AI Damage1992 Subaru SVX: common problems
Owners of the 1992 Subaru SVX filed 231 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 231
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 87% of all complaints
- 2 Suspension 8% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 3% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 3% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 3% of all complaints
- 6 Wheels 3% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 2% of all complaints
- 8 Engine and cooling 2% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 200 complaints (87% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 19 complaints (8% of all).
- Service brakes: 7 complaints (3% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 7 complaints (3% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 6 complaints (3% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 231 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 200 | 2 | 0 |
| Suspension | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 6 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
When driving in traffic and applying brakes extended stopping distance occurs intermittently. When driving at slow speeds the problem does not occur, dealer is not aware of the problem.
While driving and trying to stop the vehicle would not stop. Car went into a tree and stopped. Dealer is not aware of the incident or the problem.
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.
Transmission failed with 64000 mi. Trans shop "rebuilt" it and added a trans cooler for 2200$ as soon as I fist drove it I noticed the car "binding up" during turns at slow speed.
The dealer inspected the vehicle and found no error codes or failures; however, they stated that the transmission could be the cause of the stalling. A diagnostic could be performed at the cost of $180. The most recent failure occurred on november 10, 2008. The manufacturer has not been notified.
Vehicle began to rev while the brake was depressed. The consumer then activated the emergency brake. There was a significant down grade. When the first incident occurred the consumers son had taken his foot off the accelerator and coasted before applying the brakes.
I've had both rear wheel bearings replaced, the right rear I've had replaced 3 times, the last one lasted less than 1000 miles, at which point I replaced the whole housing and bearing.
This car has had two bearing failures on the same axel within 20,000 miles. From discussions with other owners and owners web sites, this is a known manufacturing defect but subaru will only warrant repairs for 3 years/36,000 miles on the original part and 1 year on subsequent repairs.
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 1,751 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 5% most complained about).
On average one model year of the SVX has 37 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 231, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- 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 1992 Subaru SVX?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, suspension, service brakes. Total complaints: 231. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: transmission slipping (21%), stalls while driving (3%), jerking, harsh shifts (2%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1992 Subaru SVX?
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 1992 Subaru SVX 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 1992 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.