What breaks most · 1990 to 1994 model years
Subaru Loyale problems by year
Owners have filed 61 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Subaru Loyale across model years 1990 to 1994. Three years stand out: 1992 for engine and cooling complaints, 1990 for engine and cooling complaints and 1993 for engine and cooling complaints.
- Years to check closely: 1992, 1990, 1993
- Complaints on file
- 611990 to 1994, all trims
- Worst year
- 199223 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 70 fires · 7 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 135kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 8Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 0 | 4 | Engine and cooling (5) | |
| 11 | 1 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (5) | |
| 23 | 3 | 1 | Engine and cooling (8) | |
| 13 | 2 | 1 | Engine and cooling (3) | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | Visibility (1) |
What fails on the 1992 Subaru Loyale
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 35% |
8 | 0 | Shop all engine and cooling parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Seat belts | 22% |
5 | 2 | Check recalls for seat belts on NHTSA.gov |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 22% |
5 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 13% |
3 | 0 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Equipment and infotainment | 13% |
3 | 0 | — |
| Tires | 9% |
2 | 0 | — |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 9% |
2 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 9% |
2 | 1 | Shop all brakes (hydraulic) parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Broken belt caused car to essentially be without power, replace timing belt, alternator, water pump, oil pump, ane reseal the engine, all within 100,000 miles.
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When turning to right, oil in engine swings over to left in oil pan; gets sucks up into tube that goes to fuel intake; starts smoking; cannot acccelerate. Tt
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Fuel injection system failed during cold or humid weather, causing vehicle to lose power. Also eletrical system and power windows failed.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Subaru Loyale years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1992, 1990, 1993 carry the most filings on the Subaru Loyale. The 1992 alone has 23 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common Subaru Loyale problem?
On the 1992 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 8 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Subaru Loyale problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Subaru Loyale complaints that include mileage is about 135,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.