1989 Subaru Gl Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1989 Subaru Gl, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Seat belts555.6%
- Driver assistance222.2%
- Brakes111.1%
- Transmission111.1%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
FRONT LAP/SHOULDER BELT WILL NOT RETRACT ON PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE. TT *JB
THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WHEN LATCHED THE BUCKLE CAME LOOSE . TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
FAILURE ON THE TRANSMISSION WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PUT IN REVERSE THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELEARATED CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. *AK
STOPPED AT STOP SIGN ALL OF A SUDDEN CAR JUST ACCELERATED,CAUSED ACCIDENT. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
BRAKES WERE REPLACED AT ~100,000 MILES. BOTH FRONT ROTORS AND PADS AS WELL AS REAR DRUMS AND SHOES. ALL DONE BY SUBARU DEALER IN SPING OF 98. AS OF SPRING OF 01 AND LESS THAN 12,000 MILES LATER THE BRAKES HAVE SELF DESTRUCTED DO TO RUST. NEVER HAVE WE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR BEFORE. ONLY SINCE RECENT YEAR SUBARU BRAKE ASSEMBLIES HAVE BEEN INSTALLED. SUBARU IS NOT STANDING BEHIND THIS. WILL HAVE THIS JOB DONE AT AN INDEPENDENT SHOP THAT WILL STAND BEHIND THEIR BRAKES.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION LINKAGE LOCK OUT FAILED. (THAT IS THE COMPONENT THAT PREVENTS SHIFTING FROM NUETRAL TO REVERSE FAILD AND THE CAR WENT INTO REVERSE FROM NUETRAL.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .