IllustrationPOWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DESPITE REGULAR PROFESSIONAL CAR CARE AT EITHER A SUBARU DEALER IN 80 - 100 MILE RADIUS) OR LOCAL AUTOMOTIVE SHOPS, CAR EXPERIENCED A SECOND INSTANCE OF TRANSMISSION FAILURE. IN CONSULTING SEVERAL SUBARU SVX - RELATED SITES, I LEARNED PROBLEMS OF THIS NATURE HAVE BEEN PREVALENT.
1992 Subaru Svx
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Svx years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 19 of 231 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 200 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports1 fire reports1 injury reports
Power Train complaints
200 reportsCONSUMER STATES WHILES DRIVING 30MPH THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL IN THE STREET. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. PH
I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, AND EXSPENSIVE IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO GET THE SUBARU TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THIS NEGLIGENT FAILURE TO RECALL THE TRANSMISSIONS. DT
I PURCHASED THIS AS A USED VEHICLE, BUT PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY DUE TO THE POTENTIAL (EXPENSIVE) PROBLEMS. I WAS ASSURED BY THE DEALER THAT THIS VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE A RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSION AND THAT THE CAR WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. I STARTED EXPERIENCING SLIPPAGE AND "CLANKING" WITHIN 6 MONTHS. I TOOK IT TO THE …
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I PURCHASED THIS AS A USED VEHICLE, BUT PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY DUE TO THE POTENTIAL (EXPENSIVE) PROBLEMS. I WAS ASSURED BY THE DEALER THAT THIS VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE A RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSION AND THAT THE CAR WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. I STARTED EXPERIENCING SLIPPAGE AND "CLANKING" WITHIN 6 MONTHS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES COMPLAINING ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION. I WAS ASSURED THAT NO PROBLEM COULD BE FOUND. LESS THAN 6 MONTHS AFTER LAST THE INSPECTION, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED COMPLETELY. AFTER SOME ADDITIONAL RESEARCH I FOUND THIS TO BE A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL SINCE INCEPTION/INTRODUCTION. I AM INVESTIGATING THE POSSIBILITY OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. IT APPEARS SUBARU HAS IGNORED THIS PROBLEM, AND DEALERS CONTINUE TO SELL THESE MODELS, MISREPRESENTING THE POTENTIAL FOR EXTENSIVE AND VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIRS. SUBARU AND ITS REPRESENTATIVES SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE AND ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEFECT.------- DIMS 11 IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS-----769750. *AK
AS YOU KNOW THE SUBARU SVX IS KNOWN FOR ITS FAULTY TRANSMISSION. I RECENTLY BOUGHT AN SVX NOT KNOWING OF THE FACTORY DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION...WELL I HAD TO FIND OUT THE HARD WAY, MY CAR STARTED TO DELAY IN SHIFTING AND THEN STARTED SHIFTING BETWEEN DRIVE ABD 3RD GEAR IN A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE MANNER, NOW MY CAR JERKS INTO REVE…
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AS YOU KNOW THE SUBARU SVX IS KNOWN FOR ITS FAULTY TRANSMISSION. I RECENTLY BOUGHT AN SVX NOT KNOWING OF THE FACTORY DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION...WELL I HAD TO FIND OUT THE HARD WAY, MY CAR STARTED TO DELAY IN SHIFTING AND THEN STARTED SHIFTING BETWEEN DRIVE ABD 3RD GEAR IN A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE MANNER, NOW MY CAR JERKS INTO REVERSE AND SHIFTS VERY HARD. I KNOW THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND HOPE THIS DOES NOT GET OVERLOOKED, I THINK THAT SUBARU SHOULD PAY TO FIX THESE OBVIOUS FACTORY DEFECTS. THANK YOU SO MUCH,..QUINN A. YEAMANS. TS
OWNERS OF THIS CAR WHICH IF NEEDED 100-1000 OR MORE OWNERS CAN CLAIM THAT THIS CAR BUILT BY SUBARU HAS A DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION WAS POORLY BUILT BECAUSE OF LACK OF LUBRICATION TO INTERNAL PARTS AND LACK OF FLUID COOLING. THIS IS MY SECOND FAILURE ON THIS SAME CAR. ANOTHER COMMON DEFECT ON THIS CAR IS THE WH…
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OWNERS OF THIS CAR WHICH IF NEEDED 100-1000 OR MORE OWNERS CAN CLAIM THAT THIS CAR BUILT BY SUBARU HAS A DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION WAS POORLY BUILT BECAUSE OF LACK OF LUBRICATION TO INTERNAL PARTS AND LACK OF FLUID COOLING. THIS IS MY SECOND FAILURE ON THIS SAME CAR. ANOTHER COMMON DEFECT ON THIS CAR IS THE WHEEL BEARINGS. I HAVE REPLACED THEM WITH REPEATS GOING ON 4 TIMES. THE BEARINGS ARE FAILING TOO QUICKLY FOR ANY CAR. I WOULD LIKE SOMETHING TO BE DONE SO THAT OWNERS OF THESE CARS CAN EITHER HAVE A RECALL DONE ON THE TRANSMISSIONS AND WHEEL BEARING OR COMENSATED FOR REPEAT WORK DONE ON THESE ISSUES. THANK YOU AND I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR EMAIL REPLY.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
NO DESCRIPTION.*JB
THE LAST OWNER HAD THIS PROBLEM SO HE HAD THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT BUT IT HAPPENED AGAIN. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.