What breaks most · 1990 to 1997 model years
Subaru SVX problems by year
Owners have filed 291 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Subaru SVX across model years 1990 to 1997. One year stands out: 1992 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 1990, 1993 and 1995.
- Years to check closely: 1992
- Fewest complaints: 1990, 1993, 1995
- Complaints on file
- 2911990 to 1997, all trims
- Worst year
- 1992231 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 61 fires · 4 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 109kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 0Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (3) | |
| 231 | 4 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (200) | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (4) | |
| 28 | 1 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (22) | |
| 20 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (17) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (2) | |
| 2 | 1 | 0 | Air bags (2) |
What fails on the 1992 Subaru SVX
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 87% |
200 | 2 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 8% |
19 | 0 | Shop all suspension parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 3% |
7 | 1 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 3% |
7 | 1 | Shop all brakes (hydraulic) parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Wheels | 3% |
6 | 0 | — |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 3% |
6 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 3% |
6 | 0 | — |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 2% |
5 | 0 | Shop all steering 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.
-
Transmission failure. No specific event or activity lead to the failure. Transmission worsened over a period of weeks - rough shifts and eventually unable to get into all gears.
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 6, 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 SVX years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1992 carries the most filings on the Subaru SVX. The 1992 alone has 231 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Subaru SVX problem?
On the 1992 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 200 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Subaru SVX problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Subaru SVX complaints that include mileage is about 109,000 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.