AI Damage1989 Subaru Loyale: common problems
Owners of the 1989 Subaru Loyale filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel system and seat belts. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 3
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel system 33% of all complaints
- 2 Seat belts 33% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 33% of all complaints
- Fuel system: 1 complaints (33% of all).
- Seat belts: 1 complaints (33% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 1 complaints (33% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 3 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
After putting vehicle into drive, the throttle stuck, causing the vehicle to increase speed, resulting in a collision/injuries.
In a vehicle collision the drivers seat belt did not hold. Tt
Fuel filler tube rusts prematurely and allows gasoline to spill into the wheel well of the right rear wheel. Dealer contacted and cannot duplicate the problem.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 17,150 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 47% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Loyale has 11 complaints (6 years in the data). This year has 3, below average.
What to check before buying
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1989 Subaru Loyale?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel system, seat belts, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 3. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (33%), seat belts (33%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1989 Subaru Loyale?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1989 Subaru Loyale from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1989 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.