Subaru GL
Across 11 model years (1980–1993), the Subaru GL has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns and 78 complaints on file.
The component named most often in complaints is seat belts (272.7 per 1,000 component mentions), followed by engine and engine cooling (181.8).
The 1987 model year has the most complaints (17). Recall campaigns peaked in 1990 with 1; complaints were received in the largest number in 1995 (40). Within Subaru, this line ranks 11 of 29 by total complaints.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
Model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | vs line average | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 Subaru GL NHTSA record | 1 | 0 | 0% | 285,000 |
| 1981 Subaru GL NHTSA record | 1 | 2 | 28% | 285,000 |
| 1982 Subaru GL NHTSA record | 1 | 2 | 28% | 285,000 |
| 1983 Subaru GL NHTSA record | 1 | 5 | 71% | 285,000 |
| 1984 Subaru GL NHTSA record | 1 | 4 | 56% | 285,000 |
| 1985 Subaru GL | 2 | 7 | 99% | 432,000 |
| 1986 Subaru GL | 2 | 14 | 197% | 432,000 |
| 1987 Subaru GL | 2 | 17 | 240% | 204,000 |
| 1988 Subaru GL | 2 | 17 | 240% | 160,825 |
| 1989 Subaru GL NHTSA record | 0 | 9 | 127% | — |
| 1993 Subaru GL NHTSA record | 0 | 1 | 14% | — |
"vs line average" is the model year's complaints as a share of the line's average per model year (100% = average). A campaign covering several model years counts once per year. Model years with one campaign and fewer than 25 complaints are listed but have no page of their own; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record.
Components most reported
Per 1,000 component mentions across all Subaru GL complaints (99 mentions).
Campaigns by year reported
Complaints by year received
Other Subaru model lines
- Outback 194 recalls · 3,853 complaints
- Forester 115 recalls · 2,449 complaints
- Legacy 211 recalls · 2,218 complaints
- Impreza 146 recalls · 1,624 complaints
- WRX 104 recalls · 752 complaints
- SVX 0 recalls · 291 complaints
- B9 Tribeca 7 recalls · 127 complaints
- Crosstrek 20 recalls · 125 complaints
- Baja 38 recalls · 103 complaints
- XV Crosstrek 3 recalls · 88 complaints
- GL 13 recalls · 78 complaints
- Loyale 9 recalls · 64 complaints
- Subaru 18 recalls · 50 complaints
- Justy 9 recalls · 49 complaints
- Tribeca 62 recalls · 40 complaints
- Impreza STI 0 recalls · 36 complaints
- BRZ 6 recalls · 33 complaints
- Ascent 25 recalls · 22 complaints
- WRX STI 14 recalls · 16 complaints
- DL 13 recalls · 10 complaints
- XT 8 recalls · 8 complaints
- 22 3 recalls · 1 complaints
- Solterra 9 recalls · 0 complaints
- Crosstrek Hybrid 6 recalls · 0 complaints
- Forester Hybrid 4 recalls · 0 complaints
- 23 3 recalls · 0 complaints
- 62 3 recalls · 0 complaints
- 63 3 recalls · 0 complaints
- FF-1 3 recalls · 0 complaints
Questions and answers
Which Subaru GL model years have the most recalls?
1985 (2), 1986 (2), 1987 (2). Across model years 1980–1993 there are 5 distinct campaigns.
Which Subaru GL model year has the most complaints?
1987, with 17 of the line's 78 complaints. Newer model years have had less time to accumulate reports.
What do owners of the Subaru GL complain about?
seat belts (272.7 per 1,000 mentions), engine and engine cooling (181.8 per 1,000 mentions), suspension (151.5 per 1,000 mentions). Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint flat files, public domain, dated 24 Sep 2026 and 15 May 2019.
Provenance
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, dated 24 Sep 2026 and 15 May 2019. Model names are as NHTSA records them; variants such as "Accord" and "Accord Hybrid" are separate lines. See the methodology.