THAN IN 1ST GEAR. DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANY ABNORMALITIES IN TRANSMISSION FUNCTION.CAR SEEMED TO RUN OKAY AFTER THIS UNTIL FEB 1998 WHEN WHILE TRAVELING AT 30-35 MPH LOST ALL GEARS IN THE AUTOMATIC POSITION.WAS ABLE TO PUT TRANSMISSION IN "MANUAL MODE" AND DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER(BROWN'S SUBARU OF ARLINGTON WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW, BUT WAS TOLD THEY DID NOT DO WARRANTY THERE BECAUSE THE SUBARU SERVICE HAD MOVED TO ALEXANDRIA, WHERE I TOOK… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Suspension:Multiple Axle | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 52.2% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 13.6% | 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 | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 31.3%ODI 10249110 · 65,000 miTRANSMISSION FAILED WITH 64000 MI. TRANS SHOP "REBUILT" IT AND ADDED A TRANS COOLER FOR 2200$ AS SOON AS I FIST DROVE IT I NOTICED THE CAR "BINDING UP" DURING TURNS AT SLOW SPEED. SHOP OWNER SAID HE COULDN'T REPLICATE OR FEEL ANYTHING WRONG, WITH ME IN THE CAR AND IT WAS CLEARLY BINDING DURING SLOW TURNS, HE REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY PROBLEM. ALSO THERE IS A NOISE, LIKE A BOLT INSIDE THE TORQUE CONVERTER THAT I HEAR WHEN I AM OFF THE THROTTLE. ALSO HAVE REPLACED BOTH REAR WHEEL BEARINGS. CABIN TRUNK RELEASE HAS FAILED AND ALL OF THE HOOD/TRUNK… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 210.0%ODI 10019318THE VEHICLE WOULD STAY IN SECOND GEAR WHILE DRIVING. *NLM | 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 | 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.
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
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | 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.
1996: 1 complaints · 1997: 1 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1997 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1997 | 2 | 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 | 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.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.